Date: c.1900s
Origin: France
Fabric: Elastics
Brand: Unknown
A sample book of various elastic trims c. 1900. Elastication was still a relatively new technology, and these trim options offered makers of all varieties of clothing exciting possibilities.
The book boasts a number of plain elastics, as well as specialist designs for use in braces, ties, bathing suits, dolls, brassieres, stocking garters, sock garters and belts. These elastics were created from rubber cores wrapped in fabric fibres, mainly cotton and silk. Unfortunately these early elastics were very unstable, and so have completely dried out and lost their stretch now, hence the distortions of their placement on the book pages.
Elaborate frilly silk elastics were commonly used in lingerie and corsetry, mostly for garters and suspender straps. The examples in this book are notably intricate, with silk frills and woven patterns, offered in a range of soft pastel colours.
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
