Historical corset and underpinnings for Eleanor Parks Young
Eleanor's historically inspired wedding dress needed the right undergarments to create its distinctive shape.

These comprised a properly boned corset, a hoop skirt, a 'bumroll' and a net bustle as well as layers of netting integral to the main dress.

Historical corsets from £150
Hoop skirts from £70
Bum rolls from £30
Net bustle as shown £125

Wedding dress for Eleanor Parks Young
Official Wedding pictures by Sebastian Lomas

Eleanor commissioned a beautiful dress in palest blue embroidered silk dupion. Eleanor's dress was created using a mixture of historical sources as inspiration, Tudor, 18th century and Victorian corsetry came together to create a dress that flattered her petite but curvy figure.
Click here to see more pictures of the actual wedding dress.

Historical corset and underpinnings for Eleanor Parks Young
The corset was made from cotton with metal spiral boning and a lace-up fastening so her waist could be reduced as desired.

The hoop skirt is a simple modern shape, with two meal 'hoops' at the hem and a stretch panel at the waist for a perfectly flat finish (no lumpy drawstrings or zips). The bum-roll and net bustle changed the modern shape to the historical silhouette Eleanor wanted.

Historical corset and underpinnings for Eleanor Parks Young
Two views of the 'bum-roll'

A bum roll is worn around the hips to provide support to the skirt above. First worn in the Tudor period they have gone in and out of fashion as the fashionable silhouette changed through the centuries.

Eleanor's dress design included cartridge pleating at the top of the skirt, another fashion popular in the Tudor and Elizabethan period (and later in the victorian era) and best shown off with the right support underneath - a bum roll!

Historical corset and underpinnings for Eleanor Parks Young
Net bustle and underskirts

The skirt was further supported with layers of stiff netting and a separate net bustle. The net bustle was removable so that when her skirt as hooked up for dancing in the evening it could be removed and not get underfoot.

Historical corset and underpinnings for Eleanor Parks Young
Fitting pictures with the half-made corset

Historical corset and underpinnings for Eleanor Parks Young
Official Wedding pictures by Sebastian Lomas

The bodice of Eleanor's wedding dress was also lightly boned but the main structural support came from the historical corset below.

Wedding dress for Eleanor Parks Young
Historical inspiration

Eleanor's dress was not an historically accurate representation of any particular period in history but was designed to look 'historical' in the sense that it did not conform to the common bridal trends of 2010. We took inspiration from Elizabethan, 18th century and Victorian fashions to create a unique dress that flattered Eleanor's figure and style perfectly.

The basic corset and wide neckline are early Victorian shapes (1830's). The way the bodice is cut with panels that taper from shoulder to pointed front waist are also inspired by period design.

Wedding dress for Eleanor Parks Young
Historical inspiration

The skirt pleats into the bodice in 'cartridge pleats' from the sides round to the back. These are an Elizabethan technique, although cartridge pleating can be found used in other fashion periods too, people all throughout history have been inspired by the fashions of the past. From the sides round to the front the skirt is pleated in softer large pleats like the skirt in the picture above.

The way the skirt hooks up for dancing was designed to look a bit like the 'polonaise' style skirts of the 18th century shown here (centre).

The longer bodice line (the seam is just below Eleanor's waistline not on it) comes from a later Victorian period.

Wedding dress for Eleanor Parks Young
Historical inspiration

These real period garments show elements for inspiration for Eleanor's dress. These are left (1830's) neckline and pointed waist, centre (1840's) swept-back bell shaped skirt and right (1790's) polonaise skirt with wide pleated frill.

Wedding dress for Eleanor Parks Young
Official Wedding pictures by Sebastian Lomas

In this picture you can really see the shape of the hoop and bum-roll supporting the bustled skirt.