Corset History
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In the very early days, tight lacing was used as a form of domination over slaves by the Romans and from even earlier, carvings and pictures of corseted women have been found on pottery from as long ago as 5000 years. By the 15th Century the corset began to reappear and became fashionable again with both men and women. There have been many different corsets/bodices that dated back to the 15th century. This early corset was very much based on the breastplates and armour worn by men. Later during the 15th century, fashion dictated that a more form shaping attire would be desirable. Prior to the deveolpment of the corset as we know it this shaping was achieved by wearing bodices that had a brass or wire structure and were padded with extra fabric.
By the beginning of the 16th century the women of Spain desired a garment which would enhance the figure and so the corset that we know was born. The first corsets were made from heavy fabrics and stiffened with wood or metal. However, these were not designed to shrink the waist but to flatter it. Initially the corset was only worn by the wealthy and so it was easy to distinguish the women of wealth and class. Eventually the lower classes developed their own version of the corset. Many other countries created their own styles too after seeing what was happening with fashion in Spain. The English Tudor corset was made of iron whilst the rest of Europe preferred a softer style. The Elizabethan corset was created by Queen Elizabeth I and was based on, but less rigid than the Tudor corset and there was less emphasis on the waist.
In the 1830's, the corset was considered to be a medical necessity. The general belief was that a woman was very fragile, and in need of assistance from some form of stay to hold her up. Even children were laced up into bodices. There have been reports of figure training with girls being laced tightly into corsets in order to achieve the figure that was demanded by society, and in addition there are stories of women having ribs removed surgically so that their corsets could be fastened even tighter. By the time these young girls were teenagers, they had great difficulty in sitting or standing for any length of time without the aid of a heavy corset reinforced with whale bone or steel. The corset deformed the internal organs thus making it impossibe to breathe properly and because of this, Victorian women regularly fainted. As a result women were considered to be the weaker ######, therefore they must be weak in mind and body. It was because of this that the corset was felt to be a medical necessity.
Having said that there are also other schools of thought about the corset. One being that the corset was a result of male fascination with sado-masochism and discipline of the body , another is that the corset was used as a form of dominance as previously mentioned but mainly that the corset was originally an undergarment with which to shape the body by reducing the waist and/or augmenting the bustline. The
corset has also been seen as a symbol of morality within society, thus tight lacing was considered to be virtuous and therefore loose clothing was probably worn by loose women.
The 18th Century saw more decoration being introduced to the corset creating more attractive underwear, the style had a straight front which was achieved by using whalebone to create the stiffening. Over time the corset gradually became a part of the outer garment. Shoulder straps were added along with a hip gusset to ensure a smooth transition where the corset met the skirt.
In the 19th Century corsets were laced up the back and at the front from the lower chest to the waist. Elaborate bust cups were added along with a new front closure called a Busk. Over time designs evolved, the busk became more advanced and back laces were pulled through metal eyelets.
The Victorian era saw a time when the tinier the female waist was, the more attractive the figure. In fact a young girl's ambition was to be married before her 21st birthday with a waist size less than her years of age. In order to 'train' their bodies into this size and shape many would hang onto an overhead bar whilst being tightly laced in by the maid. Training continued overnight be wearing a night-time version that would maintain the size that had been achieved throughout the day.
By the time of the First World War the desire to have such a small waist had run it's course and women turned to less restrictive underwear in favour of a more natural figure. Following this demise the corset soon became a lingerie garment associated with fantasy and ######ual desire.
Currently the corset is a firm fashion favourite regularly worn in a casual manner with jeans, or for more dressy events such as formal functions or an evening out. Also popular amongs fetishists and those who like the Gothic look. A corset makes beautiful lingerie and can be as ######y or trashy, sensual or provocative as you like. Dress it up or dress it down. Let the imagination run wild.
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