Corsets and bustles from 1880-90-the move from over structured opulence to the healthy corset

During the 1880s, the corset became more elegant and desirable and was a sought after product in a woman's wardrobe with attention being devoted to its design and execution.. The most expensive corset was made of satin and usually brightly coloured. During the 1880s bustles made their return in a a exaggerated form. Bustles always came in all shapes and sizes. New phantom bustles which were dated back to 1884 had steel wires which were attached to a pivot so that they were able to fold in on themselves when a person was sitting down and spring back up when a person sat up. More emphasis was put on the waist without the bustle. This resulted in a new form of corset which made the style more harder and the body longer ( V & A, 2015:9).


http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/corsets-and-bustles-1880-1890-from-over-structured-opulence-to-the-healthy corset/