Spelled as corsets, these are articles of clothing made as early as the 2000 B.C. as an outer garment primarily for men in the Minoan island of Crete in antiquity. The early Greeks and Romans wore inner corsets primarily to shape the body into a certain contour favoured by their societies at that time. It later evolved in the Middle Ages into something that was a very tight fitting inner bodice designed to produce very slender hips and accentuate the female breasts. It was considered high fashion at that time to wear them in official functions and these were sometimes jewelled with precious stones and with elaborate embroidery.
By around 1900, it became primarily a female garment only worn by royalty and in high society. Its tight fit was gradually loosened to conform to the natural form of the body rather than forcing the body to conform to it. The decision to loosen corsets was caused by numerous health problems among its wearers and eventually gave way to brassieres and girdles made of elastic materials that allow the wearer to breath somewhat. Its modern version are the corselets which is just a 1-piece item and easily worn by women. Corsets have generally gone out of fashion together with the rise of the women’s movement which emphasized liberation for females. It was viewed as a lingering remembrance of the attempts by men to keep women under control by forcing them to wear corsets. Bikinis and other skimpy swim wear attire largely contributed to the demise of corsets as a necessary part of women’s wardrobes. But they still have their present-day uses such as for those with a bad back. Corsets can help women with scoliosis by applying pressure on the spine. Medically, corsets used in treatments are called as trunk orthesis to prevent the progression of scoliosis. These rigid orthopaedic devices can arrest spinal deformities caused by bone loss or osteoporosis in women during menopause by strengthening the back muscles. Back pains are known to be cured by corsets too.
Spelled as corsets, these are articles of clothing made as early as the 2000 B.C. as an outer garment primarily for men in the Minoan island of Crete in antiquity. The early Greeks and Romans wore inner corsets primarily to shape the body into a certain contour favoured by their societies at that time. It later evolved in the Middle Ages into something that was a very tight fitting inner bodice designed to produce very slender hips and accentuate the female breasts. It was considered high fashion at that time to wear them in official functions and these were sometimes jewelled with precious stones and with elaborate embroidery.
By around 1900, it became primarily a female garment only worn by royalty and in high society. Its tight fit was gradually loosened to conform to the natural form of the body rather than forcing the body to conform to it. The decision to loosen corsets was caused by numerous health problems among its wearers and eventually gave way to brassieres and girdles made of elastic materials that allow the wearer to breath somewhat. Its modern version are the corselets which is just a 1-piece item and easily worn by women. Corsets have generally gone out of fashion together with the rise of the women’s movement which emphasized liberation for females. It was viewed as a lingering remembrance of the attempts by men to keep women under control by forcing them to wear corsets. Bikinis and other skimpy swim wear attire largely contributed to the demise of corsets as a necessary part of women’s wardrobes. But they still have their present-day uses such as for those with a bad back. Corsets can help women with scoliosis by applying pressure on the spine. Medically, corsets used in treatments are called as trunk orthesis to prevent the progression of scoliosis. These rigid orthopaedic devices can arrest spinal deformities caused by bone loss or osteoporosis in women during menopause by strengthening the back muscles. Back pains are known to be cured by corsets too.
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