the need for servants

It's impossible to lace these stays up alone! The spiral lacing at the back can not be tied by oneself, neither can the back tying shoulder straps. Live and learn. Here's a photo of the stays being worn, albeit with the shoulder straps loose and the back laced as much as I could by twisting and looking in a mirror while pulling the ribbon.

Not bad. I could use some panniers to even out the hips, but that project will have to wait. I'll take side and back views, and give a full fit report, when I wrangle a friend into properly lacing me in. My biggest thought is thank goodness I bumped the neckline up 1 1/2 inches.