The Corset - Sensuality in History So Far

The formal corset is a piece of clothing designed to accentuate and tighten the waist and shape your body into an ideal hourglass silhouette.

Evening corsets are made from elastic fabrics, reinforced with iron or plastic clips. The representative detail of the formal corset is the string, used to tie it, in the front and back.

Initially the formal corset was designed to improve the general appearance of a person, regardless of sex. In time, it became a garment designed for many different occasions that came in many different styles that suited many different tastes.

The formal corset in history

In antique times, Greek and Roman women used to wrap their bodies in wide fabric strips to make them appear thinner.

In the middle Ages women began wearing, under their clothes, a sort of tight bodice, made from lace.

In the fifteenth century, in Crete, the first corset appeared. By the mid-sixteenth century, this piece of clothing became much narrower, and the lace was replaced with leather, and to sustain the body’s pressure whale bones were added, along with wood and iron splints.

The formal corset has seen its peek between 1830 and 1920. Starting with the nineteenth century, the corset became a clothing piece designed exclusively for women and was gradually changed to follow the natural lines of the body.

The formal corset in and out of fashion

By the end of the nineteenth century, the formal corset became very popular among women. It wasn’t worn directly on the skin, but over a type of underwear that resembled knee-length night gowns.

The first evening corsets were covered by a very elaborate veil of silk and were used as a visible and integral part of dresses.

Gradually, their role was limited to underwear, their decorations have disappeared and they became garments worn by women in rural areas, used only for support in rough working conditions.

The beginning of 1770 brought new vales to the female form and thus to the bust area. The chest was emphasized using an updated version of the formal corset that gave a rounded shape to the breast due to the metal clips used in its design.

With the return of the classic Greek style, fashion followed the natural, fluid line of the body and the formal corset once again lost its territory.

The formal corset back in style

After a long period of absence, in the context of a different mentality the formal corset returned in the public eye in 1990.

Women of all ages rediscovered the elegance and confidence promised by the formal corset, replacing the stigma of martyrdom and inhibitions. Moreover, the new century brought a feminist connotation to it, being used to control, rather than to be controlled.

Worn as a piece of clothing instead of a piece of underwear, the formal corset expressed, and still expresses, independence, femininity and elegance, a phenomenon celebrated by designers. Currently, all major fashion houses have integrated in their shows, outfits constructed around a formal corset, highlighting it as a statement piece.

The formal corset has become a highly visible piece of clothing, both in the entertainment industry and in fashion magazines. Its versatility is reinterpreted in many ways from lingerie, to burlesque costumes, to wedding dresses and prom dresses.

The formal corset in prom dresses

For prom, the formal corset is indispensable. As a result many designs require purchasing a corset or already have one incorporated in them.

Evening corsets can be custom made, depending on preferences; manufacturers can design it on the shape of the dress or on the shape of the body.

I’m sure that you’re dedicating a lot of time to this important event of your life and I’m sure you want to look breathtaking, and the formal corset can help you achieve your ideal figure on your special night.

The formal corset, worn properly and adjusted to your needs, can reduce your waistline by up to 10 cm and make you look spectacular on your prom night.

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