Corsets, also known as stays, were a fundamental undergarment in European women's fashion, spanning from the 17th century to the early 20th century. These garments were traditionally crafted from fabric, reinforced with boning made of materials like whalebone or steel, and featured a rigid front panel called a busk. Lacing allowed the garment to be tightened, shaping the body to conform to the prevailing silhouette of the era. The history of corsetry
is a story of continuous evolution, adapting to changing fashion ideals and technological advancements, transforming from simple stiffened bodies to the more complex and curvaceous forms recognized today.
Early Forms: Bodies and Stays (16th-18th Centuries)
In the late 16th century, the garment that would later be known as the corset was referred to as "a pair of bodies." This early form consisted of a simple bodice, stiffened with boning made from reeds or whalebone. A busk, typically made of wood, horn, whalebone, metal, or ivory, further reinforced the central front, helping to create an upright posture. Initially, this garment was reserved for the aristocracy and was most often laced in the back. These "bodies" aimed to achieve a tubular, straight-up-and-down shape, minimizing the bust, and were common for both women and men into the 16th and 17th centuries. They were constructed in two parts and fastened at the sides.
By the mid-17th century, "pairs of bodies" began to be called "stays." These stays continued to shape the upper torso into a cone or cylinder. In the 17th century, tabs, referred to as "fingers," were added at the waist. The 18th century saw further evolution, with increased use of whalebone for boning. The shape of stays also changed, being low and wide in the front but potentially reaching as high as the upper shoulder in the back. Stays could be strapless or feature shoulder straps, which were generally attached in the back and tied at the front. The primary purpose of 18th-century stays was to support the bust and create the fashionable conical torso shape, while also drawing the shoulders back. During this period, eyelets were reinforced with stitches and were staggered rather than placed directly opposite each other, allowing for spiral lacing. A variant called "jumps" emerged, which were looser, unboned, and sometimes had attached sleeves, resembling a jacket. These were meant for informal occasions, while stays were worn for court dress.
The Rise of the Corset and the Wasp Waist (19th Century)
In the early 19th century, as gussets were added to accommodate the bust, stays became known as corsets. These new corsets lengthened to the hip, with lower tabs replaced by hip gussets, and initially featured less boning. However, fashion shifted again in the 1820s, with the waistline lowering to a more natural position, allowing for more ornamentation on bodices. This change brought the corset back into prominence, now designed with some padding for a waist-slimming effect and more boning. The 1840s saw corsets becoming even more heavily boned, and shoulder straps were eliminated. By 1850, steel boning gained popularity.
The invention of metal eyelets in 1827 was a pivotal moment, enabling tighter lacing without damaging the garment. Eyelets were now situated opposite one another at the back, and the front was fastened with a metal busk. This innovation, along with steel boning and busks, allowed for the creation of the "wasp-waisted" shape that became synonymous with 19th-century corsetry. Corsets of the 1850s–1860s were shorter due to the advent of the hoop skirt or crinoline. However, after the 1860s, as the crinoline fell out of style, corsets became longer to shape the abdomen, complementing the new princess or cuirass styles. The spoon busk, developed in the 1870s, further refined the shape by molding the stomach and distributing pressure. This period saw corsets become a standard part of daily wear for all women in Western fashion, with forgoing one in public considered a risqué choice.
Materials and Manufacturing Innovations
Corsets were typically constructed from sturdy, non-stretch materials, with cotton, particularly coutil, being a popular historical choice. Other materials included silk, wool, or leather. Structure was provided by boning, also called ribs or stays, inserted into channels within the fabric or leather. While baleen (whalebone) was favored in the 18th and early 19th centuries, steel boning became more common in the mid to late 19th century. Modern corsets often use spring and/or spiral steel boning or synthetic whalebone, while plastic is common for fashion corsets. Other historical boning materials included ivory, wood, and cane. The busk, a stiff, flat piece along the sternum, usually made of wood or metal, created a smooth front line.
The 19th century also marked a significant shift in corset production. Corsets became one of the first garments to be mass-produced in factories using assembly lines. This process involved different groups of people, often children, performing specific tasks. Heavy or messy work, such as cutting fabric and japanning steels to prevent rust, was done in-house, while lighter tasks like sewing bones were often taken home by piece workers, typically women who enlisted their children's help. The advent of the sewing machine and assembly-line manufacturing allowed for a greater variety of corsets in different colors. Steam-molding, developed in the late 1860s, further enhanced production, creating stiffer and more rounded corsets.
