In the 18th Century, stays were worn to reshape the upper female torso into the fashionable ideal. High fashion stays with shoulder straps were designed to create a straight, rigid line from bosom to naval (and beyond), compress and widen the bosom, narrow the back, and elongate and narrow the waistline. Stays were the basic foundation garment upon which all outer garments were built. From comments of the time, shape was more important than comfort.
Stays are the foundation for all subsequent period garments.
These half-boned stays with shoulder straps are designed to reshape your person into the conical 18th century fashionable ideal. They may also restrict movement of the upper arms and will compress the lower rib cage.
This original pattern incorporates features from extant 18th century stays in the collections of The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The Gallery of English Costume, Manchester; and The Kyoto Costume Institute.
In selecting your size, please refer to the bust/waist measurements given below, not to your dress size. Pattern sizes and clothing sizes are rarely the same.
Fully illustrated instructions are included, plus suggestions on How to Adjust the Stays Pattern to Fit Your Figure.
