Corsets, Waist Reduction and Corset Comfort

Waist training, also known as corseting or tight lacing, is the act of wearing a sort of corset with integral waist reduction to improve posture and shape. Waist training is popular nowadays because many people are conscious about their weight. In addition to being worn for temporary slimming purposes, waist trainers are worn for permanent results due to the constricting nature of clothes and formalwear. Corsets have been traditionally used by women in Europe since the 18th century as an undergarment that functions like a girdle with a priority on shaping and reshaping the female figure.

The concept of the corset dates back to Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian goddess of fashion, Isis, is often depicted wearing a corset. Although it's possible that the corset was worn as a symbol of authority in ancient times, it was worn for fashion in Ancient Greece and Rome. In fact, the Roman Goddess Venus was also known as Venus Spina (Venus with Spine) because she had a waistline of more than 90 vertebrae. From there we come to contemporary fashion where the first form of waist training was called buskins. These were made by sewing together two short pieces of fine linen or muslin cloth for women to wear underneath their gowns at the time. Buskins were intended to enhance the wearer's waistline.

The corset was reintroduced to Western culture by Catherine de Medici in 1533 who was French and perhaps was influenced by her stay in Italy. She brought with her some fine examples of garments that she had collected from Venice and which formed the basis of a fashion revolution in France at the time. She also brought with her some fine examples of garments that she had collected from Venice and which formed the basis of a fashion revolution in France at the time. The corset was originally intended to create a flat-chested silhouette, which is one reason why it did not become popular until later centuries when ample bosoms were no longer fashionable. This also explains why many of the early corsets were made of boning, originally whalebone, which does not reduce the waistline significantly.

As it became apparent that tight-lacing was possible and quite fashionable, the focus began to shift toward wearing waist-training garments for beauty rather than fashion. The corset continued its evolution by incorporating a variety of materials such as wood (bendwood) and steel. In 1819, Englishman Charles Goodyear invented a process called Vulcanization which allowed rubber to be mixed with natural or synthetic fibers. Rubber was then used as an alternative for whalebone and metal because it is soft and pliable. It was also much more durable and resilient. Inventors soon began to use rubber in corsets in the firm belief that this would not damage the figure or create a muffin top.

Initially, rubber-based corsets were made with two layers of cloth between the layer of rubber and the body of the wearer (in order to prevent chafing), but later these were replaced by one thick layer of rubber over the whole garment. These methods came under attack by both fashion writers and doctors because they were claimed to be unsanitary and dangerous as well as uncomfortable (a woman died as a result of wearing such an item).

Conclusion: Buskins were intended to enhance the wearer's waistline. Corsets were originally intended to create a flat-chested silhouette, which is one reason why it did not become popular until later centuries when ample bosoms were no longer fashionable. As it became apparent that tight-lacing was possible and quite fashionable, the focus shifted toward wearing waist training garments for beauty rather than fashion. Rubber-based corsets were claimed to be unsanitary and dangerous as well as uncomfortable (a woman died as a result of wearing such an item).