One of the things I frequently encounter in the Aldersgate is the garments my ladies must wear beneath their dresses. A quick Google search will bring you to gateways of information about corsets, and perusing a few pages you can see a veritable history of the female form. But with this beauty comes great pain!
You’ll see the Victorians had a particular flare for corset, propelling the wasp-waist to a new era. Forty years later, in the 20s, this would be all but vanished in favor of a much more boyish form which, for the most part, still pervades the fashion of today.
So, Cora and her sister Denna, as well as the rest of the gals in my book must suffer the fate of corset wearers. Though this does not take place in THE 1880s, it’s 1880s-like. So I’m pulling the fashion from that period to flavor the story better. Although I can’t help but feel a little sorry for them, having to go off on adventures in such garb!
I absolutely adore clothing, especially from the Victorian era. The materials, embroidery, design… it’s astonishing to see these garments up close and certainly makes me wish we took as much pride today in our craftsmanship.
At any rate, if you’re particularly interested in Victorian corsets–whether you’re a steampunk fashion hound or just curious–you can check out a few of the links below. Lots of fun stuff to look at! Now, if I could just find one with gears on it… hrm…
Antique Corset Gallery – Late Victorian Corsets
A History of Corsets at Wikipedia
The Aldersgate Cycle 
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