How The Corset Evolved From A Staple Of The British Feminine Wardrobe

Clothing was also an important part in men's lives. The Sumptuary laws implied to not only the women, but to the men too. Men also wore many layers, some similar to the women. According to Linda Alchin, "The fashions were designed to give the impression of a small waist-especially desired by the women but also emulated by men" (Elizabethan Upper Class Fashion). They wore most of the following under layers: a shirt, stockings, a codpiece, and a corset. Then, most of the following over layers: a doublet, separate sleeves, breeches, a belt, a ruff, a cloak, and boots or flat shoes. Men's clothing fashions were related to those of women's due to the similar, and many layers.

The “Inner Corset” by the Laura Fraser is about how people in the United State from 1880 to 1920 start from being heavy to thin. At the beginning the women were sexy if they were heavy and it was a sign that they belong to a rich family that they could afford buying food, but since times goes people ideology start changing. Then society influences the women to be thin which makes them more beautiful, and man would love them more. In the twentieth century the image of thin started changing and the woman were facing some diseases. According to The Inner Corset “When many women ventured out of their homes and away from their strict roles as mothers, they left behind the Plump and reproductive physique, which began to seem old-fashioned next to

Imagine a woman rising from bed wearing heavy bedclothes of wool or cotton. Underneath she would be wearing a corset for sleep, made of cotton, wool or a mix of heavy linen. After brushing out long hair, which was rarely washed, she would be wrapped in a light cotton garb that would protect her skin from actually touching her formal corset. Often corsets would stretch from the mid-hip region to the breasts. Corsets were constructed of whalebone and metal stays, which shaped the ribs and stomach to form a fashionable waist of approximately eighteen inches. After the corset was tightly laced (which required assistance of at least one other person), then heavy wool or cotton stocking would be pulled on. Stockings were held up ties, girdle-like bloomers or special buttons in the petticoats. At this time, a woman would put on six to eight petticoats . She would put on a special top to keep the corset from touching her dress. At this point, a woman may have worn a large hoop skirt. The large metal device would allow the woman to keep proper social distance from her guests and potential suitors. Often the woman would have to be lowered into the hoop skirt. If the hoop was too heavy, a woman would be placed in the parlor room and she would remain there until after a dinner party or until such a time she could remove the hoop because it could render her immobile. In some rare cases, small rolling wheels were attached at the bottom of hoop skirts to aid women in moving

In the Victorian era, corsets became longer and became not only about supporting and lifting the breast, but creating a tiny hourglass waist. ‘Women were so tightly corseted that they could not bend over’ but to add to the strain ‘the corset was hung with an extraordinary amount of gear, a combined system of garters and suspenders.’

The Victorian Era depicted a traditional woman. Women were expected to be beautiful but conservative. A notable fashion piece to mention is the notorious corset. Krystal D’Souza states that corsets were meant to, “… accentuate a woman's breasts and hips, while cinching the body at the waist, and dramatically curving the back” (D'Souza). The corset was created to slim the waist and make the hips and bottom larger. This was meant to create the ideal, “Hour glass shape,” women were expected to have. In the Victorian Era, dresses were worn all the time and the skirt length had to be passed the ankles. Pagoda sleeves were essential to dresses to cover shoulders and high necklines were made to cover the women’s neck and décolletage. If the skirts were not touching the floor, skirts were closely worn over the hip and flared out just above the knee. (Joshi). The Victorian Age signifies a time period where women had to follow stringent dress codes. The thought of showing any feminine flesh was un-lady like and unrespectable. (Alchin “Women

The popular style of dress, modified for the occasion, was characterized by a full skirted silhouette. The look included form fitting bodices paired with long hoop skirts of washable linen, cotton or wool atop shifts and form fitting corsets (stays). Stays were the rage or curse for women's wear during the Colonial era and were inset with unforgiving whalebone...a feature that could tend to restrict the movements and activities of the wearers. Little wonder why. (Its been recorded that ladies of the day were considered quite the 'loose woman' if not wearing their stays when out in public.) A Stomacher, a bit of inverted triangular fabric that held the front of the gown together, was also part of the overall dress presentation (The Stomacher was carried over from the European representation in women's clothing.)

Ever wonder where the strange fashion choices of society’s favorite Disney movies originated? It might be a bit of an understatement to say that the apparel of men during the Elizabethan Era was odd, but each piece of their outfit had a crucial role to play in their daily life. Clothing worn during the Elizabethan Era was greatly dictated by the Sumptuary Laws, the wealth of the individual, and fashion trend of neighboring countries.

The women of a higher class would have extremely extravagant gowns and outfits. On a regular day they would wear a smock or shift, stockings, a corset, farthingale (a hooped skirt), a rowle, a stomacher, a petticoat, a kirtle, forepant, and a partlet. Over those clothes the women would wear a gown, separate sleeves, a ruff, a cloak, shoes and a hat. These were the clothing items that the women would wear on a daily basis.     

Corsets originated in France as early as the 16th and 17th centuries worn by men and women of the higher class during the Victorian era. Most middle and upper class women continued to compete

Females wore fitted bodice dresses in waist-length and full skirts in various styles from the 1830s to1860s. Toddler boys and little girls wore similar clothes, but they were different from women’s fashion. The bodice of the children’s garment was unfitted and gathered into an inset waistband; the neckline at that time usually had a wide off-the-shoulder style; the top had short sleeves in puffed or cap cuts; the length of a full skirt had a varied style that the toddlers wore below-knee length, and the oldest girls wore calf length. Furthermore, the fabric of daywear dresses for girls used printed cottons or wool challis. Under the dresses, little girls and boys wore white cotton ankle-length trousers, called pantaloons or pantalets.3 In the

The Victorian Era was a very extraordinary time when it came to the unique importance of fashion, and gender roles. The Victorian Era seems to be known for its fashion. Women showed their status through their clothing. The thing that would be surprising to most is that the people who designed the clothing during this time period were men. This is not actually surprising though because the victorian

By 1875, skirts were made narrow and close to the body, and accompanied by a bustle. As the skirts become narrow and flat in the front, more attention was placed on the waist and hips; therefore, a corset was needed to help mold the body. To guarantee a flat front, the corset was reinforced with whale bone, cording, or pieces of leather in order to prevent them from riding up or wrinkling. The technological invention of steam-molding and the “spoon busk,” help contribute to the style of the bustle. In 1873, the spoon busk was hailed as an important contribution to fashion because, unlike the previous corsets, it increased comfort, more health conscious, reduced bulges, and enhanced the

We are not the only ones who care about our dress. The Victorian era, from 1837 to 1901, is one of the most diverse fashion eras in history. The era encompassed plain skirts, to hoop skirts to bustles and was impacted by wars, royalty and tragedy. Fashion was even important to factory girls and they planned their clothing to send a message. Throughout the American Victorian Era the reasons for the women’s clothing styles were as

Their preferred garment consisted of dresses. Their dresses had intricate designs embroidered into them. The dresses were very stiff and caused encumbered movement. The cause of this was due to the fact that corsets were worn underneath the dress. The corset was made up of two different pieces.

The book Clothing and Fashion: American Fashion from Head to Toe defines Hourglass figure as follows, “The hourglass shape was a feature of woman’s dress for most of the 19th century. This shape included the rounded breasts, a slender waist, and padding the hips” (Blanco 161). After World War II Christian Dior had created what was known as the “New Look,” the look was iconic for emphasising a woman’s hourglass shaped figure, later becoming a worldwide popular trend. Although, this wasn’t the first time this silhouette was popular, the hourglass shape can be traced back to mid 1800’s when designer Charles Frederick Worth was in popular demand for his elegant gowns and dresses. Even today’s society focuses on this trend with famous designers,