Corset

Art Historical Context

Step into the elegant constraints of 19th-century American fashion with this cotton corset from the 0s, a staple garment housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Craft during the early Victorian era, when women's silhouettes emphasized a narrow waist and full bust, this corset exemplifies the understructure that defined the period's ideal feminine form. Donated as a gift from Mrs. Albert S. in 1937, it offers a tangible glimpse into everyday attire that shaped posture, movement, and social expectations. Made from cotton—a practical, breathable fabric increasingly availabl...