1800s Corset

        During the 1800s, the waist moves back to its natural place, which makes corsets more popular again. In 1829, the planchet was invented: two metal strips, one with little mushroom shaped heads, the other with eyelets used to close and open the corset in front without having to undo the lacing every time. The busk made it possible to change the lacing completely in which both ends of the cord were threaded through the eyelets crosswise and knotted together at the end.  During the late 1800s, the hourglass corset became popular. Corsets during this time came in many colors, fabrics, and embroidered styles. The sharp edge of busk pieces cutting through the fabric was a common problem. The Hourglass Corset shown below is made of cotton coutil with lace around the edge at the top, and contains 28 bones mostly bamboo. The waist of this corset measures 22", and the length of it is 122" long at the front.