A corset () is a support garment worn to constrict the torso into the desired shape and posture. They are traditionally constructed out of fabric with boning made of whalebone or steel, a stiff panel in the front called a busk which holds the torso rigidly upright, and some form of lacing which allows the garment to be tightened. Corsets, also known as stays, were an essential undergarment in European women's fashion from the 17th century to the early 20th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries they had a conical, straight-sided shape. This eventually evolved into the more curvaceous 19th century form. By the beginning of the 20th century, shifting gender roles that allowed women to be more active outside the home, as well as the onsets of World War I and II (and the associated material shortages) led the corset to be largely discarded by mainstream fashion.
Since the corset fell out of use, the fashion industry has extended the term "corset" to refer to garments which mimic the look of traditional corsets. These modern designs may feature some amount of lacing or boning, but generally have very little, if any, effect on the shape of the wearer's body. Elasticated garments, such as girdles and waist trainers, are still worn today and serve a similar purpose in shaping the waist or hips, although they lack the rigidity of corsets. A corset brace is a type of orthotic resembling a traditional corset, used to support the lower back in patients with mild to moderate back pain.
Etymology The word corset is a diminutive of the Old French word cors (meaning "body", and itself derived from the Latin corpus): the word therefore means "little body". The craft of corset construction is known as corsetry, as is the general wearing of them. (The word corsetry is sometimes also used as a collective plural form of corset). Someone who makes corsets is a corsetier or corsetière (French terms for a man and for a woman maker, respectively), or sometimes simply a corsetmaker. The garment to which the corset refers was variously referred to as (a pair of) bodies, stays, or a corset, depending on the time period. In the 18th century, the word corset came into general use in the English language.
Uses Fashion As the form and purpose of the corset constantly evolved throughout its time as a standard undergarment, there is no way to definitively state how it was worn. While the original purpose of stiffened undergarments was to avoid creasing more costly, highly adorned outer garments, the most common and well-known use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette.
16th–18th centuries
In the Tudor period, corsets, known then as "bodies", were worn to achieve a tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involved minimizing the bust. These bodies, worn by women and men, were common into the 16th and 17th centuries and achieved their stiffened shaping with materials including steel, wood, or whalebone. They were constructed of two parts and fastened at the sides. Bodies evolved into the stays of the 17th century.
Stays shaped the body to fit the desired silhouette, which, for example, in the 1780s resembled an inverted cone shape. They an also ensured good posture and the appearance of smooth contours – the central aim of such undergarments of this period, rather than exaggerating the bust and waist. Stays were believed to prevent body deformities and were sometimes worn as outer garments by the peasant class. Women of all levels of society wore stays or jumps, from ladies of the court to street vendors. Stays were considered more respectable than jumps, as described in an anonymous aphorism dating to 1762: "Now a shape in neat stays, now a slattern in jumps;" the use of stays was associated with respectability and being above physical labor.
19th century
During end of the 1700s up until the 1820s, in reflection of the neoclassical style of dress, the demi-corset or short stays became popular, as the empire line of fashionable gowns did not require support or shaping to the waist. These garments ended at or just above the waist, supporting the bust without providing shaping to the rest of the torso.
After the early 1800s, the wasp waist silhouette came into vogue for women, and the advent of steel eyelets and boning allowed for stronger, more durable corsets that could create greater reductions in waist size. This period saw the creation of the curvaceous, nipped-in corsets that we most commonly associate with the term "corset" today. Corsets were a standard part of daily wear for all women in Western fashion. Forgoing a corset in public was a risqué choice and associated with prostitution.
During the 19th century, all infants generally wore some kind of stiffened waistband, and female children were transitioned to the corset at some point before or during adolescence. In some cases, mothers started their daughters wearing corsets in early childhood. The New York Times described the practice in its Fashion section in 1881:
An "overbust corset" encloses the torso, extending from just under the arms toward the hips. An "underbust corset" begins just under the breasts and extends down toward the hips. A "longline corset"—either overbust or underbust—extends past the iliac crest, or the hip bone. A longline corset creates the appearance of a longer torso and narrower hips. This style was common during the 1910s, when slim hips came into vogue, and later evolved into the elasticated girdle. A "standard" length corset stops short of the iliac crest. Some corsets, in very rare instances, reach the knees. A shorter kind of corset that covers the waist area (from low on the ribs to just above the hips), is called a waist cincher. A corset may also include garters to hold up stockings; alternatively, a separate garter belt may be worn. A corset supports the visible dress and distributes the weight of large structural garments, such as petticoats, crinolines, and bustles. Corsets were worn under or over petticoats, crinolines, and other structural garments, depending on the time period and the wearer.
Men's corsets In the 1820s, some men began to wear corsets, due to the beauty standard of men having a very thin waist. This was associated with dandies, along with garments such as the redingote, which sometimes featured padding to emphasize the waist even more. Men wearing corsets was also associated with the military and some forms of sport, due to their ability to support the back. Men's corsets primarily served to slim the waist and were worn over the shirt but beneath the trousers, vest, and jacket. The practice was controversial, along with dandies in general. By the mid-1800s onward, men's corsets fell out of favor, and were generally considered effeminate and pretentious.
Support garments for the corset
Typically the corset was worn over light cotton underwear like a chemise, which was a thin cotton dress, or a combination, which combined the chemise and drawers into one garment. This served to absorb sweat and protect the corset and wearer from each other, and also to function as underwear and protect other garments from the wearer and their sweat. This is in part due to difficulties laundering these items: laundering would reduce the lifespan of an otherwise long-lasting garment and, during the 19th century, the steel boning and metal eyelets could rust if washed regularly. The other primary purpose of the chemise is to prevent chafing from the stiff, sometimes coarse materials used in corsets.
Beginning in the 1840s, corset covers were sometimes used. These served to protect outer clothes from the corset, to protect the corset from being damaged by boning in outer garments, to protect garments from sweat, to smooth the lines of the corset, and for modesty. The corset cover could help to avoid revealing the corset when wearing a dress with a low neckline. The corset cover was generally in the form of a light chemisette, made from cotton lawn or silk. Modern corset wearers may wear corset covers for many of the same reasons.
Fetish
Aside from fashion and medical uses, corsets are also used in sexual fetishism, most notably in Bondage/Discipline/Sado-Masochism (BDSM). In BDSM, a submissive may be required to wear a corset, which would be laced very tightly and restrict the wearer to some degree. A dominant may also wear a corset, often black, but for entirely different reasons, such as aesthetics. A specially designed corset, in which the breasts and vulva are exposed, can be worn during "vanilla sex" or BDSM activities. Dress historian David Kunzle argues in his work Fashion and Fetishism that historical usage of the corset had a fetishistic dimension as some wearers reported feeling sexual pleasure from the use of the garment, and the corseted waist was highly sexualized by men and women alike.
Medical A corset brace is a lumbar support that is used in the prevention and treatment of lower-back pain. They can also be prescribed to patients healing from spinal surgery. A corset brace resembles a historical corset, but is typically made with elastic fabric and plastic boning to allow for more flexibility. Metal boning may be used if more rigidity is needed.Lumbar supports for the prevention and treatment of low-back pain Artist Andy Warhol was shot in 1968 and never fully recovered; he wore a corset for the rest of his life. Historically, metal corsets have been used by doctors to correct issues with posture.
Construction Corsets are typically constructed of a sturdy, nonstretch material, often cotton, with coutil being a popular choice historically. Other materials sometimes used included silk, wool, or leather. Structure is provided by boning (also called ribs or stays) inserted into channels in the cloth or leather. In the 18th and early 19th century, thin strips of baleen (also known as whalebone) were favoured for the boning, while steel boning was more common in the mid to late 19th century. Spring and/or spiral steel boning or synthetic whalebone (plastic boning specifically designed for corsetry) are the preferred materials for higher quality modern corsets. Plastic is commonly used for modern fashion corsets. Other materials used for boning have included ivory, wood, and cane. The front of the corset is supported by a stiff, flat piece along the sternum called the busk which creates a smooth line in the front, usually made of wood or metal.Corsets are held together by lacing, typically on the back of the garment. Tightening or loosening the lacing produces corresponding changes in the level of compression of the corset. Depending on the desired effect and time period, corsets can be laced from the top down, from the bottom up, or both up from the bottom and down from the top, using the bunny ears lacing method. In the Victorian era, the center-front split busk was developed, which allowed the corset to be buttoned or hooked in the front. This allowed corsets to be more easily worn and removed by the wearer, even if she did not have help at hand to loosen or tighten the laces. If the corset was worn loosely, it was possible to leave the lacing as adjusted and take the corset on and off using the front opening. (If the corset is worn snugly, this method will damage the busk if the lacing is not significantly loosened beforehand). Spoon busks were developed in the 1870s and serve to shape the stomach to create a more fashionable rounded look, preventing the rigid bottom of the corset from jutting out, as well as distributing the pressure from the corset. Manufacture and design