History of corsets

The corset is a supportive undergarment. It was standard in women's fashion in Europe for several centuries and served to shape the body and support upright posture, evolving in form as fashion trends changed. Depending on the era and location, the corset has been called various terms such as a pair of bodies, stays, or corsets.

A pair of bodies or stays, as they were known at the time, first became popular in sixteenth-century Europe, and created in the wearer a conical shape with a flattened bust. The wasp-waisted garment that is now associated with the term "corset" reached the zenith of its popularity in the Victorian era. While the corset has typically been worn as an undergarment, it has occasionally been used as an outer-garment, as can be seen in the national dress of some European countries.: 22 

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