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?

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

Trying to date a particular corset, track changes in lingerie fashion down to a few years, or just looking for new inspiration? Plenty here to keep you busy...

An open pair of cotton drawers in the style of the 1840's  (but dated late 1850s to 1860s), with delicate whitework embroidery, sewn on a chain stitch machine.

We complete our series on making sense of the many layers of underpinnings in the Natural Form Era (1876-1882).

This month we look at what to wear over the corset and under the dress, as well as appropriate fabrics and embroidery.

Bonus DPP article from YWU

The underwear situation in the Natural Form Era was.... complicated!  Ladies had an outfit for every situation and time of day, and underwear to go with it. To further add confusion, the "Dress Reform" movement was at its height: its main focus was on changing corsets and what was worn underneath them, all in the name of health. 

So what did women wear under their dresses?  It all depends on a variety of factors.  I'll walk you through all the different layer options starting from the skin out, with variations in necklines and politics. Next month I'll complete the layers and show you how to combine them. Bonus DPP article from YWU

Some underwear is easy to date by the cut or the decoration, other items are almost timeless. 

This month I share with you a knitted silk undervest with a crocheted yoke that could date anywhere from 1880 to 1910. The eBay seller I purchased it from described it as a "vintage tank top", but ladies in the Victorian and Edwardian age would have recognized it as a vest or an undervest.

Marion shares a linen chemise circa 1879 from her collection.The chemise is simple in construction with delicate hand embroidered eyelet work around the neck, minute white threadwork buttons, and an eye-opening combination of machine sewing and delicate hand stitching.

If you're looking to get a head start on your Natural Form Era undies, you can't miss this!

Sunny concludes her exhaustive study of six Belle Époque petticoats by comparing the remaining construction details and techniques to the instructions in various Belle Époque sewing manuals.

The result is enlightening (and freeing) if you get hung up on trying to make all the details “right”. You’ll be able to see just how varied the methods were for basic things (like constructing a ruffle or inserting a placket) and be able to relax and sew your petticoat with confidence.

In the last two months I talked about the different decorative techniques used to trim Belle Époque petticoats (here and here); now I will discuss the different factors that combine to create the shape of the skirt, and the petticoats that support it. Patterns of the six petticoats are included this month.

There are many factors that affect the shape of the skirt, and I will be discussing all of these in this article, particularly as they relate to the six 1890-1910 petticoats described here. Next month I will be talking about the basic sewing techniques (plackets, seam finishes, etc.) that were used in these six petticoats.

To continue from last month’s article, I will be talking about the decorative techniques in the six 1890-1910 petticoats described here.

Last month I talked about tucks and lace insertion.

This month I’ll be talking about embroidered insertion, lace edging and embroidery. Next month I’ll talk about the construction of the six petticoats.