For this project, I recreated a mauve corset from the June 1858 issue of Graham's Illustrated Magazine. I then created a rough muslin mockup of the Victorian dress to fit over the corset on my model.
My process began with researching the period, including corset, crinoline, and dress styles of the 1850s. I then found a corset pattern in Norah Waugh's Corsets and Crinolines, which I used for the first corset mockup. After fitting the mockup, I adjusted the pattern and fit a second mockup before cutting the fashion fabric. I used steel spiral boning to follow the curves of the body, black prussian tape to bind the edges and hold the boning, a metal 2 piece busk in the front, and black eyelets in the back for the lacing.
For the Dress mockup, I padded a dress form to the measurements of my model and draped the bodice on the form. I patterned a 4 piece gored skirt to fit the crinoline and attached sample ruffles on 1/4 of the bodice and skirt
