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The History of CorsetsCorsets in the 21st Century |
Since the start of the century, corsetry has displayed two conflicting trends. The first has seen the final death throes of traditional corsetry, as the last of the women who became accustomed to the firm girdles of the first half of the 20th century died off. Nonfunctional suspender belts have lingered on as playwear, but (in Australia) corselettes and open bottom girdles had disappeared completely by about 2007. A few stockings are still available, but are probably only worn in the bedroom. On the other hand shapewear has shown a significant revival, as fashions have changed, and new more comfortable styles of shapewear have been introduced. However the the general standard of dress continues to decline (for both sexes), and the percentage of grossly obese people continues to increase. Apart from a slight revival for opaque tights and patterned pantyhose, stockings have continued to go out of fashion, and most young women now appear bare legged at even the dressiest functions. In contrast with the carefully structured styles of the early 20th century shapewear has become far simpler. For example the Triumph Bodyshaper Skirt (above left and right) consists of a tube of elastic fabric, with nothing to distinguish front from back. The top is folded back down to give a double thickness for additional waist slimming. Superficially this garment is not unlike a classical HWOBG, but it is not apparent how (if?) it stays in place, as it lacks the garters which formerly held it down, and the bones which prevented the waistband from folding or creasing.
The classical girdle was made up of a combination of panels of rigid material and of one and two-way stretch elastic carefully designed to flatten the buttocks and tummy. Even the elastic sections had a relatively small degree of stretch so that the girdle had to be carefully shaped to match the curves of the woman's body, and carefully fitted to the individual woman. Measurements of a number of classical girdles indicate that generally they were designed so that the elastic section would be stretched about 20% in use. However the modern girdles have no rigid panels, and are made of elastic with a much greater degree of stretch. For example when the medium size Triumph garment shown above is worn by a woman with 30" waist and 40” hips it will be stretched about 10% at the waist and 50% at the hips. For the even stretchier Playtex 'Second Skin' LLPGs the corresponding figures are 30% and 70%. These garments can smooth out bumps, and prevent bounce, but they cannot flatten individual parts of the body. Detractors claim that they produce the "Michelin Man" appearance. However, for men who are interested in wearing girdles, they have one great advantage, in that they fit a man better than they do a woman. There is also an increasing range of shapewear specifically designed for men. This has probably been stimulated by the increasing use of 'performance enhancing' shapewear by both sexes in sport.
The garment on the left is a fascinating example of modern Corsetry. The effect it produces (which I find extremely elegant) is reminiscent of both the rather inelegant 1920's 'Flatteners', and the more elegant 'Bust bodices' of the late 19th century. It was advertised in 2008 by a firm in the US. I have not found this, or any similar garment, advertised anywhere else, and have no idea how popular it proved to be. The advertisement also belongs to a select group of advertisements appearing in the second half of the first decade of the century which feature carefully photographed garments on attractive models, reproduced at sufficient resolution to display the garments (and models!) at their best. There has been a significant resurgence of interest in rigid corsets, inspired by Madonna, and some of the Continental designers, especially Gaultier, but most of the garments in the regular shops come under the category of playwear rather than serious corsetry. Kylie Minogue, and apparently also her sister Dannii, have also frequently worn corsets for their performances. This photo, showing them wearing what appear to be quite serious corsets, was featured, rather improbably, on the property pages of the Melbourne Age on Feb 13, 2008. It was decorating a news item reporting that their parents, who apparently dabble extensively in property, have secured Proctor and Gamble as major tenants for one of their speculative commercial property developments. Corsets play an important part in the bondage scene, and some very extreme styles are available.
Very sophisticated manufacturing techniques are now available, and these allow manufacturers to do things which were previously impossible. For example the Triumph garment above left is knitted in a tube, and the top part (which is folded back down to produce the reinforcing) uses a different knit, so that the top is rough on the inside (presumably to grip the skin letter), but smooth on the outside. A range of ‘butt shaper’ briefs have been introduced which have a very complex pattern of reinforcing bands knitted into the fabric. These are available both as shaper briefs and as body shaper pantyhose. Playtex Second Skin shapers incorporate bands of this type which supposedly lift the buttocks and flatten the tummy, but I cannot tell the difference if I accidentally put them on backwards. It has become fashionable to wear compression garments for sports, on the basis of some rather dodgy papers claiming to prove that these garments damp out microvibrations in muscle fibres, which supposedly increases stamina. The fabrics used are also claimed to improve body temperature regulation, and a full range of garments are available for both men and women. They seem to be popular, and it has become common to see footballers flashing the legs of pantygirdles below their shorts. Compression garments also have a number of medical applications, and a wide range of garments are available. Some have additional zips to make them easier to put on after operations. |
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The Art of Corsetry Ed: Bunyip Bluegum |
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