I had planned on developing a full article on working support garments. But, I have been utterly swamped (yes after being bored) with a new home style, two major projects, and a new job. So, rather than have the information from the survey just sit around, I am posting it. I ended up with exactly 100 respondants. I had hoped for double that to get a good sample. 100 isn’t bad though. I need to figure out how to properly post the 123 comments people took the time to make in the survey. There are a variety of different views and reasonings in them. This was just the look at how this is interpreted by the living history community. The other, and larger, componant of the original article plan was a look at what literature and photographic evidence tells us about what women worn in different work situations. I will try to get some of that information up over the next several weeks as well.
Question 1. What undergarment do you wear while doing light domestic work such as preparing food, washing dishes or sweeping?
Corset wtih full boning – 83.8% Corset with light boning – 10.1% 10.3% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Stays with soft or light boning – 4% 4.1% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Nothing 0% Modern Bra – 4% 4.1% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Do not do this activity – 2% 1 skipped this questionQuestion 2. What undergarment do you wear while doing heavy domestic work such as cooking in a hearth, on a stove or over a fire or doing laundry?
Corset wtih full boning – 61.6% 79.2% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Corset with light boning – 11.1% 14.3 % (excluding those who do not do this activity) Stays with soft or light boning – 7.1% 9.1% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Nothing – 0% Modern Bra – 4% 5.2% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Do not do this activity – 22.2% 1 skipped this questionQuestion 3. What undergarments do you wear while doing moderate outside work such as collecting firewood or gardening?
Corset wtih full boning – 66.3% 79.3% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Corset with light boning – 10.2% 8.5% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Stays with soft or light boning 6.1- % 7.3% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Nothing – 0% Modern Bra – 6.1% 7.3% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Do not do this activity – 16.3% 2 skipped this questionQuestion 4. What undergarment do you wear while doing heavier agricultural work such as farming or building?
Corset wtih full boning – 25.3% 64.1% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Corset with light boning – 8.1% 20.5% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Stays with soft or light boning – 5.1% 12.8% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Nothing – 1% 2.6% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Modern Bra – 4% 10.3% (excluding those who do not do this activity) Do not do this activity – 60.6% 1 skipped this questionQuestion 5. Is your corset
Custom made in person or by yourself – 58.3% Custom made by measurements – 31.3% Authentically made off the rack – 12.5% Acceptably made off the rack – 1% Something that gets by – 1% 4 skipped this question Question 6. How would you describe the fit of your corset? Comfortable fit with no complaints – 68.0% Right shape for me but a little loose – 4.1% Right shape for me but a little tight – 5.2% Roughly a good fit with some issues to fix – 21.6% Will do now until I replace it – 7.2% 3 people skipped this question Question 7. Does the fit of your corset affect when/if you wear it? Yes – 28.9% No – 73.2% 3 skipped this question Question 8. Does your body type, bust size and/or figure affect when/if you wear a corset? Yes – 24.7% No – 75.3% 3 skipped this question Question 9. Does the weather (heat, humidity, rain) affect when/if you wear a corset? Yes – 15.5% No – 84.5% 3 skipped this question Question 10. Do you think mid-19th century women wore a support garment (corset or stays) while doing work? Yes – 92.9% No – 3.1% Don’t know 5.1% 2 skipped this question
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
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