Corset Coquetry Information

Corsets usually associated with fashion and a must for the coquettes - the French belles - have their share of difficulties. Although historical evidence places their time of origin sometime in the 16th century, it has at times wrongly been considered that they had been enforced by Catherine de'Medici - the then wife of King Henry II of France. Being woman of fashion, she apparently dictated that anyone with a thick waist couldn't appear at court. Other researchers have found evidence of the corset even in early Crete.

Corsets were generally worn over a chemise made in cotton lawn or linen in order to absorb sweat and keep the gown clean. Nowadays a corset liner is available to that end. Tightening of the laces though lend to hampering freedom of movement, surprisingly sporty corsets were trendy especially for sports such as bicycling, tennis or horse riding. Pregnant women too donned corsets to provide support to the abdominal areas.

From simple stays comprising of a bodice with tabs at the waist. These tabs were generally kept firm with the help of buckrams, whalebones, or even horns. The centre front was kept stiff with the help of a busk designed from ivory, wood or metal. Generally used by the aristocracy, mass consumption led to use of cheaper options like plastic leading to deterioration in its quality. The now ubiquitous stays changed not only in the materials used, but also in its form. The shape underwent a change to becoming low and wide in the front and reaching up until the neck at the back.

The use of these corsets or stays was to accentuate the bust line by drawing the shoulders behind. The eyelets then is use, were staggered in order that the stays could be laced in a spiral manner. Both at the bottom and at the top, one end of the lace was knotted into the eyelet and then the lace would be wound up or down and tightened at the other end. The wearer though while being laced had to hold onto something to avoid being pulled in either direction while the laces were tightened. Two variants of stays were popular - one was the corset and the other being jumps. Jumps were a lose version of the stays with attached sleeves similar to a jacket.

French coquetry demanded that stiff corsets be worn at court. For the informal wear however corsets made form quilted waistcoats were a viable option. French Revolution drove out the stays from fashion and in a surprising turn of events it was the men - the Dandies who donned the corsets and continued the use of it not only for being in vogue but as a remedy to reduce back pain.

Corsets too underwent a change in form and shape. At times the corsets lengthened to reach the hip and the lower tables were held in place by gussets at the hip. Popularity of the corsets led it to being worn by all classes of people and some women even made their own corsets.