Corsetry

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 51. Chapters: Corset, Corset controversy, Swaddling, Tightlacing, Effects of tight lacing on the body, History of corsets, Girdle, Gibson Girl, Corsetmaker, Bone, Vedette Shapewear, Roxey Ann Caplin, Hourglass corset, Training corset, Foundation garment, Waist cincher, Corselet, Redresseur corset, Spoon busk, Metal corset, Neck corset, Spirella, Wasp waist, Tightlacer, Everyday corset, Coutil, Corsage, Vollers Corset Company, Infant's binder, Bondage corset, Corsetry and Underwear. Excerpt: The corset controversy is an ensemble of letters and articles concerning the corset that appeared in newspapers and periodicals in the 19th century. Changing form of the corsetCorsets, also called stays, were worn by European women from the 16th century onward, changing their form as fashions changed. For most of this period, floor-length full skirts were the norm. Variations were endless. The French court dress of the 18th century with its extensive drapery supported by panniers was an extreme but telling example of the style. The English had their "robe anglaise¿. Irrespective of variation, rigid corsets beneath the dress compressed the waist. Beginning in the 1790s, there was an abrupt break with tradition as the Empire silhouette became fashionable. Coinciding with the French Revolution, a revolution occurred in women's clothing. Inspired by the tunics of classical antiquity, dresses were high-waisted and loose fitting, with a long flowing skirt. The corset was reduced to a minimal form, primarily to support the bosom. Evening dress, 1838.Then, starting in the mid 1820s, women's fashion returned to the full skirts of the prior century. In a repudiation of the Empire silhouette, the waist became the central focus of female dress. The corset assumed the dominant role it would hold for the rest of the 19th century. Designed to emphasize the waist, it was pulled in as required to achieve the desired tenuity. Doctors and much of the press deplored the garment but were unable to override the dictates of fashion. Criticism of the corset was nothing new. During a tight lacing period of the prior century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau had denounced the practice in The Lancet while cartoons of the period satirized the practice. What had changed was that in the 19th century, women were writing letters to publications expressing their views directly and articulately. The one-sided denunciation of the past turned into a dialogue. Women made their voices heard, sharing their experien