Waist Collection

Miners working at the coalface, South Wales
Two miners, stripped to the waist, working at the coalface in a coal seam in South Wales

Christian Dior sketching a fashion design, 1948
In 1947 Christian Dior (1905-1957) created a sensational collection labelled the New Look. His designs centred around gowns with an 18 inch waist, which focused attention on the bust and hips

Flapper on Bonnet 1927
A girl on a bonnet: wears a skimpy sleeveless white drop waist dress hitched up to expose her thighs, T-bar shoes, a cloche hat & a scarf a la Isadora Duncan

Advertisement for Thomsons glove-fitting corset
An advertisement for Thomsons glove-fitting corset, promising the wearer comfort and elegance

Two types of dresses, 1954
On the left, an 1890-inspired party frock in striped taffeta with the stand-up collar, tight bodice, near-crinoline skirt, and steel-buttoned

Golfing Woman 1907
A modern sporty girl wears a gored skirt, blouse with detachable all-round collar worn with a tie, a large flat cap & a broad belt to accentuate her tiny waist

Miner working in a coal seam, South Wales
A miner, stripped to the waist, with a pick resting across his shoulder and a lamp in his hand, in a coal seam in South Wales

Welsh miner in coal mine pushing truck
A Welsh miner, stripped to the waist, pushing a truck in a coal mine

Cartoon, The Dropped Pilot, WW1
Cartoon, The Dropped Pilot, twenty-four years after Tenniel. In Tenniels Dropping the Pilot cartoon of 1890 Kaiser Wilhelm II watches as Bismarck disembarks from the ship (of state)

The Princess of Wales, later Queen Mary
Queen Mary (Princess Mary of Teck) (1867-1953), wife of the future King George V, when she was Princess of Wales. Date: early 20th century

Womans waist. Profile of the torso of a woman lying down, showing her waist (at centre) and curve of her hip (at left)

David Wright woman in black evening dress
Elegant woman with red hair, wearing a black evening dress with a red flower on the bodice, and matching red material below the waist

Britannia and Eve front cover, April 1954
An elegant woman in a full-skirted dress with a nipped in waist typical of 1950s fashion, poses with hat and gloves finishing off her ensemble

Pierre Balmain with one of his designs, 1948
Photograph showing Pierre Balmain presenting a pink and white petticoat, with gueppieres that helped to achieve a 48 centimetre waist, 1948

Victor Stiebel / Twenties
Design by Victor Stiebel (1907-1976) for an elegant evening or cocktail dress in royal blue with embellished assymetric hem and drop-waist. Shoes & jewellery match dress

Surtout Greatcoat 1907
An American surtout greatcoat: double-breasted with waist seam, full skirts, long lapels & a velvet collar. Worn with a bowler (Derby) hat & half- boots or town boots

Profile of a womans hip and waist
Womans hip. Profile of the torso of a woman lying down showing the curve of her hip, and her waist (centre right)

Miner working at the coalface, South Wales
A miner, stripped to the waist, working at the coalface in a mine in South Wales

A visitor wearing a latex outfit and leather corset pauses at the rubber and fetish event Latexpo 2010 in Hamburg late August 21, 2010

Lady Arnold, third wife of Sir Edwin Arnold
Lady Arnold, the only Japanese Lady in Debrett. Tama Kurokawa, Lady Arnold (1869-1962) was the third wife of Sir Edwin Arnold, English poet and journalist. They married in 1897. circa 1900

Ethel Granger shows off her 14 inch waist, the smallest in the world, in her hometown of Peterborough. 14th June 1957

British soldiers waist deep in flooded trenches whilst fighting the First Battle of the Aisne
3252854 British soldiers waist deep in flooded trenches whilst fighting the First Battle of the Aisne, France during WWI (litho); Private Collection; (add.info)

Ladies fashion in 1828, wasp waist and Gigot sleeves or "on leg o'mutton sleeves"
1000879 Ladies fashion in 1828, wasp waist and Gigot sleeves or "on leg o'mutton sleeves". From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Eduard Fuchs

German couple in traditional clothing from 1800
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2862/9298111535_c29e6b7a5d.jpg

Annotated illustration warning about the dangers of tight laced corsets on the female body. Date: 1906

Ava Lowle Willing, Lady Ribblesdale (1868-1958), American socialite, wife of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale. late 19th century

Moira Shearer, the famous dancer who is accustomed to wearing very light clothes, had to wear more clothes than shes ever worn in her life

Queen Bess, American, 1876. Creator: Worcester Skirt Company
Queen Bess, American, 1876

Machine for Tight Lacing
Satire on the fashion for tight corsets - A correct view of the new machine for winding up the ladies Date: circa 1830

Two Women in Day Dresses, 1875. Creator: Jules David
Two Women in Day Dresses, 1875

Baby Lynx (Lynx Canadensis) Looking Over A Fallen Tree; Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Banded Tree Snake (Tripanurgos compressus), Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador

Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) pair jumping, Ariau River, Brazil

Mrs. Elizabeth Cameron, full-length portrait, seated, facing front, between c1890 and c1910. [Elizabeth Cameron, second wife of Senator Donald Cameron, mother of Martha Cameron]

Waist, c. 1938. Creator: Joseph L. Boyd
Waist, c. 1938

ballerina
engin akyurt

ballerina
engin akyurt

Wall Painting of Rajput Noble, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
3610036 Wall Painting of Rajput Noble, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Miniature Painting King, Rajasthan, India
3609746 Miniature Painting King, Rajasthan, India by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Painting of Rao Bikhaji Ruler, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
3610034 Painting of Rao Bikhaji Ruler, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Miniature Painting on Paper Portrait of Royal Mugal Lady
3609942 Miniature Painting on Paper Portrait of Royal Mugal Lady by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Goddess Radha Kishamgarh Miniature Painting on Silk
3609931 Goddess Radha Kishamgarh Miniature Painting on Silk by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Miniature of Painting of Ganesh Ganpati God on Paper
3609790 Miniature of Painting of Ganesh Ganpati God on Paper by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

A Modern Girl Wearing Marriage Dress Acrylic on Canvas
3609939 A Modern Girl Wearing Marriage Dress Acrylic on Canvas by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Wall Painting of British Lady with Puppy, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
3610031 Wall Painting of British Lady with Puppy, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

Mughal Miniature Painting, Love Scene
3609749 Mughal Miniature Painting, Love Scene by Indian School; Private Collection; Dinodia

National Waists in Austria, England and France
Women's National Waists, the Corset in Austria, England and France, with a statue showing the more natural Classic Waist. Date: 1888

Music cover, Patches & Powder Entracte by Cecil Wynne Date: 1915

Tight-Lacing - Corsets Date: 1888

The Waist of Fashion - Corsets Date: 1888

Poster Design
A poster design in vibrant colour, portraying a woman, riding from bed, with a patterned blanked around her waist, over a green covering. Date: circa 1916

Illustration of the Helene blouse, with frilled collar
Illustration of the Helene blouse or bodice, with high, frilled collar, and front, puff, leg o mutton sleeves and corseted waist. From a section, Our Ladies Pages: Fashions up to Date'. Date: 1895

Illustration of the Adele blouse, with high collar
Illustration of the Adele blouse or bodice, with high collar, and elaborate, ribboned puff, leg o mutton sleeves and corseted waist. From a section, Our Ladies Pages: Fashions up to Date'

Illustration of the Carmencita blouse or bodice, striped, with puff, leg o mutton sleeves and corseted waist. From a section, Our Ladies Pages: Fashions up to Date'. Date: 1895

Advert, Royal Worcester Kidfitting Corsets sold by Frederick Gorringe Ltd, Buckingham Palace Road, London Date: circa 1910

Advertisement for William Whiteley elegant straight fronted corset. Date: 1906

Advert for London Corset Company 1910
Very long below the waist and low in the bust dainty corsets. 1910

Pinafore dress with loose fitting bodice, low waist line, gathered skirt, Medici style collar & cord & tassel lacing at the sides worn over a light-weight blouse. Date: 1915

A nun binds the waist of Sir Galahad with a belt made of her hair and a device representing The Holy Grail in crimson
2915238 A nun binds the waist of Sir Galahad with a belt made of her hair and a device representing The Holy Grail in crimson and silver thread

B-17G - PB-1W Texas Raiders interior view rearwards
B-17G / PB-1W N7227C Texas Raiders, view rearward past the waist gunner positions. Date: 1992

The Dancers; Les Danseurs, (oil on canvas)
656862 The Dancers; Les Danseurs, (oil on canvas) by Valtat, Louis (1869-1952); 57x45 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The Dancers)

Advertisement for corsets and undergarments, from the Comptoir des Cache-Corsets, c. 1900 (engraving) (b/w photo)
CHT173509 Advertisement for corsets and undergarments, from the Comptoir des Cache-Corsets, c.1900 (engraving) (b/w photo) by French School, (20th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Advertisements for corsets and undergarments, from the Bon Marche catalogue, before 1914 (engraving) (b/w photo)
CHT173513 Advertisements for corsets and undergarments, from the Bon Marche catalogue, before 1914 (engraving) (b/w photo) by French School, (20th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

French whalebone corsetry, plate 24 from the first volume of the Dictionnaire du Costume, c. 1900 (colour litho)
CHT173079 French whalebone corsetry, plate 24 from the first volume of the Dictionnaire du Costume, c.1900 (colour litho) by French School, (20th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Advertisement for corsets and undergarments, from the Comptoir des Corsets c. 1900 (litho) (b/w photo)
CHT173511 Advertisement for corsets and undergarments, from the Comptoir des Corsets c.1900 (litho) (b/w photo) by French School, (20th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Do you want a bed warmer, Sir? (colour litho)
3641623 Do you want a bed warmer, Sir? (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Do you want a bed warmer, Sir)

"I seized her round the waist, and we were silly enough to be executing a wild kind of polka when Sarah
971565 " I seized her round the waist, and we were silly enough to be executing a wild kind of polka when Sarah entered" (engraving) by Grossmith

Music Sounds The Sweetest When On The Rippling Sea (colour litho)
971773 Music Sounds The Sweetest When On The Rippling Sea (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Music Sounds The Sweetest When On The Rippling Sea)

Callisthenie (engraving)
1094531 Callisthenie (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Callisthenie. Illustration for La Vie Parisienne, 24 October 1891.); © Look and Learn

DDE-90028370
Canada, Ontario, close-up of Green Darner on flower. Date: 05/06/2003

DDE-90024494
Water Monitor Lizard, Keoladeo National Park, India. Date: 19/08/2005

Waist, c. 1936. Creator: Sylvia DeZon
Waist, c. 1936

Advertisment for the Aux 100, 000 Corsets brand, c. 1900 (colour litho)
CHT171302 Advertisment for the Aux 100, 000 Corsets brand, c.1900 (colour litho) by Gerbault, Henri (1863-1930); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France; © Archives Charmet

Portrait of a Man, c. 1845 (oil on canvas)
746452 Portrait of a Man, c.1845 (oil on canvas) by Skynner, Thomas (fl.1840-50); 76.4x61.2 cm; National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA; American, out of copyright

High-Waisted Gown, n. d. Creator: John Downman
High-Waisted Gown, n.d

Childs Waist, c. 1938. Creator: Richard Taylor
Childs Waist, c. 1938

Dress, c. 1940. Creator: Roberta Spicer
Dress, c. 1940

Dress, c. 1936. Creator: Roberta Spicer
Dress, c. 1936

Dress, c. 1937. Creator: Roberta Spicer
Dress, c. 1937

Dress, c. 1936. Creator: Erwin Schwabe
Dress, c. 1936

Dress, 1935 / 1942. Creator: Erwin Schwabe
Dress, 1935/1942

Madame Paul Escudier (Louise Lefevre), 1882. Creator: John Singer Sargent
Madame Paul Escudier (Louise Lefevre), 1882

Ceremonial Waist Sashes (ikak pinggang), Sumatra, 19th century. Creator: Unknown
Ceremonial Waist Sashes (ikak pinggang), Sumatra, 19th century

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The waist, a timeless symbol of femininity and style, has evolved throughout history. From the gritty coal mines of South Wales to the glamorous flapper era, it has left its mark on fashion and society. In the depths of the coalface, miners toiled away with their waists cinched tightly in corsets. The year was 1927 when even a hardworking flapper couldn't resist adding a touch of glamour by adorning her bonnet with an exquisite waist-enhancing accessory. Fast forward to 1954, where two types of dresses showcased contrasting waistlines. One boasted a nipped-in waist that accentuated curves while another embraced a looser silhouette for comfort and freedom. Christian Dior himself sketched these designs as he revolutionized fashion post-World War II. Even during simpler times like 1907, women found ways to incorporate elegance into every aspect of life - including golfing. A stylish woman effortlessly swung her club while maintaining her impeccable posture and tiny waistline. Advertisements played their part too; Thomsons glove-fitting corset promised not only support but also an enviable hourglass figure. Women eagerly sought this undergarment's magical ability to sculpt their waists into perfection. However, not all depictions were so serious - WW1 brought about satirical cartoons such as "The Dropped Pilot. " Amongst the chaos, one thing remained constant: exaggerated feminine curves emphasized by impossibly small waists became fodder for entertainment. As time went on and societal norms shifted once again in 1948, David Wright captured a woman in an elegant black evening dress. Her slender waist gracefully complemented her attire as she exuded confidence and sophistication. Royalty too fell under the spell of this coveted feature; Queen Mary herself (then Princess of Wales) proudly displayed her regal poise alongside her impeccably defined waistline. Finally, Britannia graced magazine covers in April 1954, embodying the epitome of grace and strength.