268 | Butterlight
FILED UNDER: THE AFTERNOON SOLAR
Found draped over the sunniest chair in the Solar, exactly where the light falls longest in the afternoon. No one remembers moving it there.
SHELL
Vibrant sun-yellow striped linen, reclaimed from a vintage blazer. Era: 1960s.
LINING
Crisp, undyed cotton.
DETAILING
Tiered yellow lace ruffles at the hip and a lace overlay at the bust. Removable ribbon straps allow the corset to be worn with or without straps.
STRUCTURE
15-panel construction reinforced with synthetic whalebone. The curved panels follow the shape of the chest and ribcage.
LACING
Cream ribbons threaded through reinforced gold-tone grommets.
SIZE
M [size guide]
EDITION
One of one.
FROM THE CITY ARCHIVES
The Afternoon Solar
The Afternoon Solar is an upper room above a florist's shop. Tall windows face the afternoon light, and the room contains a collection of chairs, tables, and stored botanical materials.
Butterlight was found in the Solar without an accompanying record of how it arrived there. It was draped over a chair positioned in the room's longest period of afternoon light. The position was noted during recovery and has remained unchanged in subsequent observations.
The shell is constructed from vibrant sun-yellow striped linen, reclaimed from a vintage blazer found in the attic of the maker's grandmother. No earlier history of the blazer has been recorded. The stripes continue around the body of the corset without interruption.
The lace detailing consists of tiered ruffles at the hip and a lace overlay at the bust. The ribbon straps are removable.
Visitors to the Solar began referring to the piece as Butterlight, although no record survives of when the name first came into use or why it was given. The name has since remained in circulation.
No information has been recovered regarding the specimen's original owner or use.
