History of the Corset
The term "corset" today means something entirely different than what a corset was in the early 15th century. The early corset, or bodice, was a torso cinching tool to be worn beneath clothing, not as a fashion accessory. The early corsets more resembled an hourglass shaped steel cage than the sexy bedroom accessories we see today.
Needless to say, these corsets were neither fun nor easy to wear. These waist cinching devices are said to have started as early with babies. Infant girls were tightly wrapped with blankets when the bones were still soft and easy to mold into the fashionable hourglass shape. As the babies grew, they graduated from tightly wrapped blankets to small children's corsets. Early corsets were made of durable cotton or linen and had stiff ivory or wooden busks* for rigid support and forming. Young women would wear the corsets for figure training.
Getting in and out of these corsets was almost as difficult as wearing them. Early corsets were worn so snug that the compression on the women's chest caused a tendency to breathlessness, palpitations and faintness but tolerated in the pursuit of the perfect hourglass figure.
Historically, corsets were designed in a time when ladies had maids to dress them, and even a lesser woman would have been laced in by her mother or sisters. Even with todays corsets, we advice putting on garters and stockings first because it will be quite a challenge trying to do this once you are laced in. 

 

* The busk is sewn into the front center of the corset at each edge. Holes are worked through the fabric and the studs are then slid through on the one side and the eyes through the edge of the other side.



Corsets Today

Since then the corset has undergone a metamorphosis and has emerged as a fashion statement. Gone are the times when corsets were uncomfortably tight and painful. Corsets have come to become an intimate and erotic lingerie item. It has also been reinvented to be worn as corset top over skirts and pants Corsets are designed to tuck in the waist and tighten the tummy. You can pick up functional smooth corsets for a slimming effect or opt for erotic leather and lace creations that are designed to set the senses on fire. The corsets of today are lighter and made of elastic material to hold up stockings as well. A simple corset sans trimmings can be worn under your dress for a trimmer figure.


You can pick a corset off the shelf or have one custom-made. This undergarment is often hooked and laced to attach garters. You can give your breasts a lift and tuck in the tummy with the right corset. Correct measurement is the key to a well-fitting corset. Relax and breathe comfortably when measuring for a corset. Measure your ribs, waist and hips. Ensure that your stomach does not bulge out from the bottom. The corset must be comfortable and you must be able to lace it tighter if you so desire.


Corsets have made a huge comeback as a fashionable garment. Corset dresses and corset tops are not corsets in the real sense of the term. They still cinch and push up but are not as constrictive. They can be worn with jeans, over dresses as a bodice or teamed with a formal skirt for a curvy look.