Corsets and Crinolines [Paperback]

Norah Waugh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0878305262 | ISBN-13: 978-0878305261 | Publication Date: December 1990

Corsets and Crinolines is a study of the changing shapes of women's dress and how these were produced, how simple laced bodices became corsets of cane, whale-bone and steel, while padding at shoulders and hips gave way to the structures of farthingales, hoops and bustles. Added are contemporary tailors and dressmakers accounts, illustrations, index, a glossary of terms and materials, appendices on the repair and manufacture of corsets and crinolines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (December 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878305262
• ISBN-13: 978-0878305261
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great info, but poorly organized, September 30, 2000

By 

Jennifer Davis-Wilson "Jen DW" (Menlo Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Corsets and Crinolines (Paperback)

This book contains a lot of good information, but you'll have to search through pages and pages of quotes from contemporary sources to find it. The chapters are organized by type of garment, rather than by period, so if you're looking for a specific period you'll have to familiarize yourself pretty well with the entire book. Each section has a couple of pages of description and history, and then many pages of quotes. The most useful aspect of this book are the illustrations and patterns, which are rare to find elsewhere. The pictures are scattered throughout the book in no real order. There is an appendix with some very useful construction tips and instructions. Overall, a good resource for those interested in making period undergarments from the 1500's to the 1920's.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!, July 9, 2004

By 

Caroline V. Stine "LaviniaSpeaks" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Corsets and Crinolines (Paperback)

I had to use this book for my final project in my Costume Technologies class and I loved it! I made the 18th century woman's stays (1776) and they worked out wonderfully!

Warning, though: this book is not for people who cannot draft costumes. The patterns are in miniature and are original period patterns; in other words, they will not be sized for you. You will have to draft and make many a mock-up before you are ready to make the actual piece.

All in all, I love this book and intend to make even more of the pieces in it!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Resource, February 7, 2002

By 

ReeQueen (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Corsets and Crinolines (Paperback)

Not only does this book provide historical background on various undergarments (corsets and crinolines, as the title suggests), but it also provides the patterns to construct these garments. It is an excellent resource, and one I most definitely recommend to anyone building a costume library of their own.