Corsets are a timeless fashion used by  powerful women in the past eras to express their powerful stature, something that they cannot live without.  This blatant fashion statement has been passed on from generation to generation, and is being enjoyed today by many women in the world.   Many international women celebrities in the current pop culture have made corsets as a staple in their wardrobes.  For the past two decades they have repeatedly brought the corsets out into the fashion world and into the limelight.  In different occasions they display their corsets in elaborate and trendy designs and materials, whether a leather corset for an erotic spectacle on stage, beaded one for the Red Carpet, or lacy and casual for dinner with friends, the image goes back to one of the most powerful women, Queen Elizabeth I of England who dresses herself in beautiful corsets.  It may not be the intention of these celebrities to be associated with powerful women in the past eras but, this fashion statement not only speaks of their prominence, but can also be a powerful tool for her expression.

Corset, though a simple item of clothing, had its share of controversy.  Historically, corsets speak of a conservative male oppression of women.   Young girls were put in corsets to grow accustomed to restrictiveness binding.   In present time fashion designers less likely care about its symbolism of male dominion over women, but in the trend of time, it has become for them a timeless fascination of shaping the female body into a beautiful curvy look, and for the wearers to exude a supreme form of confidence and feminine expression.  Also, there are others that don’t care about its cultural history or its ability to shape a body.  For them corset is an ideal under-garment supporting the back in a comfortable manner – a very practical fashion sense.

In the present time, we see plus size corsets as elegant, ultra alluring, and sophisticated fashion that is available in various styles and colors fabricated from all sorts of materials.  As time evolved, corsets have developed to become distinct from the 16^th and 17^th century.  Today, these are available in different sizes, from small to 3X and above.  They are now worn as outerwear together with jeans in casual or special setting, or even glamorized as evening attire.  They have also evolved into becoming a bra.  Also, corsets are commonly used as lingerie designed to be comfortable and easy for the wearer to get in and out of.

Fascination with these garments had been confirmed in recent corset news.  In the fashion world, corsets are not just sexy fashion; they have become a very profitable undertaking.  Celebrities have custom designed embellished leather corsets, and those made from other rare and artistic materials auctioned for $1000 and above for the benefit of charitable undertaking.

Leather corsets or those made from classic lace or racier PVC are popular today in the lingerie fashion.  They come in various styles and sizes.  Like their outerwear counterparts, numerous designs are available to emphasize the curves of the female physique.  They are carefully designed to satisfy the wearer.   Other details and options were added to a modern lingerie corset.  Many are lined with silk or satin.   Some have optional G-strings and detachable garters; some have front zippers, lace up backs, hook and eye front closure, and adjustable shoulder straps.  Lycra is sometimes added to give more comfort to the wearer.

The powerful women of the past eras may or may not have regarded corsets as a must in their wardrobes.  But for the women of today, modern corsets (from the simplest to the most intricate) have become a powerful tool to express their womanhood.

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16th Century – Conception

The evolution of the corset started in the 1600′s and was originally called “payre of bodies” which eventually became known as “stays”.  Some have said that it’s actual conception was in men’s iron breastplates used in the 1600′s to show his status in society.  The purpose of the stay was less about creating a small waistline and more about creating an inverted cone shape bodice that complimented  the  cone shaped undergarment called a farthingale which was worn under heavy full skirts of the day.  The stays of the early 16th century actually pushed the natural waistline downward. By the middle of the 16th century corsets were being worn as a common undergarment. These were made of  several layers of stiffened linen with wooden busks or shafts that were inserted in pockets at the front in order to keep the corset and figure straight. The corset survived in this form until about 1860.

18th Century: A change in fashion

The main purpose of 18th century stays was to lift and shape the breasts, tighten the midriff, support the back, improve posture to help a woman stand straight, with her shoulders down and back, and only narrow the waist slightly, creating a ‘V’ shaped upper torso over which the outer garment would be worn. This type of corset raised the waistline closer to its natural position.

At this time the eyelets of the corset were stitched in a zigzag fashion allowing the corset to be spiral laced in the back. The wearer had to hold onto something to tighten the laces, as this method of lacing pulled the wearer from side to side as it was tightened. (Steele, 22)

In the 1790′s stay went out of fashion which coincided with the French Revolution when the neoclassical form of dress was adopted. Interestingly it was men who began to wear corset again, a fashion that lasted through the 1840′s,  however after the 1850′s they insisted it was for “back pain”.

19th Century: Tightlacing

With the advent of metal eyelets and steel bones in the mid 1800′s tight lacing became possible.  The metal eyelets were changed from the zigzag placement and situated across from each other in the back. This corset also fastened with busks in the from so a woman could set the tightness of the corset then remove it herself when she needed to.

Although corsets were usually designed for support, with freedom of body movement an important consideration in their design some have taken it to the extreme by wearing a tightly-laced corset for extended periods, known as tightlacing. Some men and women learned to tolerate extreme waist constriction which over time reduced their natural waist size. Tightlacers dream of 16 to 17 inches waists, but most are satisfied with anything under 20 inches. Until 1998, Ethel Granger held the Guinness Book of World Records as having the smallest waist on record at 13 inches. After 1998, Cathie Jung took the title of the  “smallest waist on a living person” with a 15 inch waist. Other women also have achieved such reductions, such as Polaire,  (14 inches in her case).

20th Century-The end of an era

In the 1900′s during the Edwardian period the straight front corset was introduced. This corset was straight in front, with a pronounced curve at the back that forced the upper body forward, and the derrière out. This style was worn from 1900-1908 (Steele 144).

This was perhaps the last change before the end of a great era. It is at this point to where there is some conflict as to who was actually responsible for the end. The person who gets credit for ending the long spanning fashion trend was Paul Poiret although it was Madeleine Vionnet who arguably should have taken the credit.

Isadora Duncan an American Dancer performed in Paris in 1906 dancing bare feet without a corset or a bra. This dancer caused quiet a sensation and was the inspiration for Madeleine Vionnet’s first design collection without a corset called deshabilles that could be worn in public. Vionnet said;

“I threw everything to the winds. What to do? Women don’t need a big collar. I have never been able to tolerate corsets myself, so why should I inflict them on other women”

This collection did not bode well with the house she currently was designing for in Paris  “The House of Doucet”.  They basically suppressed her designs and it was shortly after this that Paul Poiret introduced his collection which gave him the credit for the ellimination of the corset fashion era.

Recent Revivals

In the late 1940s and early 1950s there was a brief revival of the corset in the form of the waist cincher sometimes called a “waspie”. Dictated by Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’, it was used to give an hourglass figure . However, use of the waist cincher was limited to haute couture, and guirdles was still the primary choice of most women.  The New Look eventually gave way to a less dramatically-shaped silhouette.

Although the corset fell from fashion in the 1920s in America and Europe, replaced by elastic brassieres and girdles, it survived as an article of costume. Originally considered lingerie, the corset has become a popular item of outerwear in the fetish, BDSM and goth subcultures.

The corset has experienced periodic revivals since the late 1980s, usually originating in haute couture and occasionally trickling through to mainstream fashion. These revivals no longer focused on the corset as underwear but as outerwear.

In the 21st Century it is no longer considered a ladies duty to wear a corset but instead has become a symbol of individualism and beauty in the eyes of men and women.

Written by Bobby G Keith for American Islander gothic corsets for plus size women.

The Plus Size Advocate - Plus Size Fashion, News & Events

I thought it might be fun to take a look at corsets from yesteryear and today. Historically corsets were used to slim the body and to make it conform to the fashionable silhouette of the day. Today an hourglass shape is preferred but in the past a straighter silhouette was in fashion.

Corsets Today

The real corset fell from fashion in the 1920′s  in America and Europe and gave way to elastic brassieres and girdles. Although originally considered lingerie it has evolved into outerwear in the fetish and goth subcultures.

The corset has experience occasional revivals since the 1980′s originating in haute couture and sometime making it’s way into mainstream fashion. Again these revivals were in the form of outerwear instead of underwear.

Most corsets today are not the true and original form of the classic corset. Many of today’s corsets have some of the classic features, like lacing and boning, but only mimic it’s historical style and do not have have the purpose of shaping the wearer’s torso.

American Islander Corsets

Although the classic use of the traditional corset is not mainstream now plus size lace up corsets can give the plus size woman a slimming appearance.  The vertical lacing in plus size corset tops help draw peoples eyes up and down your silhouette instead of from side to side. Additionally on some corsets you can tighten the waist area just under the bust to give the appearance of a curvy waistline.

Plus Size Gothic Corset

The corset has been a staple item of fetish,  Gothic and witch clothing and can be found in a variety of places on the internet. To the left is an example of American Islanders Witchy Plus Size Corset outerwear or club top. This top features 10 metallic eyelet lace up with an inverted cathedral dome neckline and witchy chiffon bell sleeves. Take some time to look at American Islander’s selection of Corsets and Witchy clothing here on PlusSizeSavings.com.

Bobby G. Keith is a Designer, Manufacturer and Retailer of fashion forward womens plus size clothing for American Islander Garments and PlusSizeSavings.com

The Plus Size Advocate - Plus Size Fashion, News & Events