Doll News Summer 2019 - 79

clothing. Among the items for these tiny
divas were the multiples of finely-crafted
unmentionables. Just like the fashionable
ladies of the time, every doll had a "dozen
of everything!" The styles of the day were
the template for these items, plain and basic
with minimal embroidery or decoration in
the 1850s and 1860s, to elaborately festooned
with silk ribbon, fine lace and intricate
embroidery, appearing in a variety of gay
colors toward the end of the century.
Corset design still contained the bosom
and gradually the rear lacing went out of
vogue throughout the 18 s-18 s period.
By the late 1860s, the strict shaping of corsets
was re-enforced with "steam-moulding," a
process in which the assembled corset was
heavily starched, dried and stiffened by
being placed on a steam mould to achieve
the desired shape. It was in this later 1860
period that the new fashions began to follow
the figure by accentuating the bust, defining
the waist and showing the curve of the
hips. This style made the corset increasingly
important, as by 18 , the "cuirasse" bodice
required a longer, tighter and generally more
constricting corset to enhance the style. Bust
enhancers once again, came into vogue.
By the 1880s the bustle returned in
an even more exaggerated form with a
large hori ontal projection at the back of
the skirt supported by a "crinolette," a
modified version of the crinoline which had
previously been so popular. Corsets were
longer now and the "spoon busk" appeared,
as well as an increase in the numbers of
whalebones used for shape. The elegance of
corsets expanded and were more skillfully
produced. Often, they were made of colored
fabrics with gold, Cambridge or navy blue,
and amber being the favored colors. ed
and magenta were also popular corset
colors. Most corsets were still produced
in white, grey or black but fabrics such as
satin, with lace edges and embroidery to
hold the whalebone in place, were highly
favored by the fashionable.
While the interest and introduction of
health and hygiene played a part in the 19th
century attitudes toward dress, the corset

Edwardian-era "frillies" and corsets designed to create the popular "S"
shaped figure are advertised in the 1905 Delineator Ladies Magazine.

endured. The pre- aphaelite or aesthetic dress movement and the
"wool next to the skin" cra e had their impact on society, however,
the vast majority of women clung to their corsets. The trends of
mainstream fashion were not impacted.
By 1890 corsets, along with all other items of "lingerie" began
to be considered a glamorous part of fashion. Known as "frillies,"
underwear was recorded in fashion journals using highly emotional
and ecstatic terms. Its luxury and extravagance peaked, and women
began to consider the corset affectionately as a thing of beauty in their
wardrobes rather than a necessary inconvenience. While the styles
of the late 1890s and early 1900s were just as distorted in shape as
those of some previous periods in fashion history, the straight-fronted
corset now held sway and produced a distinct "S" shape to the figure.
Personified by the famous "Gibson Girl" of the American artist,
Charles Dana Gibson, this style reached its peak about 19 .
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Doll News Summer 2019

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