1810–1850 ca. Corset, American or European. Front lacing, extra wide straps for under a square neckline dress. via Metropolitan Museum, N.Y.C., U.S.A. metmuseum.org Surviving stays, or corsets as they became to be called in the nineteenth century, show that both longline and shorter corsets were worn and that they were made of cotton, silk and sateen. A lot of these corsets were front fastening, plus many were laced at both the front and the back so our aristocratic fictional heroines could indeed dress and undress themselves without the assistance of a maid.

Corsets 1810-1830 History Notes Book 17 This book shows how corsets changed to fit well under clothing,  give maximum support and comfort. Corsets pushed up breasts and showed off the bust line beneath a square-cut and low-cut neckline as in the early 1800s, or Regency years. Jane Austen and her female and friends wore these corsets.