The Corset through the centuries...

The corset can be described as a weapon of torture, a useful tool in fahsion or even an 'essential' but the corset has been through many adventures over the past century or so. In the late 1800s to the early 20th century the corset was just something that was expected to be in every classy womans wardorbe, but designers like Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel discarded this item of underwear. Paul Poiret, although ridiculed at first, believed in a much more loose, lower waistline to give more mobility to the active woman.






Dior New Look 1947


In Dior's New Look 1947 he re-introduces the corset that had previously be shunned by all. This had a wild effect on fashion, as in the 1953 film 'Gentleman Prefer Blondes' Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russel (who play the main chracters) are clearly wearing corsets in some of the scenes.

I think corsets can damage the body to extremes but in some outfits the corset, worn a bit looser can give a look a great effect.