A History Lesson: Corsetry Pt 1

 

Woman's corset c. 1730–1740. Silk plain weave with supplementary weft-float patterning, stiffened with baleen. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, M.63.24.5.[1] Wikipedia Image

For centuries, women and men have worn corsets to mold their bodies into the figures they've desired.

The 16th Century, in Europe, is where it began to grow it's popularity. It reached it's peak in the Victorian Era.

Corsets were typically worn as undergarments, though occasionally they were worn as outer-garments in many European Countries.

The term "corset" is from the French word which meant "a kind of laced bodice". In English, "Stays" was used to refer to the garment and was used from the 1600's to the 20th century.

 

16th - 17th Centuries:

The corset originated in Italy. In the 1500's, Catherine de Medici introduced the French court to this figure restricting garment and it was welcomed with open arms. This style of undergarment was a bodice that was tight and elongated. It was thought to be "indispensable to the beauty of the female figure."(Wikipedia) During this era, most corsets were equipped with a farthingale. Farthingales held the skirts into a stiff cone shape. When the corset was on, it molded the torso into a inverted cone shape that matched the cone shape of the skirt. These corsets had straps on the shoulders and flaps at the bottom of the corset. The breasts were squished in flat, which accentuated the cleavage . At this time, the focus of the corset wasn't on creating a small waist, but to accentuate the curviness of the cleavage above the corset. They were made out of fabric, glue, and were very tightly laced. The corsets of this time that did have metal boning are thought to have been for orthopedic use only.

Corsets were the custom attire for both British and European women by mid-16th century. They eventually began to include a "busk", a long flat piece of wood or whale bone sewn into the front of the corset to stiffened the shape. A "Stomacher", or V-shaped cloth, was normally worn over the corset for decoration.

By the Elizabethan Era, using whalebone, wood, horn, ivory, or metal in the busk of the corset, had become mainstream. The bust was commonly tied into place with laces and was removable. The busk was normally only worn at special occasions. It was often given to a suitor when he was interested in a mate.

Since the Victorian Era, corsets have been made with two pieces of steel in the front. One piece has studs and the other has eyes. It was created this way so that it opens in the front, making it so that getingt in and out of the corset more would be more easy. Back in the 1500, the lacing were in front but soon the corsets were designed with the lacing in the back.

Though the corsets popularity was growing, not everyone gave into the fad. One example of this is Mary, Queen Of Scots. She would not wear a corset.

 

To Be Continued...

 

Written by: Kijana C

(References from Wikipedia and other websites)

 

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