The volume traces the development of women's foundation garments and supporting structures from ancient and non-European customs through classical, medieval, and modern European fashions, examining construction, regional varieties, and changing silhouettes. It documents historical episodes and period costumes, surveys debates over tight-lacing and health from earlier polemics to contemporary medical and popular correspondence, and treats the parallel rise of the crinoline and its impact on dress. Practical descriptions and critiques of different stays and front-fastening designs, advice on materials and fitting, and numerous engravings illustrate chronological fashion shifts and the social practices that shaped waist and skirt styles.