Waist Collection (page 15)

Blue Gowns 1837
Hair: plaited & coiled over the ears. Dresses: off-the shoulder, long ribbons descending from the waist, single flounce at hem, sleeves consisting of 3 lace flounces

Grape-Trimmed Dress 1840
Dress adorned with bunches of grapes: with a lace falling tucker, pointed waist & short puffed sleeves. The skirt is pinned up on one side. Worn with a plumed tudor style hat

Musical Ladies 1851
Skirt with 5 flounces, black lace jacket & broad floating ribbon ends descending from the waist. Green redingote: bow trim, undersleeves with reversed vandyked cuffs

Tunic Dress / Worth 1924
Tunic dress by Worth in an ornate monochrome print with red detailing, plain central panel with motif, sash tied at the hips & a double skirt with a plain pleated flounce

USA Teen Fashion 1924
Selection of teenage fashions: tubular drop waist dresses or skirts & tunic style blouses in patterned prints with flounces, tiered skirts round collars & embroidery

Costume / Boy & Girl 1890S
Boy: knickerbocker suit, Eton collar, waistcoat, black stockings & lace-up boots. Girl: calf-length dress with high waist, tuck detail on the hem & broderie Anglaise collar

MENs COATS 1853
Three sobre looking French gentlemen in top hats, strapped trousers & double- breasted coats: one with a fur collar, one like a frock coat but without the waist seam

Costume / Green Coat 1830
Patterned Kashmir waistcoat, green cut-away coat buttoned at the neck & waist, the gap between open to reveal the shirt-front & waistcoat, strapped pantaloons & spurs

Fashion / Doucet 1924
Dresses & coats by Doucet: fur, handkerchief hemline, dentate border, chinese print, plaid, two-piece dresses, slash necklines, court shoes with bars, high stand collars

Striped Toilette ?1885
Costume in vertical striped fabric (see real swatch): pointed waist, deep V neck with falling lace collar, tunic hitched up at one side & trimmed with ribbon

Costume / Photo 1902
A young woman wears a plain gored skirt & a blouse trimmed with lace with an all-round collar of a sensible height. A V shaped belt emphasizes her small waist

S-Bend Silhouette 1904
An example of the S-Bend silhouette. The heavily ornamented bodice is pouched over the waist giving a disjointed effect. The yoke on the skirt emphasizes the hips

Paris Evening Gown 1904
Pretty Paris gown created with layers of sheer fabric profusely ornamented with ribbon & three-dimensional flowers. The pointed sash emphasizes the tiny waist

Pink Lady 1912
Miss Hazel Dawn in a pretty pink Directoire style gown with a high waist & narrow skirt with a panel in the side to aid mobility. Her picture hat has a large ostrich plume

Dinner Dress 1912
Doeuillet Empire-line revival gown: column like silhouette, with a high waist, impossibly decollete with a V -neck, belt with pearl clasp & floating sash ends

Afternoon Dress 1912
Taupe coloured, high-waisted dress by Doucet with white engageantes, lace tucker, & a green sash. A narrow piece of drapery hangs from the waist & back. N.B hat with chin strap

Dinner Robe / Worth 1913
Tango dress by Worth: draped & split skirt with a train, high waist with sash, long under- sleeves with engageantes (ruffled cuffs) & an exotic beaded headdress with aigrette

Paletot Overcoat 1907
American paletot overcoat viewed from the back: long full skirts with vents, waist seam & hip pockets with flaps. The gentleman wears a bowler hat

Evening Dress / Men 1913
Gentleman in evening dress & a topcoat similar to a frock coat with a seam at the waist

Vichy Fashions 1915
Girls: loose smock or drop waist. Women: styles ranging from a single long skirt to the fashionable voluminous skirts. Also Louis heeled shoes, hats - broad brims or vertical feathers

Bearded Man 1860S
A bearded man with one hand on his hip wears collarless waistcoat & jacket with braid on the cuffs, broad silk faced lapels & with the fronts sloping away from above waist level

Evening Dress / Worth 1923
Orientally inspired gowns by Worth in lacquer reds: wrap over with diamante bows, fur trim & matching jacket; floral embroidered panels, sash & gored skirt with train

Evening Dress / Beer 1923
T-bar shoes & a sleeveless drop-waist dress with sash tie which creates a draped effect across the hips & opens up the split on the skirt front. With diamante trim. By Beer

Evening Dress / Worth 1922
Strapless gold dress draped up over one hip & tied with a large sash bow which creates a train; ornately patterned barrel-line dress worn over a strapless gold slip

Mole & Chamois Skin Coat
3/4 length coat narrow in the bodice & then flaring from the hip composed of triangular sections of moleskin & chamois leather with a hood, deep fold back cuffs, belt & fur beret

Two-Tone Dress / New Look
The sleeves are cut with the upper bodice and fitted to a deep waist band. The skirt is composed of bands of alternating brown & grey fabric of increasing width

Playsuit Circa 1940
A one-piece play-suit with pleats stitched on the corsage and at the waist

Hunting Dress 1813
Single-breasted green coat cut away below the waist, cuffs unbuttoned, stand-fall collar & leather belt, red waistcoat, cravat, breeches, top boots, spurs, velvet hard hat

Dusting for Excercise
A smiling young lady in shorts with buttoned falls dusts briskly with a feather duster - a great way to tone up the waist and bust without the need of a gym!

Girl Harvester Drinks
A dark haired young woman stands amid a corn field with a hand scythe hanging from her waist & a jug in her hand. In her hair are poppies & cornflowers from the field

Woman Dressing 1831
A skinny husband helps his plump wife with her corset: " He is fond of a slender waist!"

Ball & Dinner Dress 1861
Ball dress: white silk, tulle puffings arranged spirally on the skirt, trimmed with pink roses. Dinner dress: robe imperatrice in sable trimmed green silk, no waist seam

Wedding Dress 1840
A young bride about to sign the register wears a dress with 3 lace edged flounces, pointed waist, bell shaped upper sleeves worn over a tightfitting under sleeve

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The waist, a timeless symbol of femininity and style, has evolved throughout history. From the gritty coal mines of South Wales to the glamorous flapper era, it has left its mark on fashion and society. In the depths of the coalface, miners toiled away with their waists cinched tightly in corsets. The year was 1927 when even a hardworking flapper couldn't resist adding a touch of glamour by adorning her bonnet with an exquisite waist-enhancing accessory. Fast forward to 1954, where two types of dresses showcased contrasting waistlines. One boasted a nipped-in waist that accentuated curves while another embraced a looser silhouette for comfort and freedom. Christian Dior himself sketched these designs as he revolutionized fashion post-World War II. Even during simpler times like 1907, women found ways to incorporate elegance into every aspect of life - including golfing. A stylish woman effortlessly swung her club while maintaining her impeccable posture and tiny waistline. Advertisements played their part too; Thomsons glove-fitting corset promised not only support but also an enviable hourglass figure. Women eagerly sought this undergarment's magical ability to sculpt their waists into perfection. However, not all depictions were so serious - WW1 brought about satirical cartoons such as "The Dropped Pilot. " Amongst the chaos, one thing remained constant: exaggerated feminine curves emphasized by impossibly small waists became fodder for entertainment. As time went on and societal norms shifted once again in 1948, David Wright captured a woman in an elegant black evening dress. Her slender waist gracefully complemented her attire as she exuded confidence and sophistication. Royalty too fell under the spell of this coveted feature; Queen Mary herself (then Princess of Wales) proudly displayed her regal poise alongside her impeccably defined waistline. Finally, Britannia graced magazine covers in April 1954, embodying the epitome of grace and strength.