Corselets in 1780s fashion

Dank Cécile von Mme. du Jards Atelier habe ich erfahren, dass das von mir zuletzt gepostete Hochzeitskleid aus den 1780ern ein seltenes Original einer Modeerscheinung aus eben jenem Jahrzehnt abbildet. Und zwar ein sogenanntes Corselet, ein Korsett also, dass über der Kleidung getragen wurde. Ich habe in der Tat mal die Ausgaben des Journals des Luxus und der Moden durchforstet, um nach Abbildungen und Beschreibungen dieser Mode zu suchen.

Thanks to Cécile from Mme. du Jards Atelier I got to know a little more about the recently posted 1780s wedding dress. It appears to be a rare example of an 1780s fad: the outer corselet. I looked through the 80s issues of the Journal des Luxus und der Moden, where I found a few exemplars with some more information. 

About corselets - Journal des Luxus und der Moden, September 1786

Of french origin, the corselets are described here as the newest trend in fashion, that appeared not without a practical background. In the Journal des Luxus und der Moden it is depicted as a kind of protection for the back of the dress, which otherwise got soiled by hair powder and pomade of the long Chignons or Catogans. There are full and semi corselets or, more simply, large belts. As it says in the journal the corselets are always of a dark coloured fabric and worn to the best effect over white muslin, gauze or silk.
  

Fashion plate September 1786

Closeup of the corselet

This is the description to the fashion plate above. This full corselet is of black taffeta, lined with white (not mentioned) fabric. The back and the front of the corselet and it's construction follow the english fashion. It is slightly boned, using only very thin boning in a 3 inches spacing, stiched with white silk. A 4 fingers spacing is left open in the front to be decorated and closed with 5 buckles. The buckles and ribbons alternate in direction.

Hier in weiteres Beispiel aus dem Dezember des selben Jahres:
Another example, Dezember 1786:

Fashion plate Dezember 1786

A closeup of the corselet

Description - Journal des Luxus und der Moden

The description (roughly) says: Over the corset a corselet is worn. The cut is following the form of the chest, pointing up in the front and the back. It is laced at the back. It is made of brown atlas, same as the outer sleeves.

Description of the semi corselet

 

The semi corselets are not boned, are only half the size of a full corselet and only covering half of the bodice. On their down side they follow the waistline and are usually closed with three buckles.  
 

The belt

The wide belt, covering the waistline, is either closed with a buckle (about 3 inches in hight) - The author here compares this buckle to the one that's attached to the bandoleers of the french Swiss Guards and thinks it is not good looking -  The belts can also be closed in the back with coloured ribbons.

Hier gibt es zur Erinnerung noch einmal ein Bild von dem Original. So wie es aussieht, scheint es neben den dunklen corselets auch Varianten gegeben zu haben, die in aus dem selben Stoff wie die übrige Robe gefertigt wurden und vorn nicht mit Schnallen, sondern mit Schnürung geschlossen wurden. Ich würde auch sagen, dass es sich hier von der Beschreibung her eher um ein halbes corselet handelt. Ich habe über die 80er Jahre hinaus keine weiteren Abbildungen von corselets gefunden, was aber nicht heißen muss, dass diese Mode in den 90ern nicht mehr existierte.

Here is a picture of the original wedding dress. Clearly, there haven't been only dark coloured corselets. And this one is obviously not closed with buckles but laced. Since all the descriptions above are from 1786 and depict the corselet as a new fashion trend, it is possible that this particular dress is a little younger and shows the ongoing changes of that fashion trend. It seems to be what was characterized as semi corselet. No boning and only covering half of the bodice. Beyond the 1780s, I found no further examples of corselets in the Journal des Luxus und der Moden. Of course this doesn't mean, they couldn't have been used in the 90s as well.