How to Corset
Corseting, Figure Training and Tight lacing
Especially modern custom made corsetry (see links for corset makers) is now winning more people over than ever before, because of the better materials and design techniques used which enable a very comfortable fit. Made to measure, it will fit smoothly such that the body relaxes and once settled in, the wearer becomes so used to it that it no longer feels "there". Unlike elastic garments, which always compress, a corset allows the body to conform such that the pressure becomes evenly distributed. As the body relaxes further, the initial pressure which felt confining at first, is greatly reduced, and if desired, this allows for further tightening. This does not happen in an elastic garment which always follows the body.
During the later decades of the 19th century...
most corsets were mass produced items, and not necessarily designed with comfort in mind. The more expensive garments were made to measure by a corset maker and a reality for the upper and upper middle class. Many did however successfully make their own corsets, but the majority of girls and women and some men used off the rack garments. As a consequence wealthier women were often able to lace much tighter, but also because of their expected sedentary lifestyle.
"The look in the mirror fulfills the wildest dreams: If there had hardly been a shape, there will be one now, and if there was a figure, there will now be a goddess"
| Some examples of patterns for home made corsets. As corset styles became more complex, this became more and more challenging. | ||
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| Compared to corset company made items, these were simpler designs, yet in function they closely resembled the professional made garments. | For sports, such as tennis, horseback riding, corsets needed to be shorter on the hip to provide the necessary mobility, without sacrificing the overall line. | To aid nursing mothers to restore their figures after childbirth, nursing corsets enabled nursing while figure re-training. |
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Both women and men wore corsets, and some of the men (center) engaged in tight-lacing as well.
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