Embroidered spoon busk corded hip corset

United Kingdom

C.1875. A white sateen spoon busk corset made by S&S. Creme silk floral embroidery decorates the busk and spoon busk of the corset which suggests that it may have been a wedding corset. Scalloped cotton lace trim decorates the edge of the flared, heart shaped bust line. The corset is lined in white jean and is boned with whalebone. The hips are corded for extra abdominal support and figure restraint. The corset bones do not run down the full length of the corset (except at the side and back) but end at the top of the corded panel. Chameleon along with the registration number (most of it illegible), are stamped inside the corset in black ink.
The bustline and hips are very flared on the corset which would give the wearer a pronounced hourglass shape. The corset is heavily starched and keeps it’s shape even when not mounted which suggests that it had gone through the “steam molding” process popular with some corset makers since the early 1870’s. Corsets which were steam molded were heavily starched and then put on heated metal forms to be steamed into shape. This helped the corset to keeps it’s shape longer. Measurements: Bust 35″, Waist 24″, Hips 32″, Busk length 11″.