c.1911-1914. A pink coutil longline corset made in France by A. Simon (Paris).
The corset is fairly unusual in the fact it has a curved busk and that it is boned with whalebone. Curved busks, although common in the Victorian era, feel out of favor during the early Edwardian era when the straight fronted corsets became fashionable. Longline corsets almost always used a straight busk so perhaps this was made for an older lady who was used to the curved busks of her youth? Whalebone was also very expensive and hard to obtain by the 1910's as whales had been hunted to near extinction so this would have been a very expensive corset to purchase although recycled whalebone from old corsets may have been used.
Pink "X" shape flossing decorated the bottom of most of the bone channels. The bottom front of the skirt fastens with hooks and eyes below the busk. A wide band of lace trim decorates the top edge of the corset while a pink silk bow and pink silk baby ribbon add a degree of softness to such a rigid structure. The corset is not lined but has contrasting white cotton twill bone casings and a cotton twill waist tape on the inside. The waist tape has "Garanti tout Baleine" on one side and "A. Simon ses corsets Btes S.G.O.G" on the other side.
Measurements: Underbust 27", Waist 22", Hips 33 1/2", Busk length 10".

From the collection of L. Hidic
corsetsandcrinolines.com

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