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Return of the Corset |
Remember me, brides-to-be? I'm the one responsible for accentuating all your curves and smoothing the wedding gown lines for any figure in just the right way. I'm hot. I'm sexy. I'm your wedding day friend, the corset.
Did you forget about me? I hope not because I'm back and in a big way. Forget that old Elizabethan style look even though I personally believe I look MARVELOUS in the wardrobe of movies like Titanic and Sense and Sensibility. The days of the overly tight, hold-your-breath restrictive corset myth are over. That was just some bad press thrown my way by designers who were pushing their loose-goosey styles. The truth is that most women who wear me like and appreciate my support and would rather put me on during a wedding, Prom, or special occasion than those handcuff-like underwire bras.
Most people don't realize how long I've been around. I am fashion battlefield tried and tested. I date back to the year 1600 B.C. believe it or not. Sculptures of the times have me supporting the garments that adorn the variety of ancient goddesses the artisans paid homage to. I really exploded on the scene in 16th Century Europe when women started wearing their gowns and special event eveningwear open to highlight her beautiful support. Yes, that's right. The ladies were showing me off because, as mentioned before, I looked MARVELOUS! And I bet you thought Madonna was the first to wear me outside, hmmm?
And while we're talking history, let me explain just how the "horrible discomfort" perception came about. When people got a look at the tightly-laced waists of the 19th Century in Elizabethan England they presumed this had to be uncomfortable. Au contraire, mes amis! In fact, most of the women who wore my descendant's back then were quite pleased by the overall support a corset had to offer. The women often said it was like wearing a wonderful, light back brace.
Another myth I'd like to do away with that old belief that I was designed to draw in the waist to create an hourglass figure for the ladies of the wedding party. Sorry. Wrong. The Victorian Corset of the 1600's was really designed to mold the torso into a cylindrical shape. It wasn't about being a size zero, my friends, it was about being flattening the "unflat" and raising a droopy bustline. Support is my middle name, not constrict, 'kay? If you take a look at fashions of the 1800's, you'll see the look of the subtle "S" shape that is more in tune with a woman's natural curves.
Then the dark period rolled in for the corset. The 20th Century hit me and my friends pretty hard. I can't blame the women of those times; they were struggling to find their place in society and were rejecting the clothing that men had made for them for years upon years. I guess if Vera Wong was around then, it might have been different. So it was no surprise I fell by the wayside when the flapper fashion of the Roaring Twenties emerged. Tight, supportive things were out and loose, free-flowing things were all the rage. Of course, by the time the flapper look had faded, the world was at war and women's fashions took on a look of a military uniform--square and hard lines. And not too long after that, the Age of Aquarius and the Sixties were upon us. Once again, women turned their back on support garments, burnt bras, and embraced the times peace-loving, freedom of expression. But even after all of these corset ups and downs, I'm still here. I keep landing on my feet because I'm one of those enduring garments that has achieved the perfect balance of beauty and function. From wedding day celebrations to Sweet Sixteen parties to High School Formals, I keep evolving to fulfill the needs of fashion designers and their customers.
So, don't hold your breath, 'cause I ain't going anywhere. Don't let the "great unwashed and shapeless" convince you to overlook the very curves that make you feminine. Sure there are those days and times when "loose" is the word. But rejoice and celebrate those times to dress up with form-fitting styles in mind. Remember, a well-designed corset (I wouldn't speak of any other kind) supports and enhances what is naturally yours. And on those special occasions why not define and accentuate the most feminine aspects of the female body? Because if I'm looking good, you're looking good.
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