Susan reports:
Here's one more example of 18th c. child-sized stays as reproduced by the mantua-makers of Colonial Williamsburg. (These are the same stays mentioned by our reader Abby, a former intern in the shop, who remembered showing them to fascinated visitors.) These really are tiny, sized for an infant, and stiffened not with baleen, but with pasteboard – we'd call it cardboard. The lacings are on the back of the stays.
One of us -- 
5 comments:
Great pictures and Thank you for the shout out!!! :) :)
Take Care!
You should have stuck your hand in the picture so we'd have a comparison ;-)
Very cool!
You're welcome, Abby. Glad to have your contributions!
Theo, you're right, out of context it's hard to have grounds for comparison -- and here I was trying so hard to make sure my hands weren't in the picture! *g* Maybe I should carry a small ruler along with my camera...
Anyway, these striped stays really are small, only about six inches or so high. Definitely for a baby. The ones in the other post are for an older child, and, if I remember correctly, were about 10"-11" or so in length.
Oh my gosh! I had no idea they put stays on infants and young children! Always learning something new on TNHGs.
I think I'd rather wear stays than a girdle, any day.
Have you ever tried to do some research about stripped clothes? It'd be fascinating!
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