Dear Friends,
The Museum Listserve has come through again--thank you so much to all
who took the time to respond to my query! You directed a wealth of
information my way, and it is greatly appreciated.
All best,
--
Christian Carr
Director, Sweet Briar Museum
Assistant Professor of Arts Management
PO Box 144, Sweet Briar, VA 24595
Phone: 434.381.6246 Fax: 434.381.6132
(mailing address same as above)
Quoting Kjirsten Gustavson <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> By 13, an upper class girl would most likely be wearing some form
> of corset, but the issue was pretty debated even at that time
> period.? Many girls' corsets used nothing more than soft cotton
> cords to stiffen them until the age of 14 or 15 and all had less
> defined waists than the highly restrictive garment that is seen most
> often today.? Some girls' corsets were only slightly more
> restrictive than a fitted vest and used buttons to close.? Others
> permitted a certain amount of stretch in the fabric for freer
> movement.? Others used between two and six pieces of steel for
> support (as opposed to an adult's corset using from 18 to more than
> 30).
>
> The age at which to convert a girl from this softer corset and short
> skirts (another emblem of youth) to a fully-boned corset and ankle-
> or floor-length skirts was pretty heavily debated during the 19th
> century and often depended, in part, on family preference since
> changing a girl over to these garments announced her sexual
> maturity.? Louisa May Alcott even discouraged corsets for young
> girls in several books, saying that they discouraged healthy
> growth.? The age range for this change seems to have been anywhere
> between 12 and 17.
>
>
>
> Even in photographs of the period, it is pretty easy to tell which
> kind of corset a girl is wearing by the shape and bend of her body
> (corsets keep a girl from bending at all at the waist).? You can see
> examples in the books below:
>
> Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900
> Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey:? Alison Gersheim
>
>
>
> For patterns for a theatrical production, I suggest that you check
> out www.agelesspatterns.com.? Their patterns are affordable and
> drafted directly from Harper's Bazaar pattern supplements of the
> era.? I recommend the 1869 Corset for Girl 12-14 Yrs or the 1869
> Corset
> for Girl 8-10 Yrs since they are relatively comfortable (I've
> used the latter for a child), and children's underwear styles do not
> seem to have undergone a great deal of change during that period.
>
> Best of luck with your? production
>
> Kjirsten Gustavson
> Curator of Education
> Clermont State Historic Site
> Germantown, NY
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SBC Museum <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 8:43 am
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Corset Question
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hello all--?
> ?
>
> I am sure there is someone on the list who can offer assistance with
> this question: at approximately what age did girls in the late 19th
> century put on their corsets??
> ?
>
> I am working with my theater department on a short program featuring
> the character of a girl who would have been 13 in 1882. They want
> to know if she would have been wearing a corset under her
> costume--and I have no idea! Would it depend on whether she needed
> it or not, or were they traditionally worn when girls reached a
> certain age??
> ?
>
> Thank you in advance for any assistance!?
>
> --Christian Carr?
>
> Director, Sweet Briar Museum?
>
> Assistant Professor of Arts Management?
>
> PO Box 144, Sweet Briar, VA 24595?
>
> Phone: 434.381.6246 Fax: 434.381.6132?
>
> (mailing address same as above)?
> ?
>
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