Corset, stays

The outer layer of this pair of stays is made of linen canvas and it is lined with lighter linen, bound with linen tape. Underarm 'guards' are made of pieces of wool with pinked edges. The stays are very stiff with a 'peaked' centre front and lace at the back in a spiral lacing configuration.

Each section of the stays seems to have been boned separately before being sewn together with close whip stitches. The seam lines were then covered with narrow figured linen tape. The stays are completely and heavily boned with more than 120 back-stitched boning channels, mostly 5 mm wide.

The centre back edges are over-bound/reinforced with extra linen strips. The top edge is bound with wool twill tape similar to that which binds the tabs. The eyelets are reinforced with wrapped plain linen tape to mitigate wear from lacing. The pieces of linen used to make up the lining have discoloured differently over time. The waist tabs were lined separately and bound before being lined. The only pieces stitched on top of the lining are wool 'guards' attached along the underarm edges. Apart from these strips the lining can be unpicked and lifted off the stays. Even the wool pieces are fairly loosely tacked on and would be easy to remove if required. There are no obvious signs of alteration.

The stays weigh 690 grams (1.5 lb).