18th Century Half-boned Stays for a Fashionable Shape Pattern (Size 12- Bust Size 38). This pattern is a single size pattern; please reference the description for size included. In the 18th century stays were worn to reshape the upper female torso. High fashion stays with shoulder straps were designed to create a fairly straight line from bosom to navel (and beyond), compress and widen the bosom, narrow the back, elongate and reduce the waistline. Stays were the basic foundation garment upon which all subsequent garments were built. From comments of the time among the fashionable, shape was more important than comfort. These half-boned stays with shoulder straps are designed to reshape your person into the conical 18th century fashionable ideal. They may also restrict movement of the upper arms and will compress the lower rib cage. This original pattern incorporates features from extant 18th century stays in the collections of The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The Gallery of English Costume, Manchester; and The Kyoto Costume Institute. Fully illustrated instructions included, plus How to Adjust the Stays Pattern to Fit Your Figure. The following are the sizes and corresponding measurements. Pattern size-12, Bust-38, Waist-30, Center Back Length-16.75. Pattern excellent for Colonial Costume, Romance Era Costume, Regency Costume, Lewis and Clarke Era Costume, Wild West Costume, Western Expansion Costume, Fur Trade Era Costume, Military Costume, American Civil War Era Costume and/or War of 1812 and Indian Wars Costume, Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp Costume, Will Turner Costume, Orlando Bloom costume, Captain Barbossa?s Costume, Captain Jack Sparrow Costume, Golden Age of Piracy Costume, American revolutionary War costume and Elizabeth Swann Costume.