• Black Moon corset by Grace Horne. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography Tigz Rice

    ‘Black Moon’ Underbust Corset By Grace Horne

    'Black Moon' Underbust Corset By Grace Horne Date: 2017 Origin: United Kingdom Fabric: Cotton coutil with silk trim Brand: Grace Horne   This corset was an exercise in pared down elegance. With a single coutil layer construction and same colour silk trim for bone channels and facings, it relies entirely on the differences in the two fabrics…
  • Weeping Hydra beaded overbust corset By Emiah. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    ‘Weeping Hydra’ Beaded Overbust Corset By Emiah

    'Weeping Hydra' Beaded Overbust Corset By Emiah Date: 2016-2017 Origin: United Kingdom Fabric: Coutil, embellished with freshwater pearls, glass pearls, goldstone beads and seed beads in various sizes Brand: Emiah Designer: Alycia Hirani     The corset's base fabric consists of a single layer of hand-dyed coutil, which was used for its ability to mold around the body…
  • c. 1890s Symington Reproduction Silk Corset By Cathy Hay. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography Tigz Rice

    c. 1890s Symington Reproduction Silk Corset By Cathy Hay

    c. 1890s Symington Reproduction Silk Corset By Cathy Hay Date: 2017 Origin: United Kingdom. Fabric: Cotton/silk satin with cotton lining. Silk flossing. Vanyanis engraved busk. Brand: Cathy Hay   Cathy Hay's passion is to build a bridge to connect the past and the present, both in her own work and as the overall mission of her business Foundations Revealed…
  • Satin & Leather Ventilated Cage Corset by Corsets By Caroline. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Satin & Leather Ventilated Cage Corset By Corsets By Caroline

    Satin & Leather Ventilated Cage Corset By Corsets By Caroline Date: 2017 Origin: New Zealand Fabric: pink satin coutil, cotton coutil, leather, synthetic whalebone, steel bones, ribbon lacing Brand: Corsets By Caroline Designer: Caroline Woollin   The inspiration for this design came from the Victorian ventilated corsets (one of which the designers was able to see in person…
  • 'Strawberry Leopard' Silk Overbust Corset By Sparklewren. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    ‘Strawberry Leopard’ Silk Overbust Corset By Sparklewren

    'Strawberry Leopard' Silk Overbust Corset By Sparklewren Date:  2013 Origin: United Kingdom Fabric: Silk duchesse, cotton coutil Brand: Sparklewren Designer: Jenni Hampshire   The 'Strawberry Leopard' corset was an experiment in creating a pared down corset inspired by the antique 'Bird's Wing' corset from the Symington Collection held by Leicestershire County Council's Museums Service. The garment was supposedly…
  • 'Vanyanis' satin overbust corset by Vanyanis. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    ‘Vanyanís’ Satin Overbust Corset By Vanyanís

    'Vanyanís' Satin Overbust Corset By Vanyanís Date: 2017 Origin: Australia Fabric: Satin coutil with a cotton lining Brand: Vanyanís Designer: Lowana O'Shea   An overbust corset in a single layer of satin coutil with a floating cotton lining. It is sewn with internal bone channels and a 2cm wide waist tape, and structured with 5mm spiral steel…
  • Pearls Of Wisdom leather overbust corset by Julia Bremble. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Julia Bremble

    ‘Pearls Of Wisdom’ Leather Overbust Corset By Julia Bremble

    'Pearls Of Wisdom' Leather Overbust Corset By Julia Bremble Date: 2014 Origin: United Kingdom Fabric: Distressed leather, acrylic paint, gold leaf, lace, swarovski crystals, cotton coutil, cotton cording Brand: Julia Bremble   The corset was made as a part of a project carried out by the facilitators of the Oxford Conference of Corsetry 2014, where each designer created…
  • 'Oktis' Corset Shields, c. 1910s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    ‘Oktis’ Corset Shields

    'Oktis' Corset Shields Date: c. 1910s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Metal and cotton Brand: Oktis, manufactured by William Pretty & Son   Oktis brand 'corset shields' were designed to be sewn to the interiors of corset waists and purported to 'double the life' of the garments by preventing the corset bones from breaking at stress…
  • Black Cotton Corset With Spoon Busk, Pink Flossing Embroidery & Woven Trim, c. 1890-1900s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Black Cotton Corset With Spoon Busk, Pink Flossing Embroidery & Woven Trim

    Black Cotton Corset With Spoon Busk, Pink Flossing Embroidery & Woven Trim Date: c. 1890-1900s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Cotton Brand: Unknown   This corset offers a relatively straight silhouette and achieves its structure with a mix of cording around the bust and flat steel bones encased in exterior channels. It fastens with a spoon…
  • 'Liberty Bodice' Children's Supportive Vest, c. 1920s, Great Britain. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    ‘Liberty Bodice’ Children’s Supportive Vest

    'Liberty Bodice' Children's Supportive Vest Date: c. 1920s Origin: Great Britain Fabric: Cotton Brand: Liberty, manufactured by R & W H Symington   R & W H Symington introduced the Liberty Bodice in 1908 and is perhaps their most famous product, worn by vast numbers of British children before the 1950s. It provided warmth and…
  • Black Silk Underbust Corset With Suspenders & Ribbonwork by Corsets "Guy" , c. 1920s, France. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice.

    Black Silk Underbust Corset With Suspenders & Ribbonwork by Corsets “Guy”

    Black Silk Underbust Corset With Suspenders & Ribbonwork by Corsets "Guy" Date: c. 1920s Origin: France Fabric: Silk Brand: Corsets 'Guy'   This underbust corset was likely created for boudoir rather than everyday wear, as characterised by its luxurious but impractical fabrics and embellishments. It is crafted with a single layer of silk satin through…
  • Embroidered Tulle 'Merry Widow' By Warner, c. 1957, USA. The Underpinnings Museum. Photography by Tigz Rice

    Embroidered Nylon Tulle ‘Merry Widow’ By Warner

    Embroidered Nylon Tulle 'Merry Widow' By Warner Date: c. 1957 Origin: United States Fabric: Nylon Brand: Warner   In the late nineteenth century, New York physician Dr Lucien Warner gave up his practice to begin a new career lecturing on women’s health issues, including the effects of the corset. In 1873, he designed a corset…