Corset Making
“Actors love mental disorders, dialects, and corsets. Give them one of the three and they’re happy. ” – Robin Tunney
Whale bone, cotton and satin tails, 1885 Galliera, Musée De La Mode De La Ville De Paris
Here’s my tried and trusted resources on the subject of corset and crinoline making. Please contribute any that you use and trust by leaving a comment. If like me, this is an area of interest please enjoy looking over the websites and maybe start a new project?
UK
Vena Cava Design inventory offers you everything you would every need to make a basic, historic to costumed designed corset. Packed full of costume making resources, this online shopping website should be a must on everyone’s bookmarked list.
MacCulloch & Wallis shop one of the industry hangouts in London. Always great to be able to see in person what you are buying, you can also order online.25-26 Poland Street, London, W1F 8QN Tel: 020 7629 0311
Sew Curvy runs the School of Corsetry and has a tutorials on corset making. Their website sells corset making supplies that come with useful guides and charts to help you decide which boning is right for your project.
Buckles Express (Joseph Segal Ltd) I am hi-lighting the eyelets as there are many to choose from. What is great you can find the ones with the taller shank, which is helpful when it comes to corset making due to the thickness of fabrics. Cortress House, Julia Street, Strangeways, Manchester, England, UK, M3 1DQ Tel: +44(0)161 834 979
Yep an eBay store! They sell steel boning and rubber boning caps. Offer a service that you can have your boning cut to the length you require, all for a great price. http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ontrendfabrics/Boning-/_i.html?_fsub=4349704011
USA
Not just for corsets – bra, hat and leather making supplies are catered from this well-established company. Based in Philadelphia. Website is very user friendly. Contact them – Delicious, LLC. 212 E. Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125 Tel: 215-413-8259 cs@SuppliesSites.com
Old faithful Richard the Thread may be on the higher end of the price bracket but is reliable and all goods are trust worthy. A one stop shop for all your costume needs! Contact them – 1960 South La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034. 1-800-473-4997
This New York City store is a treasure trove and an institution within the garment district. Call them and they will help attend to your needs or visit the store for an education in its self. 239 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018 United States, b/t 7th Ave & 8th Ave, Midtown West Tel: 212 869-0321
Dragontown Corset Supply cater for the individual as well as wholesale quantities. Online shopping that is made easy with their photos and descriptions to the variety on offer. Take a look! orders@corsetsupply.com Tel: 570.431.9042 M-F 9:00-3:00 Eastern, 420 Hermon Rd. Saxe, VA 23967. USA
Linda Sparks owns Farthingales Midwest Corsets & Supplies. She is also the author of “The Basics of Corset Building- A Handbook for Beginners”. An informative textbook for anyone wanting to learn corsetry. The website offers a host of information on the subject as well as selling top quality supplies for corsets and crinolines, as well as tools and patterns. HOWEVER, the store itself is closed. You can still order corset supplies on the website and they will be shipped from Chicago. BUT I would so and use their flagship company (see below) located in Canada.
A Canadian online company that has some ‘hard to find’ items listed. They ship worldwide to both the theatre and film industry. Tutu making and Garter making supplies are offered as well as Millinery and Patterns. sales@farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com
Research
…”fascinating history of Spirella and the corsetieres who worked for this company…”
Primary sources are all over this wonderful German website. Do not miss the chance to read ‘The Corset and the Crinoline – A book of Modes and Costumes from Remote Periods to the Present Times’
Links
- My pinterest board – Corsets and Crinolines
- The V & A site
- https://staylace.com/films/indexfiles/a/index.html
Books
- Bare Essentials: Underwear – Construction and Pattern Drafting for Lingerie Design: 1 by Jennifer Lynne Matthews
- Corset Making: For Beginners to Intermediate
by Julia Bremble (CD-ROM)Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh - Corsets: A Modern Guide by Velda Lauder
- Corsets: Historic Patterns and Techniques by Jill Salen
- Fashion and Fetishism: Corsets, Tight Lacing and Other Forms of Body-Sculpture by David Kunzie
- Foundations of Fashion book (revised 2013) – The Symington Corsetry Collection 1860-1990 by Philip Warren and Sarah Nicol.
- Foundations of Fashion: The Symington Corsetry Collection 1860-1990 by Christopher Page, Philip Warren
- Patterns of Fashion: 1660-1860: Vol 1 by Janet Arnold
- Period Costume for Stage and Screen: 1800-1909: Patterns for Women’s Dress by Jean Hunnisett, Janette Haslam
- Seventeenth Century Women’s Dress: 2 (Dress Pattern 2)
by Tiramani Jenny - The Basics of Corset Building: A Handbook for Beginners
by Linda Sparks - The Corset: A Cultural History by Valerie Steele
- The History of Underclothes (Dover Fashion and Costumes)
by C. Willett Cunnington - The Little Corset Book (Little Costume Workbooks)
by Bonnie Ambrose - The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing Sixteenth-Century Dress
by Jane Malcolm-Davies, Ninya Mikhaila - Tight Lacing: 1828-1880 Pt. 1: A Bibliography of Articles and Letters Concerning Stays and Corsets for Men and Women
by Peter Farrer - Underwear by Wearden Jennifer
- Underwear Fashion in Detail
by Eleri Lynn - Vintage Lingerie: Historical Patterns and Techniques
by Jill Salen - Waisted efforts: An illustrated guide to corset making
by Robert Doyle
The costume resources & suppliers directory 