First Attempt at Edwardian Corsetry
I’ve been thinking about Edwardian corsets for a while now, ever since I found this gorgeous rose-embroidered panel of black satin at a thrift store about a year ago.
This piece of fabric was the first piece of inspiration for my next big project- an Art Nouveau Vampire ball gown. The most important thing to achieve the gorgeous silhouette of this fashion moment is the proper corset- and to make the best corset you need to make a mock-up.
I’ve done Edwardian looks before- back in 2018 I was in a community production of Music Man and decided to make my own costumes. Although I wanted a more accurate silhouette, I chose not to wear a corset for the show. Did I stand out from the rest of the actors? Yes, yes I did. Was this maybe not the best team-focused approach since I was just a background chorus member with no lines? Probably. But no one complained, and I was having fun.
I was able to find this free digital pattern taken directly from magazines from 1906. This pattern also retains the original proportions, which is very important for achieving the perfect silhouette.
I was very pleased to see the size I selected fit very well on the first try. Already you can see the great shape this corset gives, and there is enough room in the bust and hip to pad out to the right proportions.
This mock-up does have a few problems, but padding and proper corset-making materials should fix the issues.
All and all, the first mock-up was a great success, and I am quite proud of it.
Next up, padding!