Traditional corsets of olden days were painful garments and strained stays for taut waistlines. New age corsets however are made for ease of use and trendy dressing, mixing style with comfort. What was once worn as a chemise is now a big fashion fad.

Corsets are said to go as far back as the Greek times. One of the most striking images of corsets is of the vivacious Scarlett O’Hara in the epic “Gone With the Wind”, as she struggles to fit in a corset to make her waist size a mere 18 inch. Thankfully in our day and age we do not need to fit in one of those tiny ones but we sure can still wear them to accentuate the curves for a flattering figure. Also called stays, corsets were worn as a bustier, which opened in the middle.

The word is originally derived from a French word, ‘cors’ meaning ‘body’. ‘Corsetry’ is both the art of making corsets as well as wearing them. A corsetiere is the traditional French word for a corset maker. The word corset gained general acceptance in 1785 when it was used in a popular magazine for women called, The Ladies Magazine. Since then it came to define the corset from the very similar but bulkier stays.

Corsets have constantly evolved in form and design since the 16th century. During most of that time, flouncy full-length skirts were in style and many variations of it existed in different countries. Regardless of the type and pattern, corsets would always be worn underneath the dress to make the waist look smaller. Corsets would be worn over cotton/linen chemises. The latter helped in absorbing sweat so as to keep the corset and the gown clean and unspoiled.

During 1790s, following the French Revolution, there came a drastic break from the prevailing fashion and loose and flowy. It was then that the corset went out of fashion as dresses became high waisted.

Again, it was in the 1820s that fuller skirts came back in fashion and once more it was the waist in vogue. The corset was back with a bang and continued to dominate the fashion trends for most of the remaining 19th century. It was also at the same time that corsets received a lot of bad press for being unhealthy but fashion diktats were not to be overruled by such interventions.

Though laced corsets had always been considered cumbersome, at the end of the 19th century they came to be associated with sports and related activities. Special moderately laced ones were specially designed for cycling, riding, playing tennis as well as maternity clothing.

In the 20th century, corset evolved into yet another form and came to its longest length. Starting from the bust line it went down till the thighs. Another long kind of corset began from below the bust line and had to be worn along with a bra. The new style was supposed to complement and lend credence to the new type of silhouette. This one resembled a modern girdle more than a conventional corset.

Corsets hit the fashion shelves next in the 1940s, inspired by Dior’s hourglass figure look. From that time the corset has remained popular in haute couture. The corset slowly turned into an outerwear item than innerwear. In its present form it is hugely popular both as outer and inner wear.

Author Bio: Read more about korsett at http://www.lingeributikken.no

Category: Culture
Keywords: korsett, corset, lingeributikken, lingeri