The corset is an undergarment worn by women of the 18th and 19th centuries. It tied up the back and pulled very tightly at women’s bodies. It was designed to shape the hips and waist and lift up the busts. Some people don’t know but corsets were worn by both men and women but women most commonly. There were special corset-makers called corsetieres, who made them especially for the wearer of them. Some corsets are made included garters that hold up the wearers stockings. Corsets aren’t only used for fashion reasons; they are also used for some medical issues as well. When some people have scoliosis or internal issues they get corsets fitted to them to protect the torso and keep it from moving around too much. They are made of cloth that then has boning made of whalebone or steel to hold it in place and keep it stiff. They are held up with lacing in the back that is almost impossible to do by yourself, a women would have her maid help her get it on. During the second half of the 19th century they actually had corsets that were more durable for wearing while horseback riding, playing tennis or even ones made special for maternity. The corset actually did cause health problems for women though, because they had it too tight to make themselves thinner than they were. They began wearing them when they were young so they were still developing. It squeezed organs together, which caused childbirth problems, and digestive problems. Corsets haven’t totally died out and are still worn sometimes by some people today."* 19th Century Fashion *." Free Website Hosting Angelfire free website templates to make your own free website. Web. 09 Dec. 2009. http://www.angelfire.com/ar3/townevictorian/victorianfashion.html.
"Corset -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 09 Dec. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corsets.
