Corsets first appeared in the 15th century and were worn by women of all classes at all times until the outbreak of World War one. The idea was to change the natural shape of the body in to what ever was the fashionable shape of the time. A very low waist and flat chest for the Elizabethans, narrow shoulders and a small waist for the Georgians to the infamous "S" curves for the Victorians, and numerous variations in between.
All Flitterbat corsets are constructed in a manner similar to how they were constructed originally. I use three layers of fabric; a soft lining of cotton, a stiff interlining layer of calico and a top layer of ornate fabric, silk, velvet, brocade etc. The stitching for the bones is usually done through all three layers of fabric, but some Georgian corsets were made up and then covered in the ornate fabric to hide the lines of stitching.
Boning is either metal or plastic. The plastic stuff is pretty good at holding it's shape, metal only being required for the centre fronts in the form of a busk, to stop you bending at the waist, but any corset can have all metal bones.
Corsets are designed to be tightly laced, and until you become accustomed to them they can be very restricting. Eating, drinking, sitting, standing all are uncomfortable to begin with! It gives an insight into life in the past, but these women wore corsets from a very early age and were used to the tight lacing, we recommend not over doing things until you get used to your corset.
Each corset is made for you to your measurements, please read the measuring guide carefuly, if you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch.
Georgian stays provided a very straight, and stiff silhouette, with the shoulder blades pulled close together,
(sometimes even meeting!) and a long straight front with a small waist.
The neckline tends to be high at the back , to flatten the shoulder blades, and low at the front.
The waist sometimes has tabs, which originally supported the skirt. The cut is quite simple,
usually comprising of only four or six pieces, the shaping controlled by the bones.
It laces at both back and front, making it quite adjustable. The front is either laced edge to edge or
over an ornate stomacher.
These corsets can be either heavily or lightly boned, with plastic or metal bones,
whichever takes your fancy, but a fully metal boned corset is very heavy!
Shown in a fine gross grain fabric, with beaded lace trim.
£65.00 plain
£70.00 with lace
Curves are the aim here and to achieve them the Victorian corset can be cut in anything from eight to 20 pieces!
This shape is emphasized by the bones which follow the curved seams, and although it has a lot less boning than
the Georgian type the result is still stiff and unforgiving.
This corset can start either above, or just under the bust and extends past the waist to the hips,
the idea being to push any superfluous flesh up or down away from the waist.
It has a busk fastening at the front and laces down the back, which usually only meets at the waist, leaving a
small gap at the top and bottom, forming an X shape. Don't worry about the fabled 18" waist, they really didn't
occur much, you just have to look at Victorian dresses in museums to realize that there were some heafty
Victorians!
This corset can also be either totally authentic to wear under clothing, or altered to suit your style for outer wear.