An Overview Of The Corset

A corset is a garment worn to both mold and shape the body into a desired shape for fashion purposes and sometimes for medical purposes. Throughout history it has been known for both men and women to wear corsets, though today women are more common wearers.

In recent years, the term "corset" has also been borrowed by the fashion industry (specifically the lingerie industry) to refer to tops which, to varying degrees copy the look of traditional historical corsets without actually acting as one. While these modern "corsets" and "corset tops" often feature lacing and/or boning and generally mimic a historical style of corsets, they have very little if any effect on the shape of the wearer's body (as described above). Genuine corsets are usually made by a by a highly skilled corset-maker and should ideally be fitted especially for the individual wearer and not be purchased 'off the peg'. Bespoke corsets by their very nature are far more expensive than a mass produced corset.

The word corset is derived from the Old French word 'cors', the diminutive of body, which itself derives from 'corpus' - Latin for body. This reflecting the garments original purpose in shaping the body

The word corset actually came into general use in the English language in around 1785. The word was used in popular publication "The Ladies Magazine" to describe a "quilted waistcoat" called un corset by the French. The word was used to differentiate the lighter corset from the heavier stays of the period. Whilst the garment itself has changed in terms of use and purpose the name has remained the same.

The most common and well-known use for a corset is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette. For women this most frequently emphasizes a curvy figure, by reducing the waist, and thereby exaggerating the bust and hips. We we talk about a specific shape achieved by wearing a corset this is the shape that we tend to think about. However, in some fashion periods, corsets have been worn to achieve an almost tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involved minimizing the bust and hips. This was in a period when a 'boy-ish' look was popular.

For men, corsets are more customarily used to slim the figure. However, there was a period from around 1820 to 1835 when an hourglass figure (a small, nipped-in look to the waist) was also desirable for men; this was sometimes achieved by the wearing a male corset. In modern times corsets are only worn by men for medical purposes

An over-bust corset encloses the torso, extending from just under the arms to the hips. An under-bust corset begins just under the breasts and extends down to the hips. Some corsets extend over the hips and, in very rare instances, some corsets have been know reach the knees . A shorter kind of corset, which covers the waist area (from low on the ribs to just above the hips), is called a 'waist cincher'. A corset may also include suspenders to hold up stockings (alternatively a separate suspender belt may be worn for that).

Normally a corset supports the visible dress, and spreads the pressure from large dresses, such as the crinoline and bustle. Sometimes a corset cover is used to protect outer clothes from the corset and to smooth the lines of the corset.

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