Corset History Quiz

Incorrect. Around 1890, Inés Gaches-Sarraute (a female doctor and corset maker) introduced her straight-front corset, which featured a very rigid, flat front instead of the curved front of the older Victorian corsets. Sarraute aimed to prove that the new straight-front corset allowed similar or even tighter waist reductions without harm to the abdominal organs, and the new pigeon-breasted posture became de rigueur in the Edwardian era, making the Victorian posture seem slouchy in contrast - however, the resultant swayback was target to criticism later on.

Incorrect. The industrial revolution of the early 19th century forever changed the corset industry - notwithstanding being able to produce affordable corsets en masse for all classes of people, the 1830's brought about the invention of steel parts for corsets: steel bones (which would not snap the same way reed, bamboo or whalebone would when old or dry), a split steel busk (which could enable the wearer to quickly and easily don and remove the corset), and steel eyelets/ grommets, which reinforced the lacing panel. Prior to the industrial revolution, it was common for stays to be hand-sewn - from the seams, binding and hand-bound eyelets - which was incredibly time-consuming (and thus more expensive for production).

Incorrect! In the 16th century, a "payre of bodies" was the common term for a garment designed to wrap around the body. Spelling was not standardized at the time, and the garment was referred to as "bodye", "bodie", "bodys" and "bodice" (the last spelling variant we have maintained through to the present day).

Later on they became known as "stays" or "pair of stays", called such because of the bones or "stays" in this garment which helped the garment stay up and not collapse with tension. From the Regency period (early 1800s) we saw an explosion of experimentation in fashion and foundationwear - "transitional stays", "jumps", and "corsets" started being used, sometimes interchangeably. "Corset" has its root in the Latin "corpus", meaning body, and later in the Middle French "cors".

In the late 19th century, Symington company introduced the "Pretty Housemaid" corset, an inexpensive and strong corset designed for the working class - its corded panels acted as soft reinforcement, and it featured a wide spoon busk which would prevent warping as the wearer went through her daily chores. In the 20th century, Warner company released the Merry Widow, an elasticated corselet named after the popular 1934 movie.

Incorrect. King George IV reigned in England from 1820 to 1830 and was known as "The First Gentleman of England". He was also called the "Prince Regent", hence his brief time in power was called the Regency era. During this time, we saw a dramatic shift in fashion and art, as well as the rise of dandyism. However, George's indulgent lifestyle resulted in his weight increasing to nearly 250 lbs by the time he was 35, and his figure was mocked and scorned by the public. It is popularly thought that he wore corsets in order to fit into his snug formal attire; by 1824 his corsets were made to close at a 50-inch (127cm) waist. He was the uncle to Victoria (at that point second in line to the throne), who would later rule for the majority of the 19th century and revolutionize both fashion and culture in England.

Incorrect. As the story goes, Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo de' Medici, or better known as Catherine de' Medici, was born to nobility in Florence (Italy) in 1519 and married Henry II of France at the age of 14. She brought the Italian garment with her, where the French court fell in love with the fashion. Even when middle aged, people still commented about her lovely figure.

The introduction of the bodice into England is credited to Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, who brought the fashion from Spain. The fashion was adopted by Elizabeth I (daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn) and she ruled England from 1558 - 1603, thus the stiff garment was known as "Tudor stays" or "Elizabethan stays" throughout English history.

Sources: Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh, and Corsets: A Visual History by R.L. Shep.

Incorrect. This statue of the "Snake Goddess" was discovered on Crete (which is now the largest island belonging to Greece) and dated to c. 1600 BCE, thought to be carved during the Bronze Age when the Minoan civilization still thrived. This hourglass-shaped Goddess is often portrayed bare-breasted, with a tight-fitted garment around her midsection. The image on the left is the oldest "Snake Goddess" statue found, while the one on the right is another, much younger statue of a Minoan Goddess carved in ivory and covered in gold.

Incorrect. The Regency era was a brief period roughly between 1811 - 1830. When people think of this era, many think "Jane Austen" or more recently, "Bridgerton". The fitted long stays and full skirts fell away briefly in favor of streamlined flowy gowns and empire waistlines. Starting around 1790, transitional stays became shorter and shorter until they only essentially supported the bust area - although many stays remained long during the Regency but were less heavily boned and were more faithful to a 'natural' silhouette.

We would largely not see exclusive bust-supporters again until the Edwardian era (which overlaps with the US Progressive era), where we come to see "bust improvers" - and then Mary Phelps Jacobs' 1914 patent of the handkerchief-bra, a precursor to modern bras.

Incorrect. Here is the more detailed story:

In 1913, Mary Phelps Jacob, a socialite in New York, wanted to wear a fashion-forward slinky dress to an evening event but felt that it was incompatible with her corset. She sewed two handkerchiefs together to cover and support her breasts, and it gained so much attention that she patented the design as a "Brassiere" in 1914. The Women's Suffrage and Rational Dress movements were both making waves at the same time, and while some suffragettes cast off their corsets and skirts in favor of Bloomer suits, these outfits (and their wearers) were often not taken seriously by the rest of society.