Posted in 1860s, Extant garments, Historical Sewing, Research

Fear not the elastic!

Look at this lovely 1860s era swiss waist! Isn’t it gorgeous!

Now look a little closer! See those shoulder straps?

Those are ELASTIC! Yes my friends! They did indeed use elastic in the mid 19th century!

Images courtesy Ebay.

About Susan

Hi! My name is Susan and I am a historian, seamstress, teacher, mother, and wife. My passion for history has manifested itself in the art of recreating clothing from different periods of time. Growing up in the American South, I am heavily schooled in the art of recreating clothing from the 19th century. After nearly a decade of immersing myself primarily in the Victorian period, I found the need to branch out and explore other periods of time. However, it is my connection with the American South and the clothing of rural America that continues to be the driving force behind my designs.

3 thoughts on “Fear not the elastic!”

  2. great find! wow, this is so eye-opening. I knew it existed, and it was used in shoes, but I hadn’t seen a bodice using it until now 😀

  3. Dear Susan,
    What an interesting find!
    I have seen the elastic band in a pair of Mid 19th century wedding shoes, which I had the pleasure to examine this past December.

    This will surely help in a lot of projects.

    Sabine

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