Stays thumbnail 1
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Stays

1790-1795 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Woman’s stays of half-bleached linen, lined with linen, stitched with linen thread; the edges bound with linen tape. The stays are cut in 8 pieces, with 3/16-inch (3 mm) wide pale blue silk covering the front and side seams. They have a high neckline at the back, low in front, with a short waistline and skirts at the lower hem. The stays are partially boned and front opening with 10 lacing holes, worked in pale blue silk, on each side, asymmetrically placed. The shoulder straps fasten at the front with 1 worked lacing hole on each side. There is a ½ inch (1.3 cm) thread bar worked in buttonhole stitch with pale blue silk thread at the centre-back waist.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Linen, silk, baleen; hand-woven, hand-sewn
Brief description
Woman's stays of linen trimmed with pale blue silk, 1790-95, British; partially boned, front lacing
Physical description
Woman’s stays of half-bleached linen, lined with linen, stitched with linen thread; the edges bound with linen tape. The stays are cut in 8 pieces, with 3/16-inch (3 mm) wide pale blue silk covering the front and side seams. They have a high neckline at the back, low in front, with a short waistline and skirts at the lower hem. The stays are partially boned and front opening with 10 lacing holes, worked in pale blue silk, on each side, asymmetrically placed. The shoulder straps fasten at the front with 1 worked lacing hole on each side. There is a ½ inch (1.3 cm) thread bar worked in buttonhole stitch with pale blue silk thread at the centre-back waist.
Dimensions
  • Overall length: 57.0cm (approx)
  • Bust under armholes circumference: 72.5cm (approx)
Collection
Accession number
T.32-1914

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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