Information AboutStomacher |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT STOMACHER | |
| history of clothing europe | |
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Bodices were cut open to reveal the stomacher, which covered the front of the torso from neckline to waist or even below the waist. The bodice's lacings would then criss-cross over the stromacher, and eventually the lacings became a series of decorative bows. They were worn throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, varying in style and decoration, throughout Europe and North America. Stomachers were often embroidered, or covered in pearls and other jewels. They could be made of the same fabric as the dress or of a contrasting fabric. Depending on the period, their bottom point was at waist level, or lower; towards the end of the 18th Century they could be as deep as 10 inches below the waistline, making it impossible for the woman wearing them to sit. Necklines also defined the length of a stomacher. There was a brief, but bizarre period during the court of Louis XVI, when the neckline and stomacher actually were below the breasts, which were covered by a transparent ruffle of fabric called a fichu. The nipples could then be rouged or even pierced and decorated with pearls or other gemstones. This fashion did not take off, and, for the most part, the necklines ranged from demure to daring, but still covered the breasts. |
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