1820-1840 ca. Hand-Embroidered Wedding Corset, Connecticut, USA. Ivory cotton covered with hand embroidery, including love birds on hearts, front pocket for busk, eyelets for back lacing. Trapunto (to embroider) cording decorates and shapes corset. The back closure has ivory eyelets for the lacing. The center-front has a pocket panel for inserting a busk. Trapunto (to embroider) shapes the corset by outlining the design with two or more rows of running stitches and then padding from the underside which gives a raised effect.The technique was always considered very elegant. Trapunto first appeared in 14th century Sicily and was widely adopted for clothing in Tudor England, and then brought to America by the new settlers. In addition to the cording, the corset is totally covered with hand-embroidered flowers and there are two embroidered love birds on hearts at the center-front. Above the birds is a section of trapunto work. via Vintage Textiles
1800-1830 ca. Drawstring Bag, German. Basket-shaped, Ecru cotton knit embroidered with colored glass beads in design of grapevine on upper half, open work embroidered with weaving motif on lower half. Wired at center, cardboard at base. Green silk cord drawstring. The Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A. mfa.org
Definition Reticule Or Ridicule Or Bag or Purse: Often with a drawstring to pull closed and usually made of cloth or covered cardboard and often decorated with beading or embroidery. A reticule, or purse, or handbag, was usually carried by a woman during the Regency period to carry all their daily necessities. Earlier, women used pockets that tied at the waistline and were hidden in the folds of their skirts. Empire style, or early 1800s, high-waisted dresses made it impossible to either sewn in a pocket or to tie on a pocket. So women began carrying small, decorated bags called Reticules, or ridicules, which generally pulled close at the top with a drawstring.
1830 ca. Quilted Buff Canvas Corset, English. Quilted canvas, wood, boning, and brass. Self lined, quilted with back stitch.Â
Front fastening, shoulder straps, and brass eyelets for back. The wide centre front busk may be of wood and these stays are boned from the waist through the centre of the bust gussets, with three bones at each side and on each side of the back lacing. The rest is quilted, the top is over a cord foundation, and there are gussets at the hips. Eyelets in the back and strap lacing are of brass and machine inserted. On the left of the centre busk at hip level, is a tape stretched so that it ties horizontally. The top and straps are bound with tape. Self lined, quilted in back stitch, the waist is herringboned, and the bases of the bust and hip gores are button-holed. via Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK.  collections.vam.ac.uk    Â
1800-1850 ca. Reticule, Or Bag. Brown bag with monogram and drawstring, British. The Bridgerton family and Jane Austen and their female contemporaries would have sewn, gifted and used a bag similar to this. via Snowshill Manor, National Trust, U.K. nationaltrustimages.org.uk
Definition Reticule: Bag or purse, often with a drawstring to pull closed and usually made of cloth or covered cardboard and often decorated with beading or embroidery. A reticule, or purse, or handbag, was usually carried by a woman during the Regency period to carry all their daily necessities. Earlier, women used pockets that tied at the waistline and were hidden in the folds of their skirts. Empire style, or early 1800s, high-waisted dresses made it impossible to either sewn in a pocket or to tie on a pocket. So women began carrying small, decorated bags called Reticules, or ridicules, which generally pulled close at the top with a drawstring.
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1831-1850 ca. Reticule, Or Handbag, English. Round bag of crimson silk with embroidery and a drawstring. via Museum Of London.
Definition Ridicule, Reticule, or Handbag: From the late 1700s, pockets could no longer be sewn into gowns, as skirts fell from just under the bust and were full and flowing. Instead, women began carrying small bags, known at first as ridicules and later as reticules, to keep necessary items on their person e.g. handkerchiefs, coins, vinaigrettes, calling cards, glasses etc.
The term ‘ridicule’ derived from the Latin ‘ridiculum’ and first used in France during the 17th century and meant subjecting something or someone to mockery. As women’s tiny bags were mocked, or ridiculed, for being a useless fashion accessory when they were first used in the late 1700s, it’s likely this is how the name ‘ridicule’ started. The later term ‘reticule’ derived from the Latin reticulum, meaning ‘netted bag’ and was applied when bags became larger and often made from netting.
1800s magazines were written for well-bred women who could read, so they gave plenty of ideas for how ladies could make and embellish reticules for their own use and as pretty gifts. Needlework was highly encouraged as a pastime for a lady so bags were frequently embroidered or decorated with beading. By the 1820s, reticules became more like our modern handbags using soft leather gathered at the top or hard leather with a rigid fastener and metal chain for carrying.
What was fashionable for purses in past centuries? Call them what you like: purses, bags, handbags, reticules, ridicules, clutches, or pocket replacements. They all did the same job and they changed greatly with the prevailing fashions of time. books2read.com/suziloveReticules History Notes Book 3 By Suzi Love.
1838 White Cotton Hand Quilted Petticoat. Diamond pattern with flower and vine quilted hem band. via August Auction.
under_1838 Hand Quilted Cotton Petticoat. White diamond hand quilting with a flower and vine hem panel. via Augusta Auction Fashion Women 1815-1819 History Notes Book 28 https://books2read.com/SuziLoveFashionWomen1815-1819
1825 Brown stays with center front busk, back lacing, hip shaping, breast gussets, widely spaced straps, cotton embroidered in ivory silks with hearts. via Kerry Taylor Auctions. kerrytaylorauctions.com https://books2read.com/SuziLoveCorsetBook17
The main purpose of corsets was to support and shape the breasts. Though they still slimmed the midriff, this was not the prime purpose of a corset in the 1820s. The waistline of dresses had lowered to below the bust line and nearer to the true waist so corsets were longer and were given added shaping by stitching and cording and by shaping the breasts with pleated or gathered cups.
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. Corsets or stays worn during the early 1800s, or Jane Austen’s lifetime. https://books2read.com/SuziLoveCorsetBook17
The main purpose of corsets was to support and shape the breasts. Though they still slimmed the midriff, this was not the prime purpose of a corset between 1810 and 1830. The waistlines of dresses were lowering to below the bust line but nearer to the true waist, so corsets were longer and were given added shaping by stitching and cording and by shaping the breasts with pleated or gathered cups.
