One of the really interesting things about the undergarments of the Regency period is how oddly similar some of them are to modern bras! However once fashion drifted back towards the tight bodices and full skirts of the late 1820’s and 1830’s the full stay came back in force, and the bra-like undergarments of the Regency period were relegated to the dust bins of history for another 100 years. However they are very popular with reenactors as they are far more comfortable than full stays to our taste.

This pair of short stays was made using the Sense and Sensibility pattern using domestic coutil fabric. The stays lace in the front only and have only minimal boning. The draw string at the lower binding was part of the pattern, but I added the drawstring a the top binding as I did not take the time to fit the bust gussets closely. Most of these garments were made up as tests and if I make another, I will take more time on the fitting. However they are comfortable and do the job even with the drawstring bust.