• 'A Good Old Xmas Bust' Christmas Greeting Card, c.1905, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum Collection

    ‘A Good Old Xmas Bust’ Christmas Greeting Card

    'A Good Old Xmas Bust' Christmas Greeting Card Date:  c.1905 Origin: Great Britain Brand: Unknown     A humorous greeting card that utilises a number of corset-inspired puns. The exterior shows a cut out corset shape in embossed pale pink silk, of a style typically worn in the 1900s with decorative bows and suspenders. The card…
    May 4, 2017
  • Leavers machine lace sample. C. 1900, France. From The Underpinnings Museum collection

    Leavers Machine Lace Sample Collection

    Leavers Machine Lace Sample Collection Date:  c. 1900 Origin: France Fabric: Lace, composition likely a mix of silk and cotton.   A collection of Leavers machine lace samples once held by a French haberdashery boutique. These lace styles would likely have been used in outer clothing as well as lingerie and you can see similar designs in…
    May 4, 2017
  • Sahlin 'Perfect Form' Combination Bust Improver & Corset, c. 1908 The Underpinnings Museum shot by Tigz Rice Studios 2017

    Sahlin ‘Perfect Form’ Combination Bust Improver & Corset

    Sahlin 'Perfect Form' Combination Bust Improver & Corset Date:  c.1908 Origin: United States Fabric: Cotton coutil Brand: Sahlin   At the turn of the 19th and 20th century, womenswear saw dramatic changes.  The ideal silhouette began to shift from the hourglass form of the Victorian era to the Edwardian 'S-curve': a silhouette that saw a heavily emphasised…
    March 24, 2017
  • Aertex and elastic bust bodice, c. 1900s The Underpinnings Museum shot by Tigz Rice Studios 2017

    Aertex & Elastic Bust Bodice

    Aertex & Elastic Bust Bodice Date: c. 1900s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Aertex Brand: Unknown   This bust bodice is a highly unusual garment, representing a pre-cursor to the modern bra. At the time, it would have represented a number of impressive technological innovations, including cellular fabric, adjustable shoulder straps and elastic panelling. Stretch panels in clothing were…
    February 17, 2017
  • Silk & lace padded mid-bust corset with suspenders Photography by Tigz Rice Studios The Underpinnings Museum

    Silk And Lace Padded Mid-Bust Corset With Suspenders

    Silk And Lace Padded Mid-Bust Corset With Suspenders Date:  c. early 1900s Origin: France Fabric: Silk Although time has not treated this corset kindly and its silk structure is largely in tatters, it is still an exquisite example of Edwardian corsetry. In many ways the corset is typical of the era, yet it also has several…
    August 27, 2016