1908 Shir-Ruffle Bust Improver

This rare and unusual undergarment is from the Edwardian period, when the desired silhouette for the latest fashion was becoming increasingly, a physically impossible one. The highly augmenting S-bend corsets strove to create the most miniscule possible waist, while thrusting hips and backside outward and the bosom forward in an S- shape. There is a genre of undergarments called 'bust improvers' which were meant to fill out the bust for the fashionable pigeon blouses of the time, fulfilling the desired full breasted look. This garment is one such, the "Shir-Ruffle" patented in 1908. Here it is styled inside out to display the beautiful innards of the garment! It is in strong and wearable condition

Pit to pit: 19"
Across waist: 14.5
Length: 16.5"