Date: c. late 1920s
Origin: France
Fabric: Cotton organdie, cotton bobbinet, machine made lace, silk ribbon
Brand: Boué Soeurs
A corset cover crafted with fabrics and techniques that were considered signatures of the Boué Soeurs brand. The front of the garment is crafted from a mix of whitework, hand-embroidered cotton organdy with floral and bird motifs, and machine-made lace appliqué. a flourish of silk ribbonwork flowers embellishes the centre waistline. The back of the garment is made of cotton bobbinet tulle and fastens with a row of metal poppers.
A channel is stitched at the waistline of the corset cover, containing a piece of elastic that would have originally cinched the garment in. The elastic has now perished and stretched out completely. The shoulder straps are made of a yellow, silk-satin ribbon. This silk was originally treated with metal salts to give it a more pleasing lustre and weight. However, as time passes, these salts begin to crystallise and cut through the protein-based silk fibres, resulting in a condition called ‘shatter’, wherein the fibres begin to disintegrate. This chemical reaction cannot be reversed.
The corset cover has a very simple and angular silhouette, similar to this other Boué Soeurs corset cover within our collection. The interior label of the garment lists the address 73 Avenue Champs Elysées, a retail location that the brand opened in 1929.
The Boué Soeurs fashion house was founded in 1899 by sisters Madame Sylvie Montegut and Baronne Jeanne d’Etreillis, using their maiden name Boué. It was based in Paris, with their headquarters at 9 Rue De La Paix. The house was renowned for its overtly feminine and elaborate designs, and were particularly renowned for their Robe De Style gowns and lingerie. Signature details of their creations included whitework embroidery, ribbonwork embellishments, metal embroideries and fine laces.
From the collection of Karolina Laskowska
