16th century, 17th century, Bodies and Stays, Video

Dress Historian explains the difference between Bodies and Stays in the 16th and 17th Centuries

What should we call the torso-shaping female foundation garments of the sixteenth century and seventeenth century? Were they pairs of bodies? Bodices? Stays? Corsets? How were they worn? Were they underwear or outerwear? Keep watching to find out!

Video Image Credits:

Anne Boleyn: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.32439
Jane Seymour: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.186630
Elizabeth Vernon: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Vernon_big.jpg
Elizabeth I: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-P-1878-A-1892X
Charles V: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-A-164
Phillip II by Titian: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philip_II_portrait_by_Titian.jpg
Phillip II in armour: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philip_II.jpg
Breastplate: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/22847
Elisabeth of Valois: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth.of.Valois.JPG
Princess Elizabeth Stuart: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437263
Boy with a greyhound: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437890
Portrait of a Woman, c. 1597: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/748947
The Witches Kitchen: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frans_Francken_(II)_-_The_Witches%27_Kitchen.jpg
The cello player: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gabriel_Metsu_-_The_Cello_Player_RCIN_405534.jpg
Woman c. 1697: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-P-1920-2643
Dame de qualité: https://collections.lacma.org/node/208069
The fishwife: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-C-178
Woman in a tavern: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-P-OB-17.474
Woman drinking: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-P-OB-33.450
Courtyard in Delft: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_de_Hooch_-_Courtyard_in_Delft_at_Evening-_a_Woman_Spinning_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Nell Gywn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Simon_Verelst_-_Portrait_of_Nell_Gwyn.jpg
Figures in a courtyard: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-C-150
Mrs Suthwell’s bill, c. 1660s: https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/detail/FOLGERCM1~6~6~1240936~263854:Bills-and-receipts-of-the-Clayton-f?sort=call_number%2Cmpsortorder1%2Ccd_title%2Cimprint
Mr Clayton bill, c. 1680: https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/detail/FOLGERCM1~6~6~1240996~263914:Bills-and-receipts-of-the-Clayton-f%3Fsort%3Dcall_number%252Cmpsortorder1%252Ccd_title%252Cimprint?qvq=q:X.%20d.%20492%20(50);sort:call_number%2Cmpsortorder1%2Ccd_title%2Cimprint;lc:FOLGERCM1~6~6&mi=2&trs=4
Yellow stays: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/90404
Portrait of a family: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nicolas_Walraven_van_Haften_-_Portrait_of_a_Family_in_an_Interior_-_1982.139_-_Museum_of_Fine_Arts.jpg
Le Caquet des femmes: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-P-2009-2063
Watteau’s portrait: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-P-2009-1121
Blue stays, c. 1730s: https://collections.lacma.org/node/232498
Brown stays: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/157987
1790s Transition stays: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/107910
Corset, c. 1811: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/86423
Corset, c. 1880s: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/85416

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