
A FEMALE AT HER DEVOTIONS.
Costume near Florence.
LOVE generally ends with women in devotion-the warmth of heart, and the constant want of protection felt by all the sex, make the passion of love, and the clinging to God, the main springs in the plot of female life.
In Italy, the young and the old alike frequent the churches; but men are seen comparatively seldom, while women form the crowd before the altar.
Source: “Sketches Illustrative of the Manners and Costumes of France, Switzerland and Italy, by Richard Bridgens. London. Baldwin, Cradock & Joy. 1821.Text by J.W. Polidori. London. Baldwin, Cradock & Joy. 1821.
Continuing
Support and Seduction: The History of Corsets and Bras (Abradale Books) by Beatrice Fontanel.
Thoughout the ages, women's breasts have been subjected to the endless whims of fashion. From the ancient Greeks to Mae West and Madonna, this light-hearted book charts the changing shapes of female beauty. The elegant and amusing images - including fashion drawings, paintings, photographs, and film stills - illustrate the often surprising history of the garments women have worn for support - and seduction.