A study of three padded bustles in the Kentucky Historical Society Collection, showing how thrifty women stayed fashionable on a budget.

When corsets dipped below the bust in the early 1900s, what did women use to support the bust? How did bras develop into a must-have garment?

Part 2 of Push Up and Sling Bras series. You've drafted the cups in part 1, now we'll draft the bra wing with gated back fastening, and sew the push up bra.

In this article on bra design we will look at more cup shaping options, push up bras, and sling bras, and try to solve the problem of "east westing". 

Wendy puts her earlier research on transitional Regency stays into practice and reproduces a set of stays for herself, walking us through the fitting stages.

Wendy analyzes over 80 stays from 1790-1829 for fiber, colour, weave, length, opening placement, shoulder treatment, bust shaping, boning or cording.

Mark takes the basic corselet further by adding shaping or control panels to it. He also shows how to adapt the corselet blocks to make : a Girdle, Merry Widow, Basque, Long Line Bra and a Suspender / Garter Belt.

Dresses of the 1770s-80s were worn over a “bum” or “rump,” but there is little extant evidence as to what shape and proportion these rumps took.

Mark shares with us the secrets of working with stretchy powernet, and shows how to make a vintage corselette of the 1950s or 60s.

Silhouette is important for vintage as well as historical clothing: make an authentic pointy bra that Jane Russell or Marilyn Monroe would have been proud of.

Mark shows you how to adapt the basic "darted cup" bra pattern into three further styles, including a strapless bra shape.

The S-Bend is probably the most misunderstood and under-studied corset fashion in history. Marion separates the myths from the reality.