CORSETS AND HISTORIC FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF
Titanic, Little Women, Enola Holmes, Bridgerton — what’s the one fashion accessory that stands out the most in these movies and TV shows? Corsets, of course!
Corsets have been around for centuries and have a long and interesting history tracing back to the Victorian era, albeit not all rosy and sexy.
And, despite being a wildly controversial piece of garment, this sensual lingerie seems to be making a striking comeback in 2022.
So, what exactly is a corset? Why did corsets become so popular? Is wearing a corset bad for you? Let’s address all these questions and explore some fascinating facts about corsets.
FAMOUS CELEBRITIES WHO DONNED THEM
Be it in period pieces or as fashion statements, many stars have cinched up in corsets on the big screen, including:
- Cara Delevingne in “Carnival Row.”
- Elle Fanning in Hulu’s show “The Great.”
- Rachel Brosnahan in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
- Lily James in “Cinderella.”
- Dakota Fanning in “The Alienist.”
- Emma Stone in “The Favorite.”
- Saoirse Ronan in “Mary Queen of Scots.”
- Keira Knightley in “The Duchess.”
- Margot Robbie in “Mary Queen of Scots.”
- Natalie Dormer in the “Game of Thrones.”
- Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge!”
WHAT ARE CORSETS?
A corset is a garment designed to compress one’s torso to accentuate the waist and elevate the bust. In other words, it slims the waist, flattens the tummy, and lifts the bust to give the wearer an hourglass figure.
While most innerwear corsets are made of cotton for comfort and breathability, you can also find corsets made of velvet, lace, brocade, or leather. These are usually worn as overbust corsets.
When used over a period, corsets shape the waist to enhance your figure and improve posture.
The modern-day corsets differ significantly from the corsetry of the Victorian era. Today, you can find corsets in different styles and shapes and designed for specific purposes, like corset belts, longline corsets, and waist training corsets.
While the terms waist trainer and corset are used interchangeably, there is some difference between them. Both are used for slimming the waist; however, a corset does it with the help of laces on either end that are tightened. On the other hand, a waist trainer is made of compression material that provides a tight and compressed fit. Waist trainers are also used regularly.
WHAT DO THEY DO TO YOUR BODY?
Corsets are essentially body-shaping garments that allow two to four inches of reduction in the waistline to create a desirable figure when fitted and laced properly.
Corsets are generally made from stiff material like buckram or leather. Ribs or stays known as boning are interested into channels in the garment at even intervals. They have laces on either end, and when these laces are tightened, the corset pulls in your waist and midsection, creating the impression of a flattened stomach and a cinched waist.
A corset offers structure and support to your back and torso. And with regular wear, it may even change your body shape. Wearing a corset for eight to twelve hours a day can compress your midsection and help you maintain a straight posture. But, compressing the midsection can also be discomfiting, especially if it is being done for extended periods.
Today, corsets are worn as innerwear or as statement pieces over shirts, tops, and dresses.
6 Facts About Corset You Might Not Know
The first time I ever saw a corset was in the movie Titanic, and I could see how much struggle it was put one on. But, I was a kid back then when the movie had released and was not really bothered about the whole corset thing. It was only in late adolescent I found out that corsets were once traditionally a part of both men and women’s outfits and were very tightly done on the body.
Today, corsets have become obsolete, though you might see them in movies such as Cinderella; they often attract negative attention for quite genuine reasons. Anyway, still, there are many facts about this piece of clothing which not many of you know. Corset has a long history, and hence, it has many interesting facts.
In this post, I will talk about 6 facts about corset which could be new information for you.
- Men Wore It Too.
I already noted that corsets were part of men’s clothing in earlier times, but interestingly, not many people know that. In the latter half of the 18th century, a customized form of corsets specially made for men emerged: shape-fitted trousers and jackets. However, the fashion did not last long, and Englishmen and Frenchmen abandoned it. Austrian men, however, wore it for quite a long time even after that. - It Was All Because of A Certain Queen.
The origins of the corset are hazy, though there is one reason with respect to which most people share unanimity.
It is said that the wife of French King Henry II, Queen Catherine De’ Medici, did not allow women with thick bodies, especially around the waist area, in the court, as a consequence of which corsets became popular. By the way, this fact dates back to the 16th century so you know this had been happening for quite some time. - Napoleon Hated It.
Napoleon is known for many things, but very few would know that he particularly disliked corsets. With time, he grew as a formidable leader and also as a staunch campaigner of anti-corset movements.
He believed that corsets are reasons for infertility. His thoughts were seconded by medical practitioners who associated reduced fertility with corsets. In addition to that, they said that tight shapewear affects the uterus lining and can impact menstruation cycles.
I guess, Napoleon was one of the first few persons who saw, and very rightly so, corsets as extremely harmful. - Baleen Whales Were Sacrificed.
There was a time when Baleen Whales almost got extinct because their bones were being increasingly used in the making of corsets. At one point in time, corsets became a fashionable trend across Europe. Everyone wanted an hourglass figure so inevitably baleen whales started being hunted at unprecedented levels. Thankfully, alternatives were found and baleen whales were saved. - Styles Changed With Rulers.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, corsets were limited to the belly region. It was during the Victorian period that hourglass figure reached the peak of its popularity. Steel boning was used to shape the waist. Since that period witnessed rapid industrialization, mass production of such corsets became rampant which made these clothing easily accessible.
When the Queen died, King Edward took over, and with him, the style changed. Hourglass shape was no longer fashionable and women wanted something new. During his reign, the ‘S’ bend became popular which basically involved pushing forward the hips and breasts.
By the time it was early 20th century, better fashion alternatives appeared such as flapper dresses which did away with the need of wearing corsets. Slowly and gradually, corsets’ fashion died down, and now we study them as part of fashion and its history. - Real Health Issues.
Corsets were extremely dangerous because they were seriously very tight on the body. This created a lot of pressure in the abdomen area and caused respiratory and reproductive problems. Moreover, studies found that corset-wearing women were more vulnerable to pneumonia.