THE CORSET, FASHION AND FETTISH IN SATIN AND STEEL

It has been a staple of the western womans' wardrobe for centuries. Yet through all its history it has been called an "instrument of torture" and blamed for ill health and even death. It has been condemned as an instrument of female oppression, and called by many "how a patriarchal society controlled women and exploited their sexuality". Heavy stuff for an undergarment.

I can remember when I saw my first perfect combination of fabric and steel bones, and I remember the effect it had on me . It was in a period drama on TV when I was a child, the corset was a Victorian underbust style and I was captivated by it. Every time I saw one, or a woman who's shape betrayed she was wearing one on TV, in films or anywhere, from that day on I could never take my eyes off it. I knew that I would have many in my life, and I still keep the first one...broken as it is, It is still beautiful and will always mean allot to me.

As a dedicated corset fanatic myself I would challenge the cut and dry view that corsetry is simply oppression versus liberation and fashion versus comfort.Because though many women did, and do continue to, have a negative experience with them many more love them, and it can have positive social connotations too like self discipline, artistry, beauty and erotic allure.

Everyone knows the famous scene from the movie 'gone with the wind' where the incomparable Scarlet O'Hara is laced up by her maid, despairing that she is measuring 20 inches instead of her usual 18 because of having had children. She tells her maid to try and get it down to eighteen and a half or none of her clothes will fit!. The scene plays to a common stereotype that goes back to the 18th century, when caricatures portrayed female vanity exactly like this.

However, though many women did reduce their waists by several inches, tight-lacing to extremes is mostly in the realms of fantasy and was very rare in reality. The corset did not and could not have caused all of the disease and ailments they were accused of, and much of this misconception was down to an entirely male medical professions' misunderstanding of (and frankly fear of) the female body.

Now, that is not to say that lacing yourself up has no negative health consequences, but they need to be kept in perspective. So don't be afraid of it or let anyone use the old stereotypes against you and suggest you are a 'victim' of fashion or male oppression (remind them that men actually used to wear corsets too) and don't let them say that you are simply stupid and vain either. But do enter into it sensibly and don't try to engage others in 'competitive tight-lacing' wear the size right for you.

So how do you know what is the right size for you?.

Corsets are sized by waist measurement and have nothing to do with your dress size. The corset size e.g. 22 refers to the span around the middle when it is fully closed. Measure your waist around the natural waistline. The right corset size for you is between 3 and 6 inches less than your natural waist measurement. I will go into more detail on this in the buying and wearing guide .

As fashions changed the focus moved from a flat torso to a wasp waist and the garment as we know it was born. It went though many evolutions, several of which claimed to be health giving like the infamous "electric corset" of Dr. Scott, which was happily not actually electrified, but had had electricity sent through the metal stays during the construction. It claimed to "cure rheumatism, indigestion and all nervous affections". Take what you will from that!.

In the later 1800's the new satin corset was called the "nude of our era" by Edouard Manet, whose famous painting Nana shows a woman in her dressing room wearing one in pale blue satin,and being observed by a man in a top hat. Manet painted many more images of women dressed this way, but he was not alone. Edgar Degas, Georges Seurat and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec to name but afew were also highly enamoured by the combination of satin and steel . It was highly fetishistic even then, it caused a bit of an uproar, and was called "more than nude". which is interesting because it confirms what we pinup fans all know ....That revealing less is far sexier than revealing more.

It is generally believed that corset wearing fell out of fashion after 1900 because women were finally swayed by the 'medical' arguments against them, this is untrue but they did change in design again. The S-bend otherwise known as the 'straight front' was actually designed to be healthier, the idea being that the stays did not curve inwards so did not push the organs downwards and it did not "suppress the bust". But what it did do was force the upper body forward and the lower body backward, causing serious damage to the spine, pelvis and knees, far more serious than any other corset before it. One good thing to come out of the S-bend was the start of the modern brassiere, because it had an open bust.

There are many different types available today, most are derived from the Victorian style satin , though the 'S bend' are still made by speciality fashion houses.

So now you are an expert you will want to add one to your wardrobe...click to read the next page in this corset guide where you will find out about how to make just the right choice for you.

Looking for other pinup style ideas? Return to the RETRO GLAMOUR main page for links to more great pages on hairstyles, makeup and much more


Or return to pinups art-n-style HOME PAGE

More articles you may enjoy:
History of pinup art
Bad Kittens pinup art galleries
Seamed Stockings
1940s fashion
Pinup girl tattoos