Foundations Revealed

Joanne Arnett is no ordinary weekend seamstress: she is currently sewing her way through every corset pattern in Norah Waugh's book, Corsets and Crinolines.

She is documenting the whole project in her blog, her many avid readers following along with every stitch. She believes that the stuff you don't see is often more interesting than the stuff you do see. Making corsets, she says, is like building bridges on the body.

We glance briefly this month at the Royal Worcester Corset company, maker of Bon Ton, Royal Worcester and Adjusto corsets.  

 Marion shares what she's discovered about the company, patents, corsets and where you can learn more about the company.

Angela Friedman lives and works in New York City and is currently a Cutter/Draper at the New York City Ballet costume shop. She has been making corsets of all types since 2000 and has recently started her own specialist corsetmaking business.

Our intrepid interviewer Eleine grills Angela at length about the finer points of her technique, including number of panels, precision in measuring and cutting, fabrics, styles and general business advice.

Brooke Au Buchon of Dragontown Corsets and Dragontown Corset Supply has over 10 years of experience in corsetry. She offers stunning Edwardian and Victorian corsets at her shop in Pennsylvania, as well as through her web site.

This case study, like all those we intend to publish at FR, is more than just a gushing tribute. You'll notice that our intrepid interviewer Eleine Sun asked a torrent of really cheeky, detailed questions about how Brooke's professional corsets are made. Brooke, meanwhile, being a consummate professional who believes in apprenticeship, was only too happy to spill the beans...