What it is, What it is....

Photo Source: Corset Fastner

 

What it is, What it is...

 

How to lace a corset... look here.

 

Photo Source

It is a tool to fasten a corset's hook and eyes, and or to pull the strings tighter.

The loop is to attach to the corset, decoratively.

 

photo source and where to buy this set:

An antique lady's tortoiseshell dress set decorated with a gold motif. The set contains a mirror, comb, two hair brushes, clothes brush, nail brush, soap dish, shoe horn, two boxes and a corset hook.

Corset hooks that fold such as the one I found yesterday are harder to find.

 

Photo Source: Stellar Baby Prints

On creating the corset print she wrote: "....I imagined who would be wearing these undergarments. elizabeth bennett reading impassioned letters from mr. darcy in her blueberry underpinnings… laura ingalls walking on the prairie in her apple corset… mary poppins in that sassy s-curve banana… ladies on the titanic sinking in that skinny boob-to-hip constriction… "

 

 

    

Photo Source Antique Corset Gallery

Some corsets lace up,

some hook up,

some button up...

European dress in Detail. 

 

Photo Source

No matter how you tighen a corset, some of you has to come out somewhere.

Note: The bottom part of this corset is, um, is undone.

 

 A chatelaine's (A woman of the chateau) corset fastner.

Judy was the first to answer it correctly: Corset Fastner.

Most Creative Guesses: Little Bad Wolf: Pony Hoof Cleaner,

and PeggyI seeds, a royal fishing hook.

Please send me your addresses through my email.

 

Thank you for playing, good guesses! I will put this corset hook on my shop.

Comments

[Barbara Stevens]

Hi Corey, Are you going to be visiting Durham when you come to the states next month?
I've got some brocanting/antiquing suggestions.
Barbara Stevens.

[Jenna]

Congratulations!

[Helene]

I love your information about corsets. Here is an image of corsets made today by Krista Larson. They don't require hooks or strings and are very wearable. oops, I can't find a way to attach a photo. Check out Krista Larson.com

[Amy Kortuem]

OW! That silhouette looks painful (and you're right, you can squish all you want, but the "extra" has to come out somewhere, even with modern-day Spanx!)

[Marilyn]

Dah! I did know that, but still guessed wrong. Congratulations to the winners.

[Judy]

Thank you Corey, I can't believe my guess was right!! Fun guessing game :) Judy

[Kathie B]

Are you SURE it's not for lacing up ice-skate boots? My dad had a modern (unfeminine) version that he used for that purpose.

[Mike]

Man I'm glad I don't have to live way back then. Getting dressed was seriously a lot of work. You had so many layers. It was way worse for the women then the men.

[Wilde Hunt Corsetry]

HI there! I don't know who told you that this was for lacing corsets, but I'm a professional corsetiere and I can tell you that this tool was not used for corsets. Anyone who's ever worn a genuine corset will quickly realize that a tool like that would be useless in putting on a corset.

That tool is actually a button hook and it was used to help the wearer close buttons on Victorian boots, gloves, and garments. Corsets do not have buttons but have metal busk closures that you could not use this tool on. It would be equally ineffectual on corset laces which you have to put a great deal of force on in order to lace someone into the corset.

You can see an image of someone using a button hook on a pair of gloves here: http://www.morninggloryantiques.com/JewelChatHooks.html

Larissa
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Wilde Hunt Corsetry