Ever since Vogue released their video “Everything you need to know about the corset” two months ago, I have thought a lot about the history of the corset. And not only that but also the inaccuracies that have stained the 1800s corset’s reputation. Reports of women’s organs being squeezed, ribs being removed to create the hourglass shape, and women fainting left and right due to not being able to breathe. However, that would not be the case. Why would women wear such a dangerous piece of clothing daily? Was doing away with the corset a giant middle finger to the patriarchy? Let’s see.
First, let’s take a look at the purpose of the 1800s corset. Ultimately, the corset was an undergarment meant to give women structure throughout their daily life. It was not meant to be a vain fashion trend. Instead, it was essentially a bra! Without underwire bras, women wore corsets in order to keep everything all nice and comfortable. Each corset was made and tailored to exactly fit its wearer, allowing women of every size and shape to be able to wear the corset comfortably.
But if the corset was essentially a bra, how did those women have such radical figures? The answer is this: padding! By padding their clothing, especially around the chest and shoulders, women were able to give the illusion that their clothing was not only skin-tight but also that their waists were so tiny. Like how we have padding to make hips and butts bigger, women in the 19th century were able to manipulate their forms in order to fit fashion trends.
But why the bad rap? How did the corset come to be known as such restrictive garments of the patriarchy meant to prevent women from being able to breathe and move? Well, it’s quite the story. While the countless women actually wearing the corset never complained about the garment, a small (but outspoken) group of doctors said otherwise. Sensational journals purported that corsets could induce abortions, cause ribs to spontaneously break, and could even cause a uterus to rupture. It created a moral panic against the undergarment. But there’s no real basis in the sensationalism. Again, why would women wear corsets daily when they would cause such massive health issues? They weren’t dumb. A corset was only as comfortable as a bra is now.
So yay or nay for the corset? I guess the answer depends on how much you like your bra.
Interested in more? Here’s some sources!