Historic and Vintage Corsets (2024)

FAQs

What is an old fashioned corset called? ›

Corsets (also known as stays) moulded the waist, while cage crinolines supported voluminous skirts, and bustles projected a dress out from behind. Fashionable Victorian women wore an array of other undergarments, from corset covers that hid the lines of their stays, to petticoats for added volume and warmth.

By the middle of the 1800s, the corset was once again heavily reinforced with narrow bones or steels to produce a curvy, hour-glass shape that was round and full both above and below the waist. By contrast, the corset shown here was intended to produce a natural-shaped figure.

1580-1600 (but probably late 19th or early 20th century forgery). During the 18th and 19th centuries, doctors blamed the corset for dozens of diseases, including cancer, hysteria, "tight-lacing liver," tuberculosis and scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Most of these diagnoses are unsupported by the evidence.

A young woman would typically begin wearing a corset at about 15 and stay at home until she was about 18 years old during the early part of the 20th century. More young women wanted education after the war, and in the West, courtship was delayed until they were in their early to late twenties.

A bustier accentuates the bust while a corset works on the waist. A corset can decrease your waist size by 2-4 inches, a bustier can add the same to your bust. To tie a traditional corset is a production of sorts — laces at the back, hooks up front and requires some help.

The straight-front corset (also known as the swan-bill corset and the s-curve corset) was a type of corset worn from the start of the nineteenth century until around 1907. Its name is derived from the very rigid, straight busk that was used down the center of the front.

World War I also led to more women wearing uniforms and simple cotton designs, rather than rigid designs. Overall, corsets were no longer commonly worn due to a switch to more practical types of clothing. Later on, during the post-World War II era, corsets even became a symbol of male oppression among feminists.

While not usually deadly, wearing a tightly laced corset can be quite harmful to the wearer. They can reduce lung capacity, cause shortness of breath and fainting, produce skin irritations, compress the ribs, weaken back and chest muscles and have even been known to cause organ deformity.

The corset has largely fallen out of mainstream fashion since the 1920s in Europe and North America, replaced by girdles and elastic brassieres, but has survived as an article of costume.

Essentially, there were health and safety concerns about keeping women in a pinching corset for weeks at a time. Many stars have reported bruising and even breathing problems.

What is the oldest surviving corset? ›

It's also possible that the corset evolved from the vasquina, a Spanish under-bodice that tied to the farthingale. This pair of bodies, buried with Pfalzgrafin Dorothea Sabine von Neuberg in 1598, is the oldest surviving corset.

Netflix and BBC denied the report of the corset ban.

Jezebel reported that Netflix denied the corset ban, and a BBC said this was "not a story we recognise and having checked with colleagues it's not a live conversation."

Appreciation of Fashion: Some men appreciate corsets as a fashion choice. They may find corsets attractive and see them as a unique and stylish accessory. These individuals may admire the effort put into creating a distinctive look.

Early bras were either wrap-around bodices or boned, close-fitting camisoles (both worn over the corset). They were designed to hold the bust in and down against the corset, which provided upward support.

Women were often laced so tightly their breathing was restricted leading to faintness. Compressing the abdominal organs could cause poor digestion and over time the back muscles could atrophy. In fact, long term tight lacing led to the rib cage becoming deformed.

The straight-front corset, also known as the swan-bill corset, the S-bend corset, or the health corset, was worn from circa 1900 to the early 1910s. Its name is derived from the very rigid, straight busk inserted in the center front of the corset.

1800-1810's

There was a long, knitted corset of silk or cotton. 1795 corsets were many and varied. Some had a tab on the back to attach the petticoat or robe to make sure the higher waistline would not fall down.

During the early eras of corsetry, corsets—called stays before the 19th century and made stiff with heavy boning—molded a woman's upper body into a V-shape and flattened and pushed up the breasts. Some were attached to petticoats or could be fastened to them in order to preserve a flat shape at the waist.

Corset Types: Underbust or Overbust? Whether you'd like an overbust or underbust is mostly a matter of preference. Underbust corsets are generally easier to fit, wear and break-in than an overbust corset. They're also great for waist training, stealthing (hiding under your clothes) and everyday wear.