How a Corset Can Change the Silhouette of a Woman's Body and Femininity - Research
The Minoan people first made the Corsets around 1,000 BC on Crete, near Greece (Lane, 2021). According to Lane (2021), corset-like garments were used by the Minoans and other Grecians to create an illusion of a tiny waist. Then, Lane (2021) mentions that corsets became popular in the 1500s and 1600s when women in the French court idealised having a tiny waist and flattening their stomachs. Additionally, women believe a corset can help sculpt a large chest and reduce the waist and stomach (Lane, 2021). In the 1700s, they used silk brocades, gold trim, and imaginative illustrations to embellish richly (Lane, 2021). Lane (2021) mentions that in the early 20th century, women sought to have an 'S' shaped figure for the corsets that aimed to push the hips back and the chest forward; it was structured and did not harm the women's internal organs. And there is the fact that "Corsets began to decline in popularity following World War I. As a result of the lack of clothing materials after the war, styles became looser and simpler." (Lane, 2021); it led to a shift in women's fashion, it makes corset become discrete girdles and brassieres in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s (Lane, 2021).
The corsets can give women silhouettes, and many variants of corset types can help shape the body, such as hourglass, cupped rib, pipestem, conical, and u-shape. Firstly, most people, even celebrities, wear an hourglass type of corset because this type gives a smaller waist and hips that are far more expansive than the waist (Tourou, 2018). Secondly, Tourou (2018) mentions that cupped ribs can help achieve a tiny waist, and the corset around the area of the ribs prevents it from being too compressed, making it more comfortable for breathing. Then, according to Tourou (2018), the pipestem corset is similar to the cupped rib, but this corset is tighter, giving a more curvy look and a smaller waistline. After that, a conical corset is designed to provide a lower waist and a conical shape like ice cream, but this corset is not wearable for all people because it can add pressure to the rib cage, so it is uncomfortable while wearing it; the women with smaller rib cages will feel more comfortable (Tourou, 2018). Lastly, the U-shaped corset is for training and has a similar shape to the conical corset, so it causes discomfort to people who wear it (Tourou, 2018).
Femininity in wearing a corset is historically associated with gender roles that symbolise oppression and patriarchy by feminists (Eva's Intimates, no date). According to Eva's Intimates (no date), feminists are criticised for the ability to reductively and objectiously shape women's bodies, which seems harmful and degrading. Eva's Intimates (no date) mentions that some people view a corset as a symbol of power to feel strong and attractive or appreciate their bodies. In addition, Walsh (2019) states that in late Victorian and early Edwardian England, the course influenced the concept of femininity, which defined feminine beauty and mouth as the ideal body shape of the feminine shape.
Reference List
Lane, L. (2021). The Changing Silhouette of Victorian Women’s Fashions – The History of the Corset. [online] Hagen History Center. Available at: https://www.eriehistory.org/blog/the-changing-silhouette-of-victorian-womens-fashions-the-history-of-the-corset#:~:text=While%20still%20slimming%20the%20waist [Accessed 28 Jan. 2024].
Tourou, M. (2018). Did You Know About These Corset Silhouette Types? [online] Corsetdeal.co.uk. Available at: https://www.corsetdeal.co.uk/blogs/corsetdealblog/did-you-know-about-these-corset-silhouette-types [Accessed 28 Jan. 2024].
Eva’s Intimates. (n.d.). Is A Corset Feminist? [online] Available at: https://www.evasintimates.com/blog/s3/is-a-corset-feminist/#:~:text=While%20this%20item%20of%20clothing [Accessed 28 Jan. 2024].
Walsh, S. (2019). Straight-Laced: How the Corset Shaped Turn-of-the-Century English Femininity. [online] Available at: https://crimsonhistorical.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Straight-Laced-PDF.pdf [Accessed 28 Jan. 2024].
Good research here but can you link this to your project and how you intend to use the corset in your design considering the research here
ReplyDeleteWe have been talking about silhouettes in fashion. Corsets can change the natural shape of a woman, can you think about how a modern corset would work with today's trends that you have been researching?
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