May 2022’s Met Gala revealed the return (again) of quite a controversial garment: the corset.
Corset-like garments have been around for thousands of years; historical fashion exhibitions at any museum will showcase the heavily structured, impossibly narrow, and completely unnatural pieces of womenswear. Designed to present women in the most desirable shape (for men, of course), corsets were popular predominantly amongst upper and middle-class women. However, during the 19th century, some doctors began to suggest that corsets were the cause of various ailments in women – everything from respiratory issues to miscarriages.
Spring forward to the 20th century, corsets, girdles, compression underwear, and brassieres are still used to transform the female body into a shape deemed desirable. Thankfully, due to the modernization of the materials used to make them, the structure of corsets is a little more flexible than their original designs. In the 1990s, corsets became part of a look, worn standalone or incorporated into tops and dresses rather than worn solely as an undergarment.
Madonna became the queen of corsets with her famous pointed nipple attire, starting a risque new trend.
But even some of Hollywood’s sweethearts took to the trend…
While the more severely shaped corsets are reserved for burlesque and pin-up style fashions, a more relaxed version of the corset remains in mainstream fashion. A mixture of the global influence of the Kardashians and Netflix’s Bridgerton has led to a resurgence of corset style for 2022. The Kardashians have touted waist trainers, and Kim’s underwear brand SKIMS garments designed to pull women into her hourglass shape. Alongside Brigerton’s “Regencycore” puff sleeves and square necklines, the corset has also made it from the Ton to the high street. Zara, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Good American all feature summer collections that have corset-style designs.
Styling a corset can be daunting, but with celebrities rocking them for every occasion, from date night to a trip to Target, there’s plenty of inspiration to be had.
All images courtesy of Getty Images
