The Victorian corseted hourglass is an instantly recognisable silhouette. As well as the ever changing fashions there are a few very important inventions that helped to shape the design of the ever popular Victorian corset.

The first of these came in 1828 with the invention of metal eyelets. The ‘Empire’ style gowns had disappeared and waists were back in fashion this once again required a tighter corset. Before metal eyelets the lace holes were hand stitched, if these had come under too much strain they would have ripped. The metal eyelets reinforced the lace holes and allowed women to lace their corsets very tightly.

The split-steel metal busk was invented in 1829 by Jean-Julien Josselin but it was not in general use until the 1860’s. this meant that women no longer needed help when putting on their corsets.

The biggest change to the corset came with the invention of the sewing machine in 1851. This made it possible for the industrialisation and mass production of corsets to take place.The process of steam moulding corsets onto a metal form also meant that a close fit could be achieved without taking the individual woman’s measurements.

Corsets were now been produced in vast numbers and in all price ranges. In 1861 it was estimated that 1,200,00 were sold annually in Paris. The industrial revolution brought the working woman with a disposable income. With the cheapest corsets for workers and peasants costing from 3 to 20 francs, some women chose to spend their money on fashion often emulating her mistress. In fact the upper class complained that it was becoming impossible to distinguish the mistresses from the maids. This was something of an exaggeration, the working class clothing was of poorer quality in fabric and production. It did mean however that house maids and other working women could now keep in line with the latest fashion.

Around the same time as the invention as the sewing machine newsprint became cheap to produce which facilitated the mass production of corsets. Until the 1870’s most corset advertisements did not have a women wearing the corset the merely consisted of disembodied corsets.

It would of been almost indecent to publish illustrations of women in their underwear. Advertisements became the best way for manufacturers to publicise their wares and offer women the latest fashions.

With these huge changes happening in the fashion industry and in society in general it is easy to see why the Victorian era is one of the most interesting in corset history.

You can now get hold of a limited number of  Lady Waisted corsets from fashionexchange.co.uk. All Lady Waisted corsets available from fashionexchange are suitable for tight lacing, and are hand made to order using the very best materials. Check out our fashionexchange boutique HERE!

We’re please to announce that Lady Waisted will be launching a whole new range of corset designs in April, along with out new on-line store. As usual, these new Lady Waisted corsets will be made from the finest fabrics, and each one will use at least 15 steel bones. All of our new range will be suitable for tight lacing too……

Still adding the finishing touches to some of the new designs, but here’s a sneak preview of what’s to come…. the new Lady Waisted Polka-Dot Plunge Corset… made from a beautiful polka-dot cotton fabric, backed with a sturdy cotton coutil. This daring hand-made corset features a front busk with back lacing.

A little off topic from my usual posts, but I think it’s well deserved. The blog network/website, Pijoo.Com has been running for a pretty short time compared to some of the other ‘big-boys’ out there, but in my opinion it’s the best of the lot.

You can share your posts with people (who can then comment and vote on them), and meet other bloggers with the same interests. There is a great section on their front page showing the most popular posts from all the best blogs out there, so it’s easy to find all the latest (and most interesting) content. On a personal note it’s been excellent for generating hits to my blog, and more readers for my posts so I’d urge any ‘bloggers’ out there to sign up.

It’s free too, so what’s to lose?  www.pijoo.com

One of the most enjoyable parts of our recent visit to the Facshion show in London, was meeting other designers and brands. One of those that impressed us the most (and had the stall besides our own) were Edie Rocks, a fantastic underwear and lingerie brand. Their designs are bright, exciting and very very sexy.

I urge everyone to visit their website HERE to view their range of underwear and lingerie.