Lara Corsets & Gowns

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Lara's Antique Corset Collection

Antique Corsets of the very late 1890s - 1902

Turn of the Century, the new "strait front" models

What better way to learn how corsets are built then to study the real thing?

The corsets on this page are the very late Victorians (circa 1896-1900 approximately) which are the transitional style evolving into what will become the Edwardian corset. They were advertised as the new "strait Front" models because their center front busks were not dished (in busk terms, dished meaning to curve inward at the abdomen). The busks on these corsets were flat and strait like the most common variety of corset busks used in corset making today.

This is also a time of rapid transition in the cut and look of corsets. They are cut shorter at the hip, often a bit lower at the bust and are much less heavily boned than their predecessors.  Plain cotton corsets were, as always, the most common and practical. However, elaborate trimming and fancy colorful fabrics were becoming more common and were being mass produced by many of the main corset manufacturers of the day.

This style of corset was in fashion for only about 4-5 years which is why so many can be found. The new bias cut Edwardian corsets of about 1902 left these styles collecting dust on the shelves of shops everywhere. Many of my antique corsets of this time are "new old stock" having never been worn.

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