A Regency Riding Corset

A few years ago, I went to The Museum of Costume and Textiles in Nottingham, UK (now permanently closed as Nottingham City Council would rather people get drunk by giving out permits for new bars than introducing people to culture) where they were giving a talk on antique corsets and as one of the exhibits, had a early 19th century (Regency era) pair of riding stays (stays are a pre Victorian era word for corset).

I was allowed to take a few photos of this beautiful cotton sateen riding corset and you can see the high cut away hips and the adjustable lacing, which would have allowed the wearer to ride side saddle.



The only boning the stays had was the stiff front whalebone busk (which was removable) and a whalebone at the back at the side of each line of lacing holes. Figure support was mostly acheived by the narrow rows of cording (all done by hand) and the high empire waistline would have given the wearer the fashionable high busted look and a small slender figure.