1860's Corset
COSTUME CONSTRUCTION
1860's Corset
CAPSTONE 2020
Historical Costuming Project
Instructor:
Kirsten Riegler
Due to COVID-19, my final Capstone project changed drastically. Before the pandemic I was working with a group on a devised piece as the costume designer. Our group disbanded after our college closed and went to remote learning for the remaining of the semester. With low motivation and just under a month left until finals, I returned to my original capstone concept; to recreate something historical.
I chose the 1860's due to my previous experience researching the period for my The America Play designs in Fall 2019. Had I had more time, I would have loved to create a full set of undergarments from this period, but with little time from concept to completion, I chose to recreate the piece most interesting to me: the corset.
Creating an 1860's corset was a unique challenge. While I have crafted, and even drafted, several corsets in the past, this was my first time attempting to recreate the shape and style of a period of time. I purchased a Historical Recreation pattern from RedThreaded.
C onstructing the corset required techniques that were new to me, including installing gussets and a split busk. This project was a great experience and I would love the opportunity to construct more historical garments in the future.
