History of Corsets

This article is designed to provide you with a history of corsets. Corsets originated from the French word 'corps' which means body. It's a binding article of clothing that encloses the middle torso for the purpose of pushing up or flattening the chest or to give shape to a woman's waist, or even both. It's greatly associated by many with the Victorian era, as this period is when corsets have gained popularity.

Tracing back the history of corsets, it's said that corsets originated in ancient civilizations as illustrated by the drawings discovered at the Neolithic archeological site at Norfolk, England. The said illustrations showed women wearing bodices made from animal skin laced down at the front part. Early corsets were suspected to had been molded to the woman's body while the material's still fresh. Also unearthed in the same site were primitive stone dolls dressed with corsets made from bird and other small animal ligaments. Other evidences of the corset's origins are paintings by other ancient civilizations in Egypt, Rome, Greece and Assyria, of women wearing corsets. It's been documented that women from these cultures commonly participated in activities like gymnastics and bullfighting, which called for the need for garments that provided support.

In ancient civilizations, particularly in ancient Greek, Cretan, Minoan and Theban societies, both men and women used corsets. Most of them wore corsets for needed support for the waist and back as they take part in strenuous activities like sports. In Egypt, women wore a garment in the form of a band, just under their bust area, as part of their outer ensemble.

In the 16th century, and continuing to trace the history of corsets, they were seen as a symbol of one's position, rank and wealth. Corsets gave both men and women a dignified posture, keeping them standing upright and with a smooth flat torso. In the next century, corsets in Italy evolved into those that had an additional busk beneath the lacing of the corset for a smoother look than the earlier ones.

When 17th century came, tides have changed and large flowy dresses were more favored. Politics all over Europe demanded less extravagant use of cloth fabrics, hence the gradual decrease in popularity of the use of corsets during this time period. However, as the 19th century approached, corsets found their way back atop and since then has never gone out of fashion.

Though corsets are no longer seen as a necessity as opposed to how things used to be centuries ago, corsets are still worn and are still very much in fashion. Madonna made them even more popular in the 80s. Now, corsets are also seen as fetish lingerie.