Casgliadau Arlein

Miniature corset and bra set. Given as a wedding gift to Beryl Jones who married James (Jim) Henry Hayes at 8:00am on 4 March 1950 at St David's Church, Fleur-de-lis. Jim had been given the corset and bra set by Beryl's machinist colleagues from the Waterhouse Reynolds (Leicester) factory, Penmaen. Beryl was very shy and decided to marry early in the morning to avoid attention. The couple met during the Second World War when Beryl was working on the sheet rolling mills at The Orb Works, Lysaght, Newport. Jim was home on leave and visiting his brothers and colleagues working at the factory.

Made from tea-rose coloured cotton. Floral motifs woven into cotton. Five wedge-shaped rayon elastic panels (two along the top and three along the bottom edge). Girdle style with three elastic suspenders. A fourth suspender appears to be missing/cut off from the lower proper left side, in-between the rear elastic panel and the side fastening (which consists of seven hooks and eyes). Patent number embossed on metal clasps on suspenders – PAT212848. Lower part of suspenders features pink plastic buttons which are attached to a metal buckle which is slid onto pink tabby woven cotton tape.

The corset has eight flat steel bones (seven long ones and one short one at centre front). Boning is covered with pink cotton bias tape. Bias tape reinforcement also along all four edges and all seams. Eyelet lacing on back (11 pairs) using a single 5mm wide pink braided lace with clear pastic aglets. The lace is tied into a knot at the inner lower edge and excess lace has been tied into a bow at the lower outer back.

The corset is attached to a miniature bra of the same colour. The two are connected with a 86cm long, 3.8cm wide white synthetic ribbon. The ribbon is stitched to the upper proper right rear of both bra and corset. The bra is made from two different types of fabric. It is constructed from six sections of a pattern-woven fabric and the lower part of the bra cups is made from a synthetic satin fabric. Bra is fastened with one hook and eye. Shoulder straps are made from pink synthetic ribbon and a short section on the centre back is made from pink elastic tape. Edges and side seams are reinforced with narrow pink cotton bias tape. Rear fastening is reinforced with pink tabby woven cotton fabric. The shoulder straps are carefully sandwiched in-between the turned-back edge and the bias tape. The rear end of the left shoulder strap is loose and there is no evidence of previous stitch holes to indicate where exactly it would have been attached.