Hello, ladies! Today we want to tell you the story of the origin of the main product of our brand - the corset. We're sure you'll learn a lot of new things.
In recent years, the corset has become one of the trendiest accessories. But do many fashionistas know when it first appeared? The corset is considered one of the oldest items in the wardrobe. The first corsets, in the form of wide belts, appeared about 2,000 years ago on the island of Crete. They were used to cinch the waist and protect the body from injuries. Both women and men wore them.
Corsets appeared in Europe since the time of the Crusades. They resembled armor and served for protection. The first figure-modelling corsets are mentioned in the fourteenth century. They were worn in French Burgundy.
It is not exactly known where and at which court the ancestor of the modern corset appeared. Scientists believe that this happened in Spain and France.
There is a theory that in the mid-sixteenth century, Catherine de' Medici, who reportedly had a waist of 33 centimeters, made the corset a part of court fashion.
At that time, the purpose of the corset was to create a smooth line of the bodice, support the back, and press the chest to the body, as it was forbidden to emphasize the contours of the figure during the period of Puritanism and religiousness.
Girls from the age of 5-6 were forced to wear corsets almost around the clock to prevent breast growth. Iron and wood were used for the rigidity of the construction. Only representatives of the upper class could afford to wear such items, but they caused terrible discomfort and increased mortality among aristocratic women.
In the 17th century, whalebone became the main component of corsets. In high society, there was a fashion for a slim waist and a protruding chest. The strong constriction of the body led to severe deformation of women's organs.
In the 18th century, after the French Revolution, corsets became more comfortable and free. Heavy draped skirts became fashionable, and the corset allowed the weight of the skirt to be transferred to the shoulders and torso, evenly distributing it. It supported the back, improved posture, and served to emphasize the contrast between the voluminous skirt and the waist.
Corsets lost their relevance in the early 19th century. They were quickly replaced by loose-fitting empire-style dresses. This was the first era when women's clothing could be worn without a corset or at least could do without one. Shirt dresses with high empire waists did not require stiff or supportive structures. Corsets underwent significant changes: the bones almost disappeared, and their main purpose became to support the breasts. Some corsets of that time resembled modern underwear.
But after a short period, the silhouette of the "hourglass figure" became fashionable again, and the corset returned in its traditional form. It was often paired with voluminous sleeves, which were borrowed from medieval costumes and became popular in European fashion during the Romantic era. During the Victorian era, the fashion for tight corsets returned. They were reinforced with metal plates to support heavy skirts with crinolines. In the middle of the 19th century, the market for mass-produced universal corsets emerged. They became a part of not only formal attire but also everyday urban clothing. Towards the 70s, there emerges a stable wave of criticism of the corset from doctors. Two opposing trends appear: on the one hand, there is a fashion for a very narrow waist, on the other hand, the public and doctors speak out against corsets. The use of dresses without corsets was one of the central demands of suffragettes, who saw this wardrobe element as a symbol of patriarchy and oppression.
At the end of the 19th century, a more "healthy" S-shaped corset was invented. The characteristic of the Edwardian era corset is its length. It can reach the knees - this became possible thanks to the use of elastic materials. The corset evenly cinches the body along its entire length and corrects it from the neck to the knees, trying to create the impression of natural contours. The waist becomes wider.
After the start of the First World War, the corset either disappeared from the wardrobe or became significantly looser. Women wanted to match men and reduce gender differences. The disappearance of the corset was one of the indicators of a reevaluation of social roles. By the 1930s, the simple cut of dresses allowed for the wearing of brassieres and shaping belts that corresponded to the natural curves of the body and did not disrupt its anatomy. It was during this period that analogues of modern corsetry items appeared.
Now the corset has returned to fashion and is used not only as underwear, but also serves as a decoration for girls' everyday wardrobe. The corset is a small detail that changes everything. It embodies the true nature of a woman: she is natural, knows how to enjoy herself and her inner freedom. Each Miss Corset product is filled with admiration for the female body and care for it. We uphold the traditions of the past, but use the most modern materials so that in our corsets you not only look attractive, but also feel comfortable.