Hemp. My absolute favorite material for making bodices. I adore the contrast with silk, the way the smooth, sheer, impalpable chiffons contrast with the rough grainy antiqueness of the vintage hemp.
I collect these one of a kind pieces at vintage markets across northern Italy, they are old, sometimes dating back to the mid 1800. They are handwoven, hand spun, the perfect shade of natural ivory.
After carefully soaking and washing these, we roll them up and store them for future use. They are precious, as no one makes these anymore and will one day be gone.