Do you think this would work for a plus sized body, particularly a busty one? And I mean BUSTY, talkin some WEIGHTY MELONS. This is not a troll or a joke, I am genuinely very large chested and I wanna know. If you think this won't work, do you maybe have a style you might suggest?
So there are two concerns I would have. 1) bust gusset size. I know most Regency stays use this style of bust "cup" so that part should work (frankly I think they work better for larger busts than small ones like me). You'd need to both lengthen and widen the gussets. I've never seen more than 2 gussets on either side of the bust. 2) the other issue is keeping the wrap tight across your underbust. My stays don't actually end at my natural waist, they end about an inch or so higher. I'd do some more exact measurements and have yours end at your natural waist. This combined with shoulder straps will help prevent downward sliding (shoulder straps are absolutely necessary). Even still, you'll need to wrap the waist straps around tightly (mine loosen over time so I'll re-tie them). You can also add some horizontal boning or cording under the bustline. The original garment is made for a small person and the blogger who shared the pattern is much bustier than me but our waist sizes are similar. I've yet to see a plus size person make it and I'd like to see how it works for different bodies.
@@DixieDIY Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! I wasn't expecting to get noticed, actually. I definitely want to try this once I've gathered some materials; since this is an unusual project for me I don't have anything on hand. I will let you know how it works out!
@@aisarete One thing you might want to consider first is adding more boning. Right now I'm still pattern hacking away at the Redthraded half-stays (I'm just at the other side of the max measurement so I _think_ I knew what I was in for). I had to lengthen the slashes for the gussets. And the bottom edge of the stays is about at the edge of my ribcage. Also, a drawstring across the top of the bustline makes a huge difference in the fit. I widened the space between the two gussets for each 'cup'. This allowed me to run two bones (that I steamed into shape on the ham) to run from the bottom to the top of the 'cup' - similar to an 1890's corset. I also added a bone that runs from the eyelet hole to the bottom edge on a diagonal. Next step is to try making crescent shaped, um, pillows? Basically something to act as a cushion support to help distribute the weight. I think Mariah Pattie (sp?) has a video on it. Consider borrowing a trick from bakers & pottery makers and weigh the amount of stuffing so that each crescent support is equal. And it seems to be a good idea to quilt them to retain their shape. And maybe just tack them into place for ease of washing? At this point historically adequate doesn't come into it for me, here at draft six. Right now it's about hacking something together, based on an existing pastern, that I can wear on the everyday if I want to. Part of my pattern guesses are based on extant examples at The Met and The V&A. Our bodies existed in this time period. It's just a matter of all of us experimenting until something extant shows up (buried in somebody's dowager aunts estate, no doubt) to help answer the several dozen plus-size questions we have. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
My immediate thought was weight distribution - rather than spread evenly, the weight might end up concentrated even more at the waist. I guess the best way to find out would be to make a mock up.
I also got the same problem (F size cup), from what I experienced working with gussets is just out of the question. I''m currently drafting it as an underbust corset, into which I can later ad fitting cups. Adding another set of straps (to be tied directly under the bust line, helps with weight distribution, as it keeps the straps in position as well as the corset directly against your body instead of tilting away or pooling under your bust.
There is / was at least one other extant garment like this out there, so it's quite possible it was more popular with regular people than it may seem and the garments simply did not survive because they were worn so much (that's conservation bias for you). www.extantgowns.com/2015/05/regency-era-bra.html But ultimately, these only work with simple Regency styles so once the fashion shifted and there was once again more focus on the natural waist...
I would imagine that if you were a maid, or some other type of working woman, this might have been your style. Speed would be important. But when you are poor, you wear your clothing out. Once it is past mending, it becomes rags, or a quilt, or would filled some other need.
I remember watching my great grandmother,who was born in 1897, work on repairs of her corsets while i was growing up in the 70's. She would comment that it was harder and harder to find full corsets and replacement parts for them. So she had to buy them from a catalog. The way she spoke the garment itself was the corset and the boning, or ribwork ,were called the stays. Her corset was full length, from her bust area down past her hips, and included clips at the bottom for her stockings.
I am surprised to hear that someone born in 1897 would still be wearing full corsets, since corsetry started going out of fashion by the time she hit puberty and was seen as old fashioned by the time she became a young adult. I wonder why she had opted for such out dated garments for her time period? Not judging, just curious.
Even I as a healthy person with no mobility issues had trouble learning how to put on a bra tbh... For years I pretty much did what the lady in this video did with her corest but with my bra doing it up from the front then twisting it around lol. These damn clasps are so horrible to use but I cant go bra-less.
@@Alice-si8uz my dad has been dressing my mom for years and it gets difficult with the bras. He likes to joke about playing Barbies with his cousin as a kid helps now 😅. We try hard to keep a good attitude towards life even when it gets hard. So i want to try and help make life a bit easier
That sounds fantastic and I'm sure both of your parents will appreciate this. You can make them in cute or sophisticated patterned fabrics to add some variety and fun. I wish you the absolute best of luck and well behaved seams!
@@Lara-hb1yn I solve the problem by cutting my bras down the centre front, binding the edges and adding loops, I then lace them up. Like your mum I have mobility issues, though arthritis in my case, and can't fasten a bra myself. I sew the back closures shut so I can still adjust them as needed but they don't fall open as I struggle to put them on. I end up with a garment that is no longer pretty, and was never delicate due to cup size, but can be put on and laced up, if I really have to be somewhere that requires a bra be worn. Though my garment of choice around the house are the mediaeval breast bags, literally the mediaeval bra, which I make myself and are comfortable to wear, even for very, very, busty women.
@@Alice-si8uz I wear bras that clasp in the front. Honestly, they are so much more comfortable for me and I find them to also be more durable, because it's just on long fabric in the back, and just a simple clap in the front. You can't even tell the difference because the front looks the same as if it didn't close in the front, so it's a win-win!
When you sleep, make sure your shoulder is tucked firmly into the socket. Frozen shoulder is often caused by weakened, stretched ligaments that occur during sleep. You may also need physio to 'unfreeze' your shoulder. Try someone who know the feldenkreis method. Good luck!
The word corset simply comes from the french for 'stays' : 'corps' (bodies) ; the suffix -et is a diminutive, so a corset is a lighter/smaller/less formal pair of stays. Also yes, I'll totally make myself similar stays to wear under modern clothes. I already wear longline bras with cotton tops underneath, but this is next-level comfort : bust support without wires, adjustable straps without elastic, no hooks, a little boning to keep the shape. I guess sometimes modernity just tries to reinvent the wheel.
@@beth12svist and if you look up katafalk on Pinterest she has made a very wearable version of the breast bags (now called the Lengburg bra) and has supplied the pattern. I adapted them to front lace rather than side lace, mobility issues, but have several sets and wear them as much as possible. There is no comparison in comfort between them and a modern bra. The mediaeval version wins hands down.
@@MayYourGodGoWithYou I think I've seen it before. It's a very similar principle to some modern wirelesses, like the one by Marks & Spencer I probably like best - in that the cups are surrounded by fabric that keeps it "anchored". So even though I haven't tried the Lengberg bra yet myself, I can well imagine it being superior in comfort to modern wired bras. ;-)
Thank you for explaining the construction so clearly...appreciated the wealth of useful shots. By the way, Sabine of Kleidung um 1800 likely would appreciate hearing about your experiment. She spent a great deal of time on the research, and was hoping folks would do just as you did...experiment and see. She is a delightful person. Very best, Natalie in KY
I’ve watched so many videos on making corsets/stays but never actually taken the plunge myself... but honestly... I have never wanted to make myself a corset more than I do watching this video. Thank you for being so inspiring! 🧵 🪡❤️
If I may add some precision from a french perspective : Corset is a diminutive for corps (stays, litteraly body, like in "a pair of bodies") and was used in the 18th century for half boned or unboned stays. The later was of a different cut, and was made by the mantua maker (couturière) rather than the stays maker (tailleur de corps). It was worn by women that could not or would not wear boned stays. It was admitted even in court dress, where the stays were worn as a bodice like in the 17th century, even if it was rather the exception. It was also worn by working women, especially in the country, where they were sufficient outerwear for hard work, even if more formal wear included a tailored jacket (juste). It became the standard bodice of country women in the first half of the 19th century under the diminutive "corselet" [and is, I believe, the ancestor of many a folkwear bodice in Europe], while the name corset applied to underwear that were (much) more lightly boned than the 18th century stays. So in France, the use of the term corset dates at least from the 1760's, and would naturally apply to Regency and Romantic Era stays. It's harder to tell exactly when the word was imported in other languages. I have the suspicion that being made by women, they would have evolved faster and received more feedback than their heavier man made counterparts.
This is quite interesting, thank you for posting. And the term being "diminutive" makes sense that it would apply to more lightly-boned garment. I knew some women would wear stays or "jumps" as outerwear for working, I didn't think of that as evolving into folk costume. Very cool!
It resembles a later very popular corset I have seen called a bathing corset, since at that point they had started to normally include metal grommets and boning which did not enjoy the sea air, or sea water, as much. The wrapped corset let them apply similar levels of compression, without the metal which could be damaged or the lacing which was hard to do in the Victorian bathing huts. I will definitely try making a pair.
THANK you! I know some people on FB were looking for a pattern like this. Please keep up the lovely Regency sewing! Not enough vloggers right now on TH-cam (that I'm finding with quality video) that are documenting their experiences with Regency. I am just starting with it myself and I am contemplating vlogging... alas, I am disabled and some nerve/bone/joint issues have been plaguing me. SOO annoying when all I want to do is be creative. Not enough KT tape
Oh!! I made these stays a few years ago, and love how easy they were to make! That said, I don't like how the bottom of the busk on mine tends to dig into my stomach. Looking at yours, I think I made mine to short in the front, thus the busk digging into stomach issue! I may need to go back and see what I can do about that! Love how your corset turned out!!
I find all of this fascinating! I'm here for two reasons: 1.) I love learning about anything historical. 2.) I'm keenly interested in designing a pattern for myself for what I can only call a leisure bra. Something I can wear around the house. Those of us who are larger breasted know that the bra was never made for us. It has to be unnecessarily tight and painful in order to create the desired silhouette. There are some pretty sad attempts at leisure bras out there for sale--mostly of sweat-retaining synthetics that roll and chafe and aren't shaped or sized for larger women. What I'm interested in is comfortable support. I'm watching lots of videos like this one and slowly designing in my head something that is a hybrid of short stays and a sports bra. I intend on designing something comfortable, of natural, breathable materials, but with some modern touches like a bit of elastic. (Large busted ladies need breathable fabric because underboob sweat can turn into a yeast problem in no time! The girls need lift and air!) I had already decided on something like this shape before I even knew short stays had ever existed! My rib cage is right there--might as well use it to spread out the weight. And light boning will be absolutely essential I think, because otherwise rolling could be a problem. So thank you for such a lovely video--providing your research links! You are amazing! I'm so inspired right now!
I so need a _sloth corset_ in my life. Thank you for this. I spotted that exact same blogpost a while back and proceeded to put it on the back burner. Brilliant stuff. Congrats on the new dress form. My attempt at Regency short stays is getting closer. With the addition of a whole bunch of bones and maybe some cording in the back. And I am agreed with the bother of having the lacings in the back - I'm about to teach myself that whole fan-lacing trick and hope for the best. - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
The way from stays to modern bra is funny. First you have heavily bonned stays, then you got very light regency forms, and even type that looks quite similar to modern bra, and then victorian era happens :D
I used this same pattern as the structural layer to an attempt at replicating the Janet Arnold 1798 morning dress for a friend! My twill was a bit too stiff to give a perfectly smooth finish when worn but my friend says they are super comfortable and supportive - given we couldn't do a fitting as this was during lockdown and we live 200 miles apart I was very impressed with the forgiving nature of the pattern! The side seam finish on the original is fascinating and I can attest that it is very effective and giving a sturdy side without the need for boning! Your explanation of adapting the pattern is fantastic and will be a great starting point if I ever make them again to get that perfect finish! It's been great to see someone else try these - thank you so much!
I have been thing about getting into historical costuming and regency lately. My hesitance was due to lacing and my general laziness towards stays/corests. With these, I might just take the plunge.
This meet all of my Regency an Outlander goals, as well as the fact that I now hate traditional bras after being in quarantine for so long. Time to get comfy. I've been looking for a pattern for wraps stays for years now and I'm so glad you found and shared!!!!
Thank you for showing your method! I'm currently researching for a project for safe chest binding without elastic, and you presented a LOT of useful information. Also super appreciative that you addressed the ableist language around the history of the garment.
Hello! Has this project had any progress? I get very itchy from most elastic fabrics so a chest binder made of linen would be a dream come true, are you sharing this project of yours anywhere? I would love the inspiration
I have disabilities that make it difficult to dress myself. This looks really nicer and comfortable! Maybe I will try making it. Thanks for this great video! 💖
Love it, I'm totally making one. Thank you for being the costuming inspiration for the less patient and those who don't have a maid at hand to lace them into all those back lclosing garments!
I am pleased to hear that the pattern works for you :) I love the name "sloth corset", it really fits perfectly (and it's actually my way of working through research...lol)! Thank you for trying it out, it's always helpful for my ongoing studies to learn how it was altered to specific measurements and needs. Sabine
I really need to work on that front-lacing Bernhardt Fig. F and share my experience with you, then. ;-) It was started last year and then... last year happened.
@@beth12svist Oh :-) thank you for letting me know. I love to see how the stays are adjusted in measurements and also in style as that was totally J.S.Bernhardt's idea when he published his books. Hope you enjoy the process!
Regency isn’t my favorite era but these stays are so cute and convenient I want to make some for modern wear now 😍 very impressed with your innovations here. You would have been that person in history who would make a garment way better and then soon everyone of that era would adopt it 😂
The wrap-around stays/corsets were also used when travelling... Really glad to see it made. I’m heading to make my own. (For lazy reasons) My proportions are just very differentfrom yours... (sigh)
I really love this style! I previously made strapless 1790s stays with some boning and spiral front lacing (I have mobility issues which require front openings, even on dresses), but this would be great when I need a quick change, or perhaps in our extremely hot and humid summers. I also like the tip for quick and free busk! Well done!
I saw this pattern a few months ago and couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to make it fit me 😂, def gonna watch you make these a few times and give it another go
I was searching for this type of corset for a long time last month (not on youtube, though) and after I gave up, youtube gives me this. EDIT: After cutting up an old curtain, I am running around the house in search for something that can become my new busk.
Same here! In my mind I designed those wraparound pieces but never figured out how to secure them. I tried on a waste cincher over a knit sleeveless tank and WOW was it comfortable! I need to try this pattern.
My grandmother (1914-2010) continued to use the word stays to refer to her control-type underwear, a Playtex-style panty girdle for her whole life! It used to bewilder me as a kid!
this is brilliant! My next project is a regency dress and the idea of making some short stays was really daunting! This is a brilliant alternative for a more amateurish sewer, thank you so much for this video, it's going to be a great help!
How did you get on @amberpage7936 ? I'm joining some friends in making a regency project this year. They both have more sewing experience than me so it's very daunting !
I'm very new to sewing and like a fool I decided my first wearable project was going to be a pair of stays. Thankfully this video popped up in my recommendations and I decided to make this style and (somehow) they worked beautifully!!! Thanks!
Retro Claude has also made these and I have been planning to try myself as my first venture in historical under garments. I found it really useful to see your video. Thank you!
I could hug you right now. I'm on my third attempt at a gusset for a stay. And you just showed me how to set it in. I've never done one and the instructions are bad lol.
I have the webpage for that German site open on my computer for over a year now! That is how long I’ve wanted to make this. And now your beautiful result has inspired me to finally start! Your hard work came out wonderful! 💗
I personally think this the perfect answer. In a book I read years ago, purportedly written in 1910 or so, the author mentioned that her grandmother had her corsets made with the lacing on the side as she was old, and this let her dress herself more easily. The fact is, there are no "laws" just more generally accepted ways of doing things. I like not having to fight with my clothes, so compromises like this make sense. I hope you will post your pattern for this, as I would certainly be interested in making it.
Very cool! It looks pretty comfortable. I have not made a corset before and am researching. It looks like this could be am easy beginner place to start!
As someone getting into historybounding and mixing eras in fashion... I 100% want to make these. Ease my way into a set of stays. These look SO comfy! I'm wanting to try with a more 18th century prow front style... hmmm...
These are amazing! Great work! I started cutting out and stitching a different corset from that same blog, but haven't finished. Yours are lovely! The wrap around style is so pretty in the back too.
That is an amazing sewing job, and your hair looks perfect in that nice, fluffy Regency look. Great work, and thanks for all the additional info and links!
What a great idea! Very practical and wearable. Thank you for enlightening me with the historical background information. I too would like to make the side ends shorter, to be able to tie on one side. Or I might consider making strap loops or a couple of oblong buttonholes on each side, to pull the ribbons through and tie them in the back - making the tie knot less visible underneath the outer garment (despite deviating from historical findings).
This looks really interesting, and comfy! I'll need to give this a try, myself, given that I made a Regency dress years ago but chickened out on the stays, and I've been wanting to correct that for a while now.
Now I want to try to adjust it for my body type... put stays in the back, lower the waist ties, and add another set of ties higher up under the bust. I need some back support but hubby is retired and gets up after I leave for work. This looks like a great alternative!
I have a 48 inch bust which spreads across my front, but I have a narrow back. Falling bra straps drive me nuts and I cannot get a bra that the straps stay put without strap keepers (BTW I hate halter straps). I am definitely going to give this a go. as I can adjust the straps to sit closer together at the back.
I so hear you on falling bra straps! Bras are so uncomfortable and I spend all day putting my strap back on my shoulders. I thought that it was just me.
I just came across your channel and I've been wanting to tackle regency historical clothing. I'm wanting to try this pattern out. Thank you for the video 😸
What a wonderful design! I am in awe of your drafting skills to recreate (and improve) this garment. This is what I should have been doing during the pandemic lockdowns. Excellent video and descriptions. Cheers!
I love this! Thank you so much! Definitely saved and added to my project list. (Cue long roll of parchment titled “Project List” unfurling from my hands and extending along the floor for at least a few feet...) 🤷🏻♀️
I saw the article you're citing, on Pinterest, a little while back. I haven't made it yet, but am considering it. I have developed a post-surgical diaphragm issue and wearing a bra is very painful. I've purchased a corset, but have struggled with seasoning it and getting comfortable with wearing it for long periods. This corset actually looks like it might work for me. I'm not the most-experienced seamstress, so it's a little intimidating. But, I really am seriously considering trying to make this.
ive always wanted to make a pair like this as ive seen a few extant examples before and i am, in fact, both "an invalid" an lazy lol. i thought maybe of putting diagonal boning in the back, for support (much like stays and jumps of the late 1790s had) since i definitely need more back support. perhaps i shall give it a go!
Thank you for this. I had gone to the same link you mention at the start, just prior to finding yours. But it was very longwinded! I do like the idea of a wrap style, it looks simple to make & wear, even as a modern piece of clothing.
Do you think this would work for a plus sized body, particularly a busty one? And I mean BUSTY, talkin some WEIGHTY MELONS. This is not a troll or a joke, I am genuinely very large chested and I wanna know. If you think this won't work, do you maybe have a style you might suggest?
So there are two concerns I would have. 1) bust gusset size. I know most Regency stays use this style of bust "cup" so that part should work (frankly I think they work better for larger busts than small ones like me). You'd need to both lengthen and widen the gussets. I've never seen more than 2 gussets on either side of the bust.
2) the other issue is keeping the wrap tight across your underbust. My stays don't actually end at my natural waist, they end about an inch or so higher. I'd do some more exact measurements and have yours end at your natural waist. This combined with shoulder straps will help prevent downward sliding (shoulder straps are absolutely necessary). Even still, you'll need to wrap the waist straps around tightly (mine loosen over time so I'll re-tie them). You can also add some horizontal boning or cording under the bustline.
The original garment is made for a small person and the blogger who shared the pattern is much bustier than me but our waist sizes are similar. I've yet to see a plus size person make it and I'd like to see how it works for different bodies.
@@DixieDIY Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! I wasn't expecting to get noticed, actually. I definitely want to try this once I've gathered some materials; since this is an unusual project for me I don't have anything on hand. I will let you know how it works out!
@@aisarete One thing you might want to consider first is adding more boning. Right now I'm still pattern hacking away at the Redthraded half-stays (I'm just at the other side of the max measurement so I _think_ I knew what I was in for).
I had to lengthen the slashes for the gussets. And the bottom edge of the stays is about at the edge of my ribcage. Also, a drawstring across the top of the bustline makes a huge difference in the fit.
I widened the space between the two gussets for each 'cup'. This allowed me to run two bones (that I steamed into shape on the ham) to run from the bottom to the top of the 'cup' - similar to an 1890's corset. I also added a bone that runs from the eyelet hole to the bottom edge on a diagonal.
Next step is to try making crescent shaped, um, pillows? Basically something to act as a cushion support to help distribute the weight. I think Mariah Pattie (sp?) has a video on it. Consider borrowing a trick from bakers & pottery makers and weigh the amount of stuffing so that each crescent support is equal. And it seems to be a good idea to quilt them to retain their shape. And maybe just tack them into place for ease of washing?
At this point historically adequate doesn't come into it for me, here at draft six. Right now it's about hacking something together, based on an existing pastern, that I can wear on the everyday if I want to. Part of my pattern guesses are based on extant examples at The Met and The V&A.
Our bodies existed in this time period. It's just a matter of all of us experimenting until something extant shows up (buried in somebody's dowager aunts estate, no doubt) to help answer the several dozen plus-size questions we have.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
My immediate thought was weight distribution - rather than spread evenly, the weight might end up concentrated even more at the waist. I guess the best way to find out would be to make a mock up.
I also got the same problem (F size cup), from what I experienced working with gussets is just out of the question. I''m currently drafting it as an underbust corset, into which I can later ad fitting cups. Adding another set of straps (to be tied directly under the bust line, helps with weight distribution, as it keeps the straps in position as well as the corset directly against your body instead of tilting away or pooling under your bust.
I’m rather surprised this type of stay/ corset didn’t become more popular.
There is / was at least one other extant garment like this out there, so it's quite possible it was more popular with regular people than it may seem and the garments simply did not survive because they were worn so much (that's conservation bias for you).
www.extantgowns.com/2015/05/regency-era-bra.html
But ultimately, these only work with simple Regency styles so once the fashion shifted and there was once again more focus on the natural waist...
I would imagine that if you were a maid, or some other type of working woman, this might have been your style. Speed would be important. But when you are poor, you wear your clothing out. Once it is past mending, it becomes rags, or a quilt, or would filled some other need.
Lol back then, men liked women to be as helpless as possible in all things…. And men were the “influencers” of that age lol
@@BumblingBee-xm4dy not accurate neither relevant
I remember watching my great grandmother,who was born in 1897, work on repairs of her corsets while i was growing up in the 70's. She would comment that it was harder and harder to find full corsets and replacement parts for them. So she had to buy them from a catalog. The way she spoke the garment itself was the corset and the boning, or ribwork ,were called the stays. Her corset was full length, from her bust area down past her hips, and included clips at the bottom for her stockings.
I am surprised to hear that someone born in 1897 would still be wearing full corsets, since corsetry started going out of fashion by the time she hit puberty and was seen as old fashioned by the time she became a young adult. I wonder why she had opted for such out dated garments for her time period? Not judging, just curious.
I'm going to make these for my mom, she has a lot of trouble with putting on a bra. ^_^ she has MS and I think these will help
Even I as a healthy person with no mobility issues had trouble learning how to put on a bra tbh... For years I pretty much did what the lady in this video did with her corest but with my bra doing it up from the front then twisting it around lol. These damn clasps are so horrible to use but I cant go bra-less.
@@Alice-si8uz my dad has been dressing my mom for years and it gets difficult with the bras. He likes to joke about playing Barbies with his cousin as a kid helps now 😅. We try hard to keep a good attitude towards life even when it gets hard. So i want to try and help make life a bit easier
That sounds fantastic and I'm sure both of your parents will appreciate this. You can make them in cute or sophisticated patterned fabrics to add some variety and fun. I wish you the absolute best of luck and well behaved seams!
@@Lara-hb1yn I solve the problem by cutting my bras down the centre front, binding the edges and adding loops, I then lace them up. Like your mum I have mobility issues, though arthritis in my case, and can't fasten a bra myself. I sew the back closures shut so I can still adjust them as needed but they don't fall open as I struggle to put them on. I end up with a garment that is no longer pretty, and was never delicate due to cup size, but can be put on and laced up, if I really have to be somewhere that requires a bra be worn. Though my garment of choice around the house are the mediaeval breast bags, literally the mediaeval bra, which I make myself and are comfortable to wear, even for very, very, busty women.
@@Alice-si8uz I wear bras that clasp in the front. Honestly, they are so much more comfortable for me and I find them to also be more durable, because it's just on long fabric in the back, and just a simple clap in the front.
You can't even tell the difference because the front looks the same as if it didn't close in the front, so it's a win-win!
I have a frozen shoulder and cannot reach behind my back with my right arm. This looks perfect for someone like me. Thank you.
When you sleep, make sure your shoulder is tucked firmly into the socket. Frozen shoulder is often caused by weakened, stretched ligaments that occur during sleep. You may also need physio to 'unfreeze' your shoulder. Try someone who know the feldenkreis method. Good luck!
@@Hollycat50
ah, unsolicited advisers everywhere... 😑
@@aleka.. just go soak it. Some people like to try and help others. Obviously you aren't one of them
@@Hollycat50 good to know thanks, I'm also looking at this because I have big boobs (G cup) and both shoulders are stuffed, biceps torn, etc.
The word corset simply comes from the french for 'stays' : 'corps' (bodies) ; the suffix -et is a diminutive, so a corset is a lighter/smaller/less formal pair of stays. Also yes, I'll totally make myself similar stays to wear under modern clothes. I already wear longline bras with cotton tops underneath, but this is next-level comfort : bust support without wires, adjustable straps without elastic, no hooks, a little boning to keep the shape. I guess sometimes modernity just tries to reinvent the wheel.
Indeed it does. The Lengberg "bra" is another thing pointing in that direction...
@@beth12svist and if you look up katafalk on Pinterest she has made a very wearable version of the breast bags (now called the Lengburg bra) and has supplied the pattern. I adapted them to front lace rather than side lace, mobility issues, but have several sets and wear them as much as possible. There is no comparison in comfort between them and a modern bra. The mediaeval version wins hands down.
@@MayYourGodGoWithYou I think I've seen it before. It's a very similar principle to some modern wirelesses, like the one by Marks & Spencer I probably like best - in that the cups are surrounded by fabric that keeps it "anchored". So even though I haven't tried the Lengberg bra yet myself, I can well imagine it being superior in comfort to modern wired bras. ;-)
I agree so much. I really need to get on making some of these types of things for myself. Modern bras are so uncomfortable.
Measuring things in nap lengths. . . ah the memories.
This must have been such a lifesaver for the elderly.
Thank you for explaining the construction so clearly...appreciated the wealth of useful shots. By the way, Sabine of Kleidung um 1800 likely would appreciate hearing about your experiment. She spent a great deal of time on the research, and was hoping folks would do just as you did...experiment and see. She is a delightful person.
Very best, Natalie in KY
Thank you so much, I'm 72 and this will be a life saver for me. I was wondering if such a thing existed and it does.
I’ve watched so many videos on making corsets/stays but never actually taken the plunge myself... but honestly... I have never wanted to make myself a corset more than I do watching this video. Thank you for being so inspiring! 🧵 🪡❤️
Nice to see someone that knows the right way to tie a bow.
If I may add some precision from a french perspective :
Corset is a diminutive for corps (stays, litteraly body, like in "a pair of bodies") and was used in the 18th century for half boned or unboned stays.
The later was of a different cut, and was made by the mantua maker (couturière) rather than the stays maker (tailleur de corps). It was worn by women that could not or would not wear boned stays. It was admitted even in court dress, where the stays were worn as a bodice like in the 17th century, even if it was rather the exception. It was also worn by working women, especially in the country, where they were sufficient outerwear for hard work, even if more formal wear included a tailored jacket (juste). It became the standard bodice of country women in the first half of the 19th century under the diminutive "corselet" [and is, I believe, the ancestor of many a folkwear bodice in Europe], while the name corset applied to underwear that were (much) more lightly boned than the 18th century stays. So in France, the use of the term corset dates at least from the 1760's, and would naturally apply to Regency and Romantic Era stays. It's harder to tell exactly when the word was imported in other languages.
I have the suspicion that being made by women, they would have evolved faster and received more feedback than their heavier man made counterparts.
This is quite interesting, thank you for posting. And the term being "diminutive" makes sense that it would apply to more lightly-boned garment. I knew some women would wear stays or "jumps" as outerwear for working, I didn't think of that as evolving into folk costume. Very cool!
It resembles a later very popular corset I have seen called a bathing corset, since at that point they had started to normally include metal grommets and boning which did not enjoy the sea air, or sea water, as much. The wrapped corset let them apply similar levels of compression, without the metal which could be damaged or the lacing which was hard to do in the Victorian bathing huts.
I will definitely try making a pair.
THANK you! I know some people on FB were looking for a pattern like this. Please keep up the lovely Regency sewing! Not enough vloggers right now on TH-cam (that I'm finding with quality video) that are documenting their experiences with Regency. I am just starting with it myself and I am contemplating vlogging... alas, I am disabled and some nerve/bone/joint issues have been plaguing me. SOO annoying when all I want to do is be creative. Not enough KT tape
Oh!! I made these stays a few years ago, and love how easy they were to make! That said, I don't like how the bottom of the busk on mine tends to dig into my stomach. Looking at yours, I think I made mine to short in the front, thus the busk digging into stomach issue! I may need to go back and see what I can do about that! Love how your corset turned out!!
I find all of this fascinating! I'm here for two reasons: 1.) I love learning about anything historical. 2.) I'm keenly interested in designing a pattern for myself for what I can only call a leisure bra. Something I can wear around the house. Those of us who are larger breasted know that the bra was never made for us. It has to be unnecessarily tight and painful in order to create the desired silhouette. There are some pretty sad attempts at leisure bras out there for sale--mostly of sweat-retaining synthetics that roll and chafe and aren't shaped or sized for larger women.
What I'm interested in is comfortable support. I'm watching lots of videos like this one and slowly designing in my head something that is a hybrid of short stays and a sports bra. I intend on designing something comfortable, of natural, breathable materials, but with some modern touches like a bit of elastic. (Large busted ladies need breathable fabric because underboob sweat can turn into a yeast problem in no time! The girls need lift and air!)
I had already decided on something like this shape before I even knew short stays had ever existed! My rib cage is right there--might as well use it to spread out the weight. And light boning will be absolutely essential I think, because otherwise rolling could be a problem.
So thank you for such a lovely video--providing your research links! You are amazing! I'm so inspired right now!
I so need a _sloth corset_ in my life. Thank you for this. I spotted that exact same blogpost a while back and proceeded to put it on the back burner. Brilliant stuff.
Congrats on the new dress form.
My attempt at Regency short stays is getting closer. With the addition of a whole bunch of bones and maybe some cording in the back. And I am agreed with the bother of having the lacings in the back - I'm about to teach myself that whole fan-lacing trick and hope for the best.
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown
These stays/corset style are about the only thing I like about Regency period garments.
The way from stays to modern bra is funny. First you have heavily bonned stays, then you got very light regency forms, and even type that looks quite similar to modern bra, and then victorian era happens :D
I used this same pattern as the structural layer to an attempt at replicating the Janet Arnold 1798 morning dress for a friend! My twill was a bit too stiff to give a perfectly smooth finish when worn but my friend says they are super comfortable and supportive - given we couldn't do a fitting as this was during lockdown and we live 200 miles apart I was very impressed with the forgiving nature of the pattern! The side seam finish on the original is fascinating and I can attest that it is very effective and giving a sturdy side without the need for boning!
Your explanation of adapting the pattern is fantastic and will be a great starting point if I ever make them again to get that perfect finish! It's been great to see someone else try these - thank you so much!
After multiple failed attempts at making short stays, this looks AMAZING! And not having to rely on my husband to lace me up would be a game changer.
😂 sounds like a garment for a busy girl instead of someone that has a lot of leisure time. Great video!!
Your sense of humor always makes me laugh!
I have been thing about getting into historical costuming and regency lately. My hesitance was due to lacing and my general laziness towards stays/corests. With these, I might just take the plunge.
I was considering making something like this for general everyday wear, because it looks comfortable.
This meet all of my Regency an Outlander goals, as well as the fact that I now hate traditional bras after being in quarantine for so long. Time to get comfy. I've been looking for a pattern for wraps stays for years now and I'm so glad you found and shared!!!!
This is definitely answering a big need in my life right now. Thank you for doing a video on these, I would never have known they existed!
Thank you for showing your method! I'm currently researching for a project for safe chest binding without elastic, and you presented a LOT of useful information. Also super appreciative that you addressed the ableist language around the history of the garment.
Hello! Has this project had any progress? I get very itchy from most elastic fabrics so a chest binder made of linen would be a dream come true, are you sharing this project of yours anywhere? I would love the inspiration
I have disabilities that make it difficult to dress myself. This looks really nicer and comfortable! Maybe I will try making it. Thanks for this great video! 💖
I'm in the process of making these, and oh, wow, am I glad this resource exists. Because I am TIRED of taking 50 million years to lace my stays up.
Love it, I'm totally making one. Thank you for being the costuming inspiration for the less patient and those who don't have a maid at hand to lace them into all those back lclosing garments!
The genius of the Diane von Furstenburg wrap dress is it's ease and how flattering it is, so I really love this for the same reasons.
I am pleased to hear that the pattern works for you :) I love the name "sloth corset", it really fits perfectly (and it's actually my way of working through research...lol)!
Thank you for trying it out, it's always helpful for my ongoing studies to learn how it was altered to specific measurements and needs. Sabine
I really need to work on that front-lacing Bernhardt Fig. F and share my experience with you, then. ;-) It was started last year and then... last year happened.
@@beth12svist Oh :-) thank you for letting me know. I love to see how the stays are adjusted in measurements and also in style as that was totally J.S.Bernhardt's idea when he published his books. Hope you enjoy the process!
Regency isn’t my favorite era but these stays are so cute and convenient I want to make some for modern wear now 😍 very impressed with your innovations here. You would have been that person in history who would make a garment way better and then soon everyone of that era would adopt it 😂
Finally! Reasonable stays/corsets that look super comfy! I will probably make one from linen in the distant future. Thank you!!!
Very cool! I also appreciate your attention to the volume/no volume issue since I'm so small on top padding is almost always required.
This video was recommended to me and now I am a subscriber.
The wrap-around stays/corsets were also used when travelling...
Really glad to see it made. I’m heading to make my own. (For lazy reasons)
My proportions are just very differentfrom yours... (sigh)
I'd love to know how yours turn out because I've only seen recreations on smaller body types so far.
I just found the thread to the topmost remark really helpful! But thank you for your encouragement. I’ll get there procrastinationally...
I really love this style! I previously made strapless 1790s stays with some boning and spiral front lacing (I have mobility issues which require front openings, even on dresses), but this would be great when I need a quick change, or perhaps in our extremely hot and humid summers. I also like the tip for quick and free busk! Well done!
Ummm...I want this! My poor husband's hands started cramping lacing me into my stays over and over while I was fiddling with the fit. 😂
🤣🤣🤣 sounds like something my husband would complain about too
Sloth corset? GIMME!
I wish I’d known about this garment. Looks exactly what I need for just a touch of support for everyday wear.
I saw this pattern a few months ago and couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to make it fit me 😂, def gonna watch you make these a few times and give it another go
Hurrah! I've been dreading making conventional stays for local reenactment...this could be my answer!
Oh yes, I would TOTALLY wear that! Cute! Thank you!
I was searching for this type of corset for a long time last month (not on youtube, though) and after I gave up, youtube gives me this.
EDIT: After cutting up an old curtain, I am running around the house in search for something that can become my new busk.
Looks super comfy! Maybe if I get into regency I will give these a shot! I don’t like back lacing that’s for sure 😅
This is great, I see a weeks worth in my future. I’ve been trying to design a ‘bra’ along these lines for months. Thank you so much. xx
Same here! In my mind I designed those wraparound pieces but never figured out how to secure them. I tried on a waste cincher over a knit sleeveless tank and WOW was it comfortable! I need to try this pattern.
My grandmother (1914-2010) continued to use the word stays to refer to her control-type underwear, a Playtex-style panty girdle for her whole life! It used to bewilder me as a kid!
This design is so logical and looks very comfortable. Thank you.
I am definitely, definitely going to try. It seems like a quite accessible first attempt at anything like a structural undergarment. :D
this is brilliant! My next project is a regency dress and the idea of making some short stays was really daunting! This is a brilliant alternative for a more amateurish sewer, thank you so much for this video, it's going to be a great help!
How did you get on @amberpage7936 ? I'm joining some friends in making a regency project this year. They both have more sewing experience than me so it's very daunting !
I'm very new to sewing and like a fool I decided my first wearable project was going to be a pair of stays. Thankfully this video popped up in my recommendations and I decided to make this style and (somehow) they worked beautifully!!! Thanks!
Retro Claude has also made these and I have been planning to try myself as my first venture in historical under garments. I found it really useful to see your video. Thank you!
Yes, I saw Retro Claudes video on these too! Cool to see one more version!
I actually saw her vid as I was editing mine. Glad to see other people having success with this style since I'd only seen a couple bloggers make it.
Thank you for also being annoyed about spiral lacing.
Call it a Sloth 🦥 corset. My daughter really wanted one based on that name 😊 I must try this
I could hug you right now. I'm on my third attempt at a gusset for a stay. And you just showed me how to set it in. I've never done one and the instructions are bad lol.
I'll take the title of lazy any day! You convinced me!
I have the webpage for that German site open on my computer for over a year now! That is how long I’ve wanted to make this. And now your beautiful result has inspired me to finally start! Your hard work came out wonderful! 💗
I was wondering if something like this was possible - and comfortable! Thank you!
This is a really cool option of corset. I would definitely try it because I would be able to get dressed by myself if I had that corset.
I would definitely wear this! Thanks for sharing it.
My tween is super impressed by these and wants one of her own! We'll see if I can gather the courage to give it a go.
Thank you for sharing. I really love this idea. I haven't made a corset one reason is how difficult it looks to put on alone. I may need to try this.
I personally think this the perfect answer. In a book I read years ago, purportedly written in 1910 or so, the author mentioned that her grandmother had her corsets made with the lacing on the side as she was old, and this let her dress herself more easily. The fact is, there are no "laws" just more generally accepted ways of doing things. I like not having to fight with my clothes, so compromises like this make sense. I hope you will post your pattern for this, as I would certainly be interested in making it.
Very cool! It looks pretty comfortable.
I have not made a corset before and am researching. It looks like this could be am easy beginner place to start!
I love this a lot. It actually inspires me to make some more structured modern wrap tops that I can wear out. Thanks for the great tutorial!
I fell in love with you at "volume to accumulate" 😅
I would wear that everyday. It looks so comfortable.
As someone getting into historybounding and mixing eras in fashion... I 100% want to make these. Ease my way into a set of stays. These look SO comfy! I'm wanting to try with a more 18th century prow front style... hmmm...
You are one of my favorite costubers.
These are amazing! Great work! I started cutting out and stitching a different corset from that same blog, but haven't finished. Yours are lovely! The wrap around style is so pretty in the back too.
That is an amazing sewing job, and your hair looks perfect in that nice, fluffy Regency look. Great work, and thanks for all the additional info and links!
What a great idea! Very practical and wearable. Thank you for enlightening me with the historical background information.
I too would like to make the side ends shorter, to be able to tie on one side. Or I might consider making strap loops or a couple of oblong buttonholes on each side, to pull the ribbons through and tie them in the back - making the tie knot less visible underneath the outer garment (despite deviating from historical findings).
This looks really interesting, and comfy! I'll need to give this a try, myself, given that I made a Regency dress years ago but chickened out on the stays, and I've been wanting to correct that for a while now.
Omg!! You’re the best!!! I’ve been wanting to make these but couldn’t find enough information in English.
Hello weekend project!!!!
Looks like a great way in to making stays without too much pain. Thank you for this video, really interesting and practical, as ever.
Love this. Looks very easy to put on for me & comfortable to wear. I love that you used a painting stir stick!!! LOL that's brilliant!
That's so awesome! I want to make one! Put it on my long list of corsets I wasnt to make!
Now I want to try to adjust it for my body type... put stays in the back, lower the waist ties, and add another set of ties higher up under the bust. I need some back support but hubby is retired and gets up after I leave for work. This looks like a great alternative!
I have a 48 inch bust which spreads across my front, but I have a narrow back. Falling bra straps drive me nuts and I cannot get a bra that the straps stay put without strap keepers (BTW I hate halter straps). I am definitely going to give this a go. as I can adjust the straps to sit closer together at the back.
I so hear you on falling bra straps! Bras are so uncomfortable and I spend all day putting my strap back on my shoulders. I thought that it was just me.
sloth corset! I love it! It looks so comfy too!
This is so clever! I don't do historical sewing (yet) but I'll keep this in mind in case I end up doing something similar in the future!
Wow that’s a really smart design!!
I definitely want to try making this style of corset for day wear. Definitely an interesting concept
I just came across your channel and I've been wanting to tackle regency historical clothing. I'm wanting to try this pattern out. Thank you for the video 😸
What a wonderful design! I am in awe of your drafting skills to recreate (and improve) this garment. This is what I should have been doing during the pandemic lockdowns. Excellent video and descriptions. Cheers!
I love this! Thank you so much! Definitely saved and added to my project list. (Cue long roll of parchment titled “Project List” unfurling from my hands and extending along the floor for at least a few feet...) 🤷🏻♀️
Love that you also use computer drafting software! Makes things a lot easier!
I spot a Lupin jacket! I love it and hope soon to have the guts to do it! Yours is lovely
Haha yes it is a Lupin! One of my fave things I've made. Thanks!
I saw the article you're citing, on Pinterest, a little while back. I haven't made it yet, but am considering it. I have developed a post-surgical diaphragm issue and wearing a bra is very painful. I've purchased a corset, but have struggled with seasoning it and getting comfortable with wearing it for long periods. This corset actually looks like it might work for me. I'm not the most-experienced seamstress, so it's a little intimidating. But, I really am seriously considering trying to make this.
ive always wanted to make a pair like this as ive seen a few extant examples before and i am, in fact, both "an invalid" an lazy lol. i thought maybe of putting diagonal boning in the back, for support (much like stays and jumps of the late 1790s had) since i definitely need more back support. perhaps i shall give it a go!
More boning might be helpful 👍
I low key want to make this style of garment to wear as a modern crop top.
Looks comfortable!
These are so cool!!! You rock for sharing this. Thanks. I am adding these to my sewing project list.
I love this! Definitely want to give this style a try.
Fabulous corset!
Split busk was best invention for sure
Thank you for this. I had gone to the same link you mention at the start, just prior to finding yours. But it was very longwinded! I do like the idea of a wrap style, it looks simple to make & wear, even as a modern piece of clothing.