Cinching up tight....
Emma is modeling a young girl's soft boned bodice, c1785-95. This would have been worn as part of a gown, fully visible, with matching sleeves that pined onto the straps. It looks a bit wonky because Emma is wearing a later mid 19th c boat neck chemise underneath of it, instead of a proper shift.
Designed to grow with the child , the front lacing opening is covered by a wide flap that pins closed over it~ so as the child grows, and the front no longer touches when fully laced, the flap will cover this. I have seen rare maternity stays with this feature as well, but to this this bodice's tiny size, and the fact the straps have two sets of eyelet holes as well, this is most definitely for a growing girl
There are horsehair pads stitched to each side in the back to help puff out the waistline of its matching skirt~ long since gone. Note the sort of 'hump' you can see going across her shoulder blades horizontally, this is not a seam, but where the boning in the back stops for the bodice straps to ease over the shoulders
The pads are stitched of coarse linen and stuffed hard in the ends with horsehair. There is a line of stitching to keep all stuffing in a neat little roll at the end of the pad
Do not confuse a soft boned bodice for a set of stays. From the inside, it looks like a set of boned stays, and is constructed in nearly the same manner, but the outside is covered in a figured silk. The reason I say 'soft boned' is because this bodice is ONLY boned at the back and front, with no fill at all in the sides
The shoulder straps have two sets of eyelet holes, Emma is wearing with them pined at the first, or shortest position. As a child grew, they could then move the straps to the outermost eyelet hole. Of I what I have seen of these early garments, most would knot their shoulder straps somewhat permanently~ some even stitched them in place, and then would only have to do up the front or back laces of their stays or bodices when worn
The inside of the front flap is a gorgeous early 1740 powder blue silk damask, and not entirely one large piece either, but made up of several smaller pieces joined together, which again is fitting for a child's garment~ many were made from Mamma's olde cast off gowns
