1919 Corset Ad

I came across an ad-article for Gossard Corsets in the March 1919 issue of Women's Home Companion, and was intrigued by their take on "What the War Has Taught Us About Corsets." Or rather, I was interested in how the conclusion presented is almost diametrically opposed to every modern narrative I've heard about how corsets interacted with women's expanded sphere of activity during WWI. 

What the War Has Taught Us About Corsets 

NEVER in in the world's history has any one article of clothing been so prominently brought before the world as an economic force, as has the corset by the part it played in the Great War. 

It was demonstrated to the Governments of Europe in the early stages of the conflict that women could not stand the burden of their unaccustomed duties unless they were properly corseted. 

Thousands broke down under the strain of the new work and production suffered. When these same women were put into proper corsets, sickness decreased and in many instances production was practically doubled. 

From then on corsets were recognized as an essential in war work and when America's women responded 35,000,000 strong to their Country's call GOSSARD Corsets The Original Front Lacing Corsets [emphasis original] were privileged to contribute, in a large way, to the important duty of preserving their health and efficiency. 

Daily it was demonstrated that the correctly corseted woman was capable of greater and more sustained effort than her uncorseted or poorly corseted sister. The hygienic body support of a correctly designed and fitted corset kept thousands of willing workers well and sustained that splendid woman power that was one of the greatest forces contributing to the conclusion of a successful peace. 

Not only has the war taught every thinking woman the value of correct corseting; it has taught her the wisdon of buying only corsets that are hygienically correct; it has taught her to be fitted carefully and to adjust her corset each time it is worn so she may realize its full benefit and service. 

Gossard Corsets are the complete expression of modern corsetry. If possible, the new Spring and Summer corsets are superior to those of the past season which were generally acknowledged to be without equal in meeting the needs of active womanhood from the stand point of comfort, hygiene and style. 

Even allowing for bias (the whole point of this ad is to sell corsets), the fact that this ad was written in this way indicates that someone in 1919 thought 'corsets help you work better and achieve more' was a plausible and persuasive line or argument for other people in 1919. Which is a useful data point to keep in mind when evaluating the claim that corsets fell out of favor because women started doing a wider variety of active work during the later 1910s.

Original: 19th Century Bathing Costume

 For August, how about a late 19th century bathing costume?

 

Wool bathing costume bodice with later "skirt"
From Historic New England.

The wool flannel I expected, though I would love to know when and why it acquired that printed 'skirt.' Also impressed that the stockings, trousers, and top have all survived and stayed together so long. I wish there was a photo of the trousers, and one showing the shirt with a sleeve out (to give a better idea of the shoulder position and sleeve shape).

Original: Dressing Case, c. 1850

 And now for something clothing-adjacent: a dressing case from the early 1850s.

Dressing Case, c.1850, in the VAM.

I can across this example while researching period nail brushes for my July program at Nisqually. It was fun finding a surviving example of a dressing case to compare with the illustrated advertisements (such as this 1860 catalog, note the similarities to B49 in the upper left corner). I also appreciated that, while it does not have photographs of the different component pieces, the VAM's description of this case includes dimensions of each piece. While period writings mention the use of a nail brush, finding an illustration or description of one had proved more elusive. I'm still trying to figure out if two-sided brushes were used in the 1850s, but the dimensions at least point to this example having a handle, and a small brush-head similar in size to most modern nail brushes. 

The VAM link has more information, but I wanted to mention than this set includes both personal hygiene items and clothing maintenance accessories (clothes brushes and a button hook), as well as a strop for sharpening razors. And then there's a corkscrew.

Original: Seaside Outfit, c.1864-1867

Cotton seaside ensemble, c.1864-7, in LACMA.

 

Something summery this month! I selected this sacque-and-petticoat outfit partly for the seasonal theme, and partly because it breaks all the 'rules' (read: general trends) of reproducing 1860s dresses. It's a two-piece outfit; the bodice (sacque) does not closely fit the figure; and the fabric is a solid cotton (no printed design in sight). And it's covered in embroidery! But there are reasons for all of these departures from the norm, which is that this is a very specific kind of outfit, made of a very specific kind of fabric, worn by very specific people for very specific purposes.

In short: this is a rich person's casual summer recreation outfit, intended for outdoor daywear in a "watering place" (read: seaside resort full of other rich people relaxing and having fun outside). The loose fit of the sacque makes the whole thing look relaxed and informal, while the unprinted white cotton should both look and feel cool in the summer heat. And that isn't just any kind plain cotton: it's a cotton pique, which as far as I can recall is only used for summer wear (and is one of the few solid-colored cotton materials to feature in women's dresses of the period). And the white won't be fading or crocking; not that this need be a concern, because the person commissioning hyper-specific garments for hitting the beach on vacation is not someone trying to eke out a meager clothes budget, and can readily replace this outfit when it starts getting dingy or dated. Note also the long train on this skirt: it's meant to be worn over the fashionable elliptical hoops of the later 1860s, despite the ostensibly 'relaxed' show made by the sacque.

Original: 1840s Brocaded Silk Fabric

 

English-made silk brocade, 1840s, in the VAM.

It is the month of May, what better time for some English flowers? This Spitalfields brocade caught my eye not only for the bright polychrome floral sprays, but also for how their strong colors contrast with the more delicate white-one-white patterning of the background. The description calls the whole thing brocade, though at high magnification, the colored flowers look like they might be embroidered using satin stitch on a brocaded white ground. That being said, my eyes could be deceived, and all the flowers may be woven in. I do wish I could see the reverse of the fabric to make a better guess.

Original: Women's Button Shoes, 1851

Women's shoes, English, 1851, in the Victoria & Albert.

 

This month's antique garment is the other pair of women's non-slipper low shoes which I found while researching my recent shoe project. These are described as serge (wool) and leather, and between the material and date, would have been a better choice for me to try copying. However, I didn't want to make a button shoe this time. 

I did note the asymmetric flap for the buttons, which follows the a similar shape to most of the button boots I've seen from this period, and to the button gaiter pattern in Every Lady Her Own Shoemaker. From the specific date of 1851, I assume these shoes were once part of the Crystal Palace Exhibition, which formed the basis for the V&A's original collection.

Original: Silk Ankle Boots, c.1855-1865

 I never did get my new mid-19th century boots started last summer, but with my size out of stock at my last supplier, it is a project I need to get busy with. So, time for some more inspiration.

Girl's Boots, made from silk and patent leather, c.1855-1865. LACMA.

Original: Silk Reticule c.1825

 A pretty antique to start the year:

Reticule, c. 1825, LACMA.

The purple color is what caught my eye (along with the familiar shape!) I also like the contrasting cording along the seams (which feels very 1820s), the delicacy of the tassels, and of course the elaborate embroidered panel.

Merry Christmas

From Christmas with the Poets (1851)

 

Original: Black Crepe Bonnet, c.1880s

Bonnet, 1880s, from LACMA.

 

I selected this bonnet because I like how the crepe photographed, with its diagonal stripes coming through clearly. The bonnet's plain aesthetic is suited to the purported use as a mourning garment, which is further supported by the extensive (exclusive) use of black crepe as a material.

Original: Print Dress, c.1825

I like the stripes on this one: the contrast between the vertical stripes on the bodice and skirt, the horizontal stripe on the skirt, and diagonal of the bias-cut sleeves. The maker even made the effort to align the stripes on the cape and bodice at the center front.

Dress, cotton, c.1825. From LACMA.

Original: Denim Dress, c.1890

Found this while working on a different research project, and fell in with love with the stripe fabric. It's described as a denim, which I need to look into further, as I haven't seen a two-color striped denim like this before. Anyway, I love how the striped fabric and darker (piped?) edging makes the bias-bands pop. It's very effective as trim, but subtle enough not to overwhelm the whole garment.

 

Dress, European, c.1890, in LACMA.

Original: Purple and White Tiered Dress, c.1853-6

 This month's fun antique garment is from LACMA:

Two-piece silk dress, c. 1853-5. LACMA.

The color scheme of this dress is what caught my eye. To date, both original prints a la disposition that I've handled were purple motifs printed on a white-ground, with a purple-grounded border; both were also made up into flounced skirt dresses. This dress is silk rather than cotton, and seemingly used two fabrics rather than a border print, but follows the same color and design scheme. It's makes me wonder if this coincidence or evidence for a trend among mid-1850s flounced dresses. 

The oddly flat point on this bodice's front waist also caught my eye. I've never seen one quite like it, and at first was inclined to assume a later remake. Or perhaps that I looking at the back of a postillion basque or a peplum (though the sleeves suggest that we're looking at the front of the bodice). I'd really like to see this garment in person and up close to figure out what's going on with it.

Original: Printed Silk Apron, Early 19th Century

Found this intriguing piece in the Smithsonian (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum to be specific). I wish their collection had more detailed descriptions: as at a first glance I took this for an embroidered silk apron, but the medium is listed as "cotton block print on plain weave." I'm now wondering whether it was printed in its final conformation, or if we're seeing motifs cut out and appliqued into position.

Apron, Swiss, early 19th century. From Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Original: Wool Sateen Boots, c.1850

 Just dreaming about a possible summer project...

Girl's Boots, c.1850 from LACMA.

The description says they're made of wool sateen, bound in cotton tape, with leather soles. I wish they had an image of the back heel area.

Original: Net Cap, c1840

 

Cap, c.1840, in LACMA.

I really like how the texture of the different materials come through in this cap. But my count there's at least four different materials--scalloped lace, spotted net, striped ribbon, and a diagonal-striped fabric (bias strip?)--all in the same soft cream color. I think this adds a lot of visual interest to the cap, while keeping the overall effect light, airy, and subtle.

Original: Embroidered Pocket, 18th Century

Pocket, English, mid-18th century. LACMA.

 

I've been reading a lot of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's Good Wives, and selected this month's antique beauty in honor of this passage at the end of chapter 1:

"Much better than a spinning wheel, this homely object [the pocket] symbolizes the obscurity, the versatility, the personal nature of the housekeeping role. A woman sat at her wheel, but she carried her pocket with her from room to room, from house to yard, from yard to street...Whether it contained cellar keys or a paper of pins, a packet of seeds or a baby's bib, a hank of yarn or a Testament, it characterized the social complexity as well as the demanding diversity of women's work."

Also, I really like the embroidery.

Original: Wiener Werkstätte Blouse, c.1917-18

 Happy New Year!

Blouse, 1917-18 by Wiener Werkstätte. LACMA.

I went looking for a 1924 dress to ring in the new year, but got distracted by how comfortable this WWI-era print blouse looks.  I had pegged it for a much later design before realizing it was a Wiener Werkstätte piece. And the longer I look at it, the more I like the drape of the garment. Late 1910s styles may be the next era I need to experiment with.

Skate-Sail, 1910

 Finally, an extreme (Edwardian) winter sport that looks fun:

Skate-sailing

 

I'm torn between the amusement and the injury potential. Though the article  in Ladies Home Companion helpfully gives instructions for making the sail at home, I do not have any convenient frozen rivers to test it on. Nor do I think the local ice rink has the necessary wind (or would permit it).

Original: Katarina of Sweden's Doll

Ok, one more early modern original. Dolls are very seasonal for Christmas, and this one even has a lovely muff to keep her hands warm in the winter cold.

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Fashion Doll, c. 1600, Staten Historika Museer.

I'm relying on translation software, but I believe the museum's website describes this doll as wearing a purple silk gown with gold lace; red silk sleeves (now faded) with gold mesh and pearls, and embroidered in red, silver, and gold; silk petticoat with silver; rose-color taffeta petticoat with gold; and a yellow taffeta bodice (bodiced petticoat?). The doll's face is silk embroidery on taffeta, with real hair; headdress of gold lace and pearls. [Additional views, including the doll's braided hairstyle, are available at Isis' Wardrobe.]

This doll is attributed to either Princess Katarina of Sweden (daughter of King Charles IX and by marriage the Countess Palantine of Kleeburg; she was also Gustavus Adolphus's older half-sister and guardian to young Queen Kristina) or her mother Maria of the Palatinate-Simmern. An alternative date range of roughly the 1590s is also given in the object description; Katarina was born in 1584, and was the only surviving child at the time of her mother's death in 1589.