December 2012 – September 2013
These stays are intended to give a round shape for 17th C peasant wear. They were made under some time constraint. Testing a new pattern was out of the question. I used my 18th C stays pattern. The only change was to cut center front below bust level, using the stays in this Jan Siberechts as a guide. They’re made of coutil, lined in broadcloth, and boned with cable ties. The modern busk keeps me from getting grumpy while dressing. A crazy hybrid of periods, I even wear them with a sports bra to keep everything smooth. But they function well – I consider them a successful experiment.
May – August 2016
A strapless version of my Peasant Stays, these are cut lower at the upper back, shorter at the waist, and close with a 9″ busk. I wear them with the Flemish Peasant ensembles.
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany
