Rococo underpinnings

  The pad (“bumroll”) is tied around hips. This pad was worn with this type of dress instead of less comfortable panier worn in this time only with formal dress. Rococo underpinnings consist of stays boned with barked reed, which have in addition to vertical boning also some horizontal boning typical for stays from the end of 18th century. This stays are cut according to a pattern of Jean Hunnisett (Period Costume for Stage & Screen: Patterns for Women’s Dress 1500-1800). Underneath the stays there is a decency skirt, which protected the decency of woman, because usually there were no drawers under it (they were thought as inelegant). Lowermost part of the outfit is a batiste shift made according to the original from circa 1780 located in The Kyoto Costume Institute.