This profusely illustrated fashion history surveys the fascinating range of undergarments that whittled the female waist to its most slender proportions. Discover how the use of wood, whalebone, steel, hoops, and tight laces had a gripping influence on shaping the figures of women from ancient Greece to 19th-century Vienna. Reprint of TheCorset and the Crinoline: A Book of Modes and Costumes from Remote Periods to the Present Time, Ward, Lock, and Tyler, London, 1868.
Here's a sample of other books in this Dover category
The History of Underclothes by C. Willett Cunnington, PhiIlis Cunnington Fascinating, well-documented survey covering 6 centuries of English undergarments, enhanced with over 100 illustrations: 12th-century laced-up bodice, footed long drawers (1795), 19th-century bustles, 19th-century corsets for men, Victorian "bust improvers," much more.
An Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Costume by James R. Planche Thousands of terms associated with apparel worn in the principal countries of Europe appear in this extensive and convenient reference. Alphabetically arranged, the profusely illustrated volume features over 1,300 detailed line drawings.
