The S-Bend Corset
Published on August 29th, 2007.
The Edwardian era (1901 – 1910) was a time of change for the fashion world. The new century brought with it a new style of corset, the s-bend corset.
Mme. Gaches-Sarraute introduced this corset in 1900. She was a corsetiere who studied medicine and designed a corset to improve the health of the women wearing them. Originally known as the ‘health’ corset, the s-bend had a straight fronted busk which aimed at leaving the thorax free, but also support and raise the abdomen. She rightly predicted that this would remove pressure from vital female organs.
But as the fashion for small waists continued the ‘health’ corset moved away from its intended use. When laced tightly the corset produced a small waist but at the same time the straight fronted busk forced the bust forward, whilst throwing the hips back. Creating the famous s-shape.
This style of corset us another undergarment of the Edwardian era, the bust improver! The desire for larger breasts is evident from the contraptions available at the time, from pills and creams to many types of padding. Most often bust bodices, like the one shown below, were worn. They were designed to give the ideal proportions.
For me the silhouette of the Edwardian era is shown best in Charles Dana Gibson’s drawings of the American Langhorne sisters, who became known as the ‘Gibson girls’. These sisters embodied the glamour of the age, and their image was familiar all over the world.
Filled under Fashion History.
Juan Carlos on November 6th, 2007
Very Nice blog you have