A corsetmaker is a specialist

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

who makes

corset A corset /ˈkɔːrsɪt/ is a support garment worn to constrict the torso into the desired shape and Posture correction, posture. They are traditionally constructed out of fabric with boning made of Baleen, whalebone or steel, a stiff panel in th ...

s. Corsetmakers are frequently known by the French equivalent terms corsetier (male) and corsetière (female). Staymaker is an obsolete name for a corsetmaker.

Design and distribution

The best corsetmakers are highly skilled tailors with a knowledge of

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

that enables them to make well-fitting, long-lasting corsets. Corsetmakers who reproduce historical styles must be familiar with historical fashions and

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress and/or makeup of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch—in short, culture. The term also was traditionally used to describe typica ...

s that span centuries of history. Individual corsetmakers often favour a certain style, and frequently have differing theories and opinions about the physical impact and benefits of various corsets, thereby influencing their corset design and creation. The main consideration of corset design is duration of use. For short-term use, e.g. used for a special event such as a

wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...

, a corset will be worn briefly and so is not subject to wear, therefore need not be of the highest quality of construction. For long-term use, e.g., by tightlacing or waist training, corsets must be made to exact standards and are best custom-fitted and designed for the individual wearer. Single weakness or flaws tend to be visible. Some custom-made gowns have corsets built into the design; a talented dressmaker may also be a skilled corset-maker. Some companies had travelling saleswomen, corsetières who ordered the tailored corsets from the company. Well-known are Spirella (1904–1989), Barcley, and Spenser.

Notable corsetmakers

* Roxey Ann Caplin - British writer and inventor * Catherine Allsop Griswold - a Connecticut corsetmaker who held 30 patents, the most of any woman in America at the time. *

Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In ...

- American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. He trained to become a staymaker as a teenager, as it was his family trade, but did not stay in the profession after his teen years.

References

Books

* Doyle R. (1997)''Waisted Efforts, An Illustrated Guide To Corset Making''. Nova Scotia, Sartorial Press Publications,
''Tight Linings and Boning'' Mary Brooks Picken, 1920

* The Basics Of Corset Building, A Handbook For Beginners by Linda Sparks (Author) * Caplin - Health and Beauty (1864) {{Corsetry Corsetry Artisans

Design and distribution

Notable corsetmakers

See also

References

Books