Corsetry More Than Art and Illusion

Corsetry is not only making the corsets, but the word refers to the corsets, too. Women love wearing corsets because of the beautiful feminine shape it gives to their body. They tend to hug the waist and give more focus on the full breasts. In the past, corsets were extremely constricting and extremely uncomfortable. However, corsets have become less restricting and a popular novelty piece in the bedroom. Corsetry is a wonderful addition to any women's lingerie wardrobe.

Corsetry has been around for hundreds of years, but it generally fell out of fashion in the Western world during the 1920s when corsets were replaced by girdles. Since that time, corsets have been used less as underwear and more as costumes, lingerie, and even outerwear.

Just as the purpose of corsetry has changed over the years, so too has the construction. They were originally made from thick material such as leather that had channels to hold "stays." Stays were made from rigid material such as whalebone or steel. Today's corsets are usually not as rigid and may be made from softer fabrics. Stays are typically made of plastic, although it is still possible to find some made from steel.

Most corsets wrap around the upper body with either the front or back left open. The opening is lined with eyelets or grommets along both sides, and these are used to lace the corset together. As the lace is tightened, the corset constricts the body and holds it in place. Throughout history, corsets have been worn so tight as to cause women to faint or even to develop permanent deformities. It is thought, however, that some of the drawbacks to corsetry have been overly dramatized and that wearing them is not as uncomfortable as has been portrayed in literature and movies.

The point was simply to modify the body's shape by a small amount in order to reach an idealized silhouette. There are still people referred to as "tightlacers" who use corsets to constrict the size of their natural waists to be less than 20 inches in circumference. These people are quite rare, however, and most use corsets as sexy underwear for the boudoir. They are also quite popular in BDSM practices, both for their restriction and just for aesthetics.

Corsetry comes in a number of styles, but the two main categories are the overbust and underbust. These names mean just what they imply. An overbust corset starts just below the armpits, while an underbust corset begins below the bust line. Both types are likely to push up the bust to create a fuller look with more cleavage.

Modern corsetry is much more forgiving than its forerunners, and it is used everywhere from the bedroom to the dance floor. Many wedding dress designers have incorporated corsets into their fashions, and other dress designers have followed suit. It is not uncommon to see laced-up dresses at the high school prom. They are also very popular in certain subcultures such as "Gothic" and for those involved in reenactments and renaissance fairs.