Think back to December 2020. I don’t know what was going on with you at that time, but I’ll tell you what happened to me.
I had newly become engaged and was trying to decide if I wanted to take the plunge and make my own wedding ensemble… undergarments and all.
Spoilers, I didn’t make my wedding gown or anything. But what I did make was the first step in not just being a foundational undergarment, but also in helping me make my decision to either buy or make my wedding dress.
As a side note, you should know that growing up I was obsessed with the classic Disney princesses, but as an adult I totally hated the “modern takes” on my favorite characters… except for 2015 Cinderella. Not only did Cinderella have a fully rounded character and personality, but the movie itself had a fantastic moral to the story, that can be implemented into real life. “Have courage, and be kind,” couldn’t be more needed in this day-in-age.
Anyways, I about died when I saw the film in theaters and I had to pick up my jaw from the floor for every single dress and gown Lilly James wore as Ella. But her wedding dress, not only reflected the 1950s classic original dress, but also (to me) screamed 1890s-1900s high fashion. AND I NEEDED THAT TRAIN.
So naturally, to get the gorgeously flattering shape of the skirt and the bodice, I needed to construct some truly proper undergarments, fit for a potential queen and a Gibson Girl.
Therefore, step one: Make the Corset. However, this post isn’t going to be a step by step tutorial of making this corset (I made a video that can visually help with that), but rather what I did/used, what I would do differently as a beginning corsetier, and sharing the best resources I could find regarding this corset in particular.
The Pattern
The Pattern I used was purchased on Etsy, made by corset-goddess in the Historical Costuming world, Atelier Sylphe. The pattern itself is a digitized copy of a real extant corset in her collection.
Pattern REF W is one of her most curvy extant corsets in the entire collection on her Etsy shop, which is what drew me to this late Victorian, early Edwardian S-bend styled corset in the first place. I wanted my waist to be accentuated and I wanted the skirt to be full and incredibly voluminous in the back.
Personal Review
As a novice corset-maker, I would encourage persons at my similar skill level to work their way up to making a corset like this one. In the past, I never worked with patterns (especially for corsets) and I would draft my own. They turned out pretty decently, but I grew in my skills and accuracy over the years.
REF W is just the original corset’s pattern. Which means you will need to make it fit your body by adding length, width and seam allowances. I didn’t need to adjust the corset too much, as my bust and hips were the same measurements as were on the original corset. I wasn’t worried about the waist, and left it alone.
However the biggest struggle I had was lengthening the corset. I have a long torso, and so this corset naturally wouldn’t sit properly on me if I didn’t make that adjustment.
Adjustment Steps
Find the waistline on all your pattern pieces.
Add 2 to 3 inches (or to the correct length) above or ON to the waistline.
Above the waistline
You can change the look of the corset by including the bust cups into that extended and lengthened portion of the corset, which would result in creating two very exaggerated bust cups reaching from your stomach to the proper position on the bust. See below.
Mockup #3
If you like the look of this corset, I’d recommend that you check out the Costume Countess‘ documentation of her corset-making. Her skill level and familiarity in corset-making is very advanced, so her post helped me understand some tips. She also made her corset for her wedding.
On the Waistline
By adding the 3″ ON to the waistline, you can keep the integrity of the original design of the corset cups by extending the length of the full pattern itself, by not including the the cups.
This adjustment could change the look of the entire front of the corset if you wanted to. There are several people who I found online that had made their corset front look like both of these designs.
Mockup 3 with original corset design on final silk layer
Hope this helps.
-Elise
Resources I Primarily Used
Costume Countess’ “My ‘Something Blue’ Edwardian Corset.”
The Merry Corsetier Chat “Atelier Sylphe corset pattern Ref W.“
Purchase REF W pattern: Atelier Sylphe Shop (or look on Etsy)
Additional Resources:
Jill’s Sewing Room: REF W Edwardian Corset
Jen Thompson’s Festive Attyre: Edwardian Corset and Pattern Review.
Sewing_Magic (Sewlo Artist) on Reddit also has a video about her making this corset and wearing it everyday for a week! Check out the thread.
For visual inspiration, check out Emma Collins’s work.
Good luck and have fun!