An Early Tudor Corset & Spanish Farthingale

Based on instructions in chapter 10, page 38 of "Women's Dress 1500-1800".
Drafting and Sewing Time: approx. 40 hours.

The corset would actually have been worn with the farthingale over top of it but we have left over the farthingale in order that you may see the bottom edge and tabs.

These garments would have been worn during the years around 1545. The young Princess Elizabeth I wore similar garments in the movie "Shakespeare in Love". The farthingale was not extreme in shape or size and the "hoops" were made of various materials, rags reeds/grass and ropes encased in fabric of linen or silk and sometimes as stiff as buckram. By the 1580's whale bone was incorporated into the hoops. Today spring steel is the material of choice for theatrical use. It is fairly easily attained and very easy to use. It is also long wearing, portable and easily dismantled for storage. The steel used in this project was item #50-8405-10 a light weight steel that can support this simple shape and can be used with hoop steel connectors item #00-8400-11, making for extremely easy work; no binding the hoop steel together with tape or trying to drill holes in it. Twill tape casings are sewn to the inside of the farthingale and petersham ribbon was used to create a solid yet not bulky waistband. A drawstring would not be suitable. The fabric used for the farthingale is muslin, also know as "factory cotton" in a weight of 4.8 oz. it is item #26-1594-05 in our Price List.

The corset is not a simple one; the front panel is solidly boned from side to side using spring steel bones to give the very straight silhouette, reeds, cane and wood would have been the original materials' used. These materials are not easily found today and they are not as capable of withstanding the rigors of theatre (long runs, multiple wearers). Fit of this corset is very important as it has shaped armholes that the bones run directly into and if this garment is not cut to fit the body then the bones could cause serious discomfort. The shoulder straps are wide set and elastic is stitched from the underside of the strap at the front to the bodice, these would have been tied with cord or ribbon but the elastic has no risk of coming undone and allows some ease of movement. The top and bottom edges are bound with bias fabric and the back is laced up with a 2" to 4" gap being acceptable. The corsets of this time period had tabs or "tassets" lined up along the bottom edge and each of these would have also been bound. The purpose of these tabs may have been to smooth the transition of waist to hip and to lessen the effect of bones poking into the body as flesh curved from the waist to the hip. The tabs are made separately and hand stitched into place. The bottom edge of the sides and back lay at about the natural waistline, the front dips lower. We did not lace the corset as outlined in the book but used the two lace method as our experience dictates it's easier to get actresses in and out when two laces are being tightened and loosened. A fitted and lightly boned bodice would have been worn over this.

Fabric used for this corset is our "soft coutil" in the unbleached color item #90-1140-02.

Bones used were the stiffest type available item #50-8206- series. You may wish to use a heavier and wider steel #50-8518-36 for the center front.

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