The waist is shown with my reproduction brown wool walking skirt. I tried to set it up on my dress form by itself, but it needed something to give it the fashionable shape. Though the waist isn't fitted, the understructure was very important. It would have been worn with an S-bend corset which would have thrust the bust forward so the drape over the waistline would be quite graceful.
The waist is made of organdy and lace. The organdy is quite light
and sheer. The collar and yoke are made of rows of lace carefully
stitched edge to edge to form a wider piece of fabric. The nine buttons
down the back are mother-of-pearl.
The organdy used for this shirt is quite stiff. This is quite evident in how the poof over the stomach stands out.
Unlike the front, the back is only decorated on the collar and yoke. The buttons run down the length of the back. The waist is pleated on either side of the placket, which gives it a nice amound of controlled fullness.
