Gown/kirtle/bodice/corset BACKS

[gem]

I am working on turning the Simplicity corset (2621) into a kirtle. Right now the straps come over the shoulders and tie in front. I want them to tie in back like in Gentileschi's portrait of a lute player (I will come back and add links/pix when my computer is playing nicely.). But the pattern currently has a very high back/neckline, and I'm having trouble picturing/drafting a new shape to the top of the back, so there are attachment points for the straps AND so it still looks nice.

Does anyone have pictures of backs of bodices I could look at? Ones that have straps that tie in the back would be *fantastic,* but really I will take anything. I've found lots that have very high backs (vy close to the nape of the neck), but need something much lower than that.

 


Gramercy!!

[Syrilla]

http://www.dazeoflaur.com/singleimage.html?dir=corsetry%2FBlue_and_Gold_16th&image=JRT_6322.jpg  Daze of Laur corset.

[operafantomet]

I don't know if you have a specific time period or region in mind, but as for Italian the tie-on straps came in the 17th century. For the 16th century they were solid straps cut way out on the shoulders. This is probably because the gown (in Italy "sottana") was worn on its own and not as a supportive kirtle. In the late 16th century it started being worn under other dresses, which might be when the straps changed.

Skipping the early 16th century and the Venetian bodices with their pointed backs, here's some good back shots of Italian dresses. Hopefully someone else will contribute with pics from other regions of Europe, the situation might have been different there.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/brescia/romanino1540a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/vasari1559.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/parma/bedoli1562aesanvitale.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/zucchari1579flor.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/cremona/campocremona1580s3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/bergamo/pietronzelli1580scarminebergamo2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/roma/zuccariloretomassilla2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/roma/pulzoneisabellacolonna.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/allori1595.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/palazzopittilate1500.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/roma/caravaggioroma1607.jpg

[operafantomet]

The pink 17th century stays from V&A should of course be mentioned!

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O10446/stays-and-busk/
http://www.drakt.org/Renaissance/Stay.html
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/va/pc.html

[Anna Iram]

Don't have any pictures to add to this Gem, but my thoughts are if you want the straps to attach at the back you could either draft the back straight across just like the front as is shown in the corset Syrilla posted. The same would work for this that Anea posted if you like the squared look:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/roma/zuccariloretomassilla2.jpg

If you want a more curved  appearance like the picture you posted you could draft the back with a lowered curved ending with a very small section of strap and then have the strap meet there with a tie. 

Does this make sense.... *I* know what I'm trying to say anyway....

[gem]

Thanks, everyone!  Syrilla, that Daze of Laur corset is spectacular. Her work blows me away.

***
As of right now, I've ended up just folding the strap under the pattern until what was left was a little "nub" of an attachment point, and then slightly lowering the neckline. It worked out very nicely, actually! I looked at photos of me in the corset and decided I didn't want it that much lower after all. May turn it into a V-back, because I've been wanting to do that and haven't, yet.

Haven't had a chance to cut the mockup yet, but that's the task for this week!