A c. 1877 Natural Form Bodice

The inside view. The front and sleeves are lined with the white cotton, the back with the natural linen. The positions of the bones can be seen. They're sewn to the seams, which are clipped and then finished with whipstitching.

Another view. The shaping is less dramatic without the stripes to emphasize the bust/waist difference.

And another view. The side back and shoulder seams are the only that are not pressed open.

Left: The boning casing lies directly beneath the buttons. It's sewn with a running stitch. Right: The bones extended from the top of the darts to about half an inch above the bottom of the bodice.

The bodice fronts are cut on the selvage. The right side is folded over to create a facing for the buttonholes.

The bodice fronts are interlined with a non-woven, felt-like fabric. This fabric appears to be in the area above the bust only, and extends to armscye.