She Needed To Try On The Dress To See If It Still Fit. 1882, Corset was no help.

I would not call the poor dear fat--but she hasn't tried THIS dress on in awhile. The rib cage has sbout popped the buttons,, even with a corset pulled as tight as they could in those days,--like securing the lacing strings sooo tight by first fastening to the bed post and waking away as far as possible--before fainting.. . See what I mean in photo #2. Why didn't someone tell her?--Yet she had to have known. Her breathing must have been difficult.