The History of Corsets

Corsets have had a long--and changing--history. The goal of corsets was to make the torso a more pleasing shape to look at, and that "pleasing shape" varied based on the fashions and popular opinions of the times.

They started out in Europe during the 16th century as a method of making the torso look more cylindrical. They flattened the breasts and made them spill over the tops. These did have shoulder straps and they were of the most well-known length--they stopped at the waist. This type lasted through to the end of the 18th century.

In the 1830s, focus again fell to the natural waist--and then further, to inches below it, and so did the length of the corset. This is where the scene from Gone with the Wind comes in, where tightlacing had its first days (around the 1840s and 1850s). This is the corset that gave the shapely hourglass figure, as it shaped the whole torso rather than just the top, or top and middle.

The last days of the corset, made the butt and hips poke out to the back, and the chest lean forward creating an S-shaped silhouette. This type only lasted about ten years, from 1900 to 1910. And with good reason--it sounds incredibly uncomfortable, due to the fact that there was a hard slab of material front and center of the corset to entice the body to take on the S-shape.

Toward the end of the first decade of the 1900s, bras and girdles began to take the place of corsets. Currently, new items have begun making their way to the forefront of women's shaping pieces. They're much more comfortable and practical than the traditional corsets. Imagine if you had to lace up a corset every morning--you'd have to wake up an hour earlier just to make it to work on time!

Sexy Underthings

Brides often choose this route because it gives them extra shape and support due to the boning inside corsets. The breasts are lifted and showcased and there often aren't any straps to worry about slipping out of the dress.