 All types of corset are useful for various occasions
Added: 01/06/2006 |
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Corsets, a core fashion piece of lingerie has been the foundation of women's fashion for centuries. While the corset was the most intimate of women's underwear at the start of the twentieth century, it has become the flamboyant, rebellious and sexy 'underwear as outerwear', associated with fantasy and eroticism by the end. Along rather eventful corset evolution the components of this garment remained unchanged whereas the new types of corsets have been developed. They are, to mention a few, redresseur corset, bondage corset, hourglass corset and others.
Historically the corset has always been a woman's underwear support, which was boned and close fitting and usually hooked and laced. The corset starts either above or just below the bust and continues down to the waist or below the hips, generally with garters attached to its base. Types of corset have effectively evolved into a body-shaper, derived from sportswear, and featuring under-wiring of the breasts and elasticised control panels with popper fastenings at the crotch. A Basque is the name given to any tight-fitting bodice garment worn by women. Examples of Basques include the corselette and redresseur corset. The bustier on the other hand is a bosom-to-hip corset-like garment, usually trimmed in lace. Other features can include detachable garters, flexible boning, shoulder straps, and lace-up closing.
The most common use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette. For women this most frequently emphasises a curvy figure, by reducing the waist, and thereby exaggerating the bust and hips. However, in some periods, some types of corsets have been worn to achieve a tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involves minimising the bust and hips.
For men, corsets are more customarily used to slim the figure. However, there was a period from around 1820 to 1835 when an hourglass figure (a small, nipped-in look to the waist) was also desirable for men; this was sometimes achieved by wearing a redresseur corset. Often these garments are worn for the visual enjoyment of a partner and are made from myriad of fabrics and materials including, lace, fine cotton, eyelet lace (broderie anglaise), matte and shiny silk and silk imitations, crepe de chine, georgette, and satin as well as more modern materials such as lycra, leather and rubber.
Normally a corset supports the visible dress, and spreads the pressure from large dresses, such as the crinoline and bustle. Some types of corset have been supported by a corset cover. Most types of corset are typically constructed of a flexible material (like cloth or leather) stiffened with boning (also called ribs or stays) inserted into channels in the cloth or leather. In the Victorian period, steel and whalebone were favored. Plastic is now the most commonly used material; spring or spiral steel is preferred for high-quality redresseur
corset. Other materials used for boning include ivory, wood, and cane. (By contrast, a girdle is usually made of elasticized fabric, without boning.)
All types of corset were and are usually designed for support, with freedom of body movement an important consideration in their design. Present day corset-wearers usually tighten the corset just enough to reduce their waists by 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches); it is very difficult for a slender woman to achieve as much as 15 centimeters (6 inches), although larger women can do so more easily. Despite the striking variety of types of corset, the essence of this item remains unchanged. The corset is designed specifically to copy the shape of the torso. The traditional purpose of corsets is to make the lady's body correspond to the conventional standards of beauty. Other uses is their orthopaedic application. In most types of corset lacing is an intrinsic part of any kind of corsets, be it redresseur corset or bondage corset.
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