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| Corsets - From Restrictive to fashionable? |
By:
Jamie Hanson |
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Corsets have long been an item of lingerie worn by women to create a structured shape that differs or exaggerates the natural shape of a woman. They have evolved through several different styles, from a simply chest enhancing device through to a rigidly structured hip and waist curve pulling in the waist to create the shape.
The Early Corsets and the Female Form
The fashionable shape of the female body has moved emphasis between the bust, the waist and the hips depending upon the clothing styles of the day and the social attitude to the female form. The first recorded corsets were worn to flatten the torso and to enhance the breasts that were dramatically pushed up to the top of corset and clothing. The desire was to achieve a significant difference from the flat rigid body and the curved breasts. This can be clearly seen in portraits of the time, further supported by the items of clothing that has been found.
The shape of the corset and the area of emphasis on the female body changed dramatically during the 18th century. The shape of women's dresses became empire lined and hung off the chest, this meant that the waist was not required to be pulled in tightly and therefore the style of the corset became totally different. It shortened in length because it only needed to support the chest and it became less tight, and created more of a shelf style with the chest fully lifted but not pushed in towards the body as they were previously.
The Victorians and the Return to Rigid Corsets
The Victorian period saw the dawn of the incredibly rigid structured corset that hugely restricted and shaped the female body. The emphasis moved from the chest to a tiny waist and therefore the lacing became more extreme pulling in the body to create a doll like daintiness, this became known as tightlacing but it did not have the same sexual connotations that it has in contemporary society. Although this style greatly emphasised the bust and backside the clothes covered the whole body from neck to foot and therefore the exaggerated shape escaped being sexual.
The corsets were typically made from whalebone or spiralled metal and they were incredibly rigid and therefore restricted movement considerably. This style continued into the turn of the 20th century where the rigidity continued but the shape changed into what became known as an S-Bend corset. The emphasis was still on a small waist but the bust and backside became more prominent and a craved feature.
The corset gradually fell out of favour in the early decades of the 20th century, the fashions changed to a more natural boy shape and the girdle became more popular particularly during the 1920's were the drop waisted dresses were the style of the day. The aim was to minimise a highly feminine shape, a trend which changed hugely in the 1940's and 50's but by this point it was no longer created with the help of a corset.
The Place of the Corset in Modern Society
Although women no longer wear corsets to alter their shape for fashion on a daily basis they are still worn but in a totally different capacity. They have become a highly erotic item because of the shape created and because of society's sexualisation of lingerie. It is no longer just designed for shape and practicality it is meant to titillate and provoke which the corset does to enormous effect. The modern corsets are intended to emphasize the bust, waist, hip ratio and therefore create an hourglass figure giving curves to the wearer and emphasizing feminine sexuality.
So, the corset has gone from being something that has restricted and controlled women to an item that women use to demonstrate the power of the female body.
Remember next time you pick out a corset how far this item of sexy lingere has come from its first incarnation. |
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