Date: c. 1920s
Origin: United States
Fabric: Silk
Brand: Custom made
A white silk corset cover in a simple rectangular cut, gathered in under the bust with elastic. The top edge of the garment is trimmed with 3 tiers of cotton Valenciennes-style leavers lace trim. The front of the garment has profuse embellishment, with lace trim shaped into an appliquéd bow motif with the silk backing cut away. The centre of the bow motif has multi-toned silk ribbonwork in floral motifs. The corset cover is sewn with a mix of machine and hand stitching, but appears to have had multiple contemporary alterations.
The shoulder straps have been replaced with a contemporary synthetic ribbon, likely polyester, as it is likely that the original silk straps deteriorated. It is also likely that the elastic ruching under the bust was replaced with a contemporary elastic, as elastics from this period have often deteriorated significantly.
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska