Bound and Determined: A Visual History of Corsets 1850 – 1960
Vintage Corset Ads and Catalogs
This book is filled with advertisements, catalog pages, pictures and articles about women’s corsets starting in 1850 (Victorian era) to 1960 (when corsets stopped being worn). As a history geek, I love browsing each page. While it doesn’t provide too much written information, the direct sources are equally useful. You can learn a great deal just by reading descriptions in ads and catalogs or by studying photographs of real women wearing the corsets. Articles such as How to Gain a Graceful Figure from 1908 Delineator magazine provides insight into the proper fit of corsets, how to sit comfortably in corsets, and what kind of dress to wear to flatter a full body figure. This is the type of history I love to read. If you a fashion history buff, historical reenactor, or museum curator, this book belongs on your shelf. 122 pages of pure corset eye candy.
Corset Articles and Photographs
Corset Couture Paper Dolls
Corsets as Underwear
Dover Publications is most well known for their large collection of paper doll books. Now honestly, I don’t play with paper dolls, not even as a kid, but I have found a new use for them in my office. I have been decorating my office walls will the paper dolls in vintage fashions. By doing so I can just glance up from the computer and quickly see popular styles in fashions. Looking at the illustrations helps me find similar new clothing to add to all the shopping pages plus makes my office look awesome! The Paper Doll illustrations are perfect for hanging on my walls. They are printed in full color on heavy card stock paper. This is especially nice because the paper will not curl over time or fade as fast as printings on copy paper. Of course if you or your kids are interested in dressing up Paper Dolls, these are perfect for that as well. The Corset Couture dolls are not just illustrations of corsets as underwear, but also as designer dresses inspired by vintage corsets. Renaissance “bodice” stays, 1880s bodice top ballgown, 1920s front lace girdle, and even a few corsets for men are all part of the 32 Paper Dolls. Each Doll is about 9 inch tall- a very nice size for playing or displaying.
Corsets as fashion
My office wall decorated with Paper Dolls
Debbie Sessions has been teaching fashion history and helping people dress for vintage themed events since 2009. She has turned a hobby into VintageDancer.com with hundreds of well researched articles and hand picked links to vintage inspired clothing online. She aims to make dressing accurately (or not) an affordable option for all. Oh, and she dances too.
