u/infinite-long-stocki

Hello Friends! Thee Quaker Podcast recently made two episodes on Quakers in Ireland, one general and one about the Troubles specifically. As an Irish Friend, I'm interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who listened to the episode! I've discovered that we're different in many ways from Friends elsewhere (for example, what we call 'Evangelical' Friends, most class 'Conservative' or 'Christ-centered') and I wonder what differences stand out to people not from here.

I have chronic pain and it means (among other things) that any pressure on my ribs for prolonged periods really hurts. I can't wear bras because of it and I have tried many sizes and styles with no luck. I've been interested in historical and vintage fashion for years and am finally starting to make some stuff but I'm worried that a corset or stays will trigger the same problem as bras do.

Another concern is that wearing a corset or the like frequently enough would lead to some loss of the muscles in my back because it's a supportive garment. I'm a wheelchair user and I've already lost some of my paraspinal muslces from that and have had to work hard to rebuild them. It's ironic given how many people with my condition (hEDS) find corsets to be great support lol, I seem to be an outlier.

I have a few questions I hope people might be able to share some insight on:

1. I've heard that in the early 19th century there were stays/corsets that were mostly or even fully corded with quilting instead of using boning. Does anyone have any resources for more information or patterns for this kind of thing?

2. The main eras I'm interested in that have corsets are the 1840s and to a lesser extend some edwardian stuff. Is there anyway to get around wearing corsets for this? Or using a different kind of undergarment? I'm interested in history bounding as well as just recreation so 100% accuracy isn't my main priority.

3. Related to the above, I've seen some corset-like stuff floating around from the 50s and I wonder if that could be used at all for 19th century garments?

I know this is a lot and somewhat complicated! I really want to be able to explore these eras in some form. Thanks in advance for any advice, sorry for the ramble!