100 Years of Corset History: How 8 Corsets affect the same body

Corsets spanned more than 100 years of history as a regular part of Western women’s fashion. Their shape and proportion constantly changed in response to the fashionable silhouette and clothing needs. Despite the extreme appearances, corsets were full of technical deception based on proportions and illusion. Join me as I examine my collection of historical corsets that I have sewn over the years to see how they interact with my shape and measurements. The origin of corsets developed out of the transitional Stays of the 1790s. Cups were added to the conical shape of 18th century stays to allow for a more natural figure as gown waistlines rose to the underbust. *Example made of linen buckram and cotton twill fabric. Based on: The first true corset came at the beginning of the 19th century, with simple smooth lines and almost no structure. The body was stiffened only with light cording, while the back had minimal boning to keep the lacin