The Monobosom

As we saw in the previous post, attitudes about breast shape were changing in the Edwardian era. Small, flat breasts actually did seem to be a short lived fashion around 1901-1902, but the American Gibson Girl style actually maintained a fairly large breast/chest as part of the ideal figure. However, due to the new corset style there was not much separation between the two subjects: one's chest looked like a solid piece of armor plating. The breasts also tended to have an appearance of hanging rather low. This was not so much a consequence of the lack of any bra -- this was rather a consequence of the flat top S-bend corset forcing one to thrust out the chest, while pulling back the head and shoulders. The lower ribs would jut out, making an illusion of a larger breast based on the shape of the point in the ribs. The additional fashion of wearing layers of garments, including a boned lining to help hold a bodice in place, also helped create a look of solidness. Earlier Victorian garments had avoided this effect by keeping the chest tucked in so that the two breasts remained the largest protrusions on the torso.

This solid chest actually became the desired look, so much that soon ruffled undergarments, meant to fill out all bumps and create a smooth torso, were being sold. Small cushions for padding out the breasts could also be had: in fact, the original garment called a "brassiere" was more of a strap-on padding meant to flatten, than something created for any kind of breast support.

When corset styles changed again around 1911, the monobosom went out with the old. However, the flattened chest remained the fashion from then on into the 1930s.