How Women Are Reclaiming Their Power with the Corset Trend
By Cathy Ching
In fashion, much of the old finds its way back into the new. The corset has made many returns to the fashion scene, recently becoming a staple piece in more closets every day. We have seen them on countless fashion-savvy celebrities, such as Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner, and Rihanna. While the look of corsets may be a nod to their historic origins, women are replacing bones with cloth and oppression with empowerment to rewrite the controversial history of the corset.
The hourglass figure was idealized by men dating back to the 12th century. To achieve this beauty standard, women wore body-shaping undergarments to exaggerate their busty top and small waist. This trend rose in popularity during the Victorian era and was typically stiffened by whalebone, a firm substance from the upper jaw of a whale. Sadly, these undergarments were detrimental to the bodies they confined; women were laced so tightly that they were often at risk of impaired breathing, poor digestion, and even deformed rib cages.
Photo Credits of Forbes
Aside from the obvious physical factor of the corset controversy, corsets were also a form of social oppression. They were used to mold bodies that did not fit the ideal beauty standard set by men and in effect limited women’s movement, both literally and figuratively. Although most women willingly wore corsets under their dresses, as it was the cultural norm of the day, these menacing pieces of clothing came to represent a toxic beauty standard forced upon young women — rather than a fashion statement.
Thankfully, the reprise of corsets has taken a much different direction in the past few years. Today, they symbolize empowerment among women and are used to embrace femininity, sexuality, and fashion. Although some corsets are still stiff, clothing companies make corsets in a variety of sizes to provide a comfortable and safe fit. Most corsets still accentuate the figure like in the Victorian era, but today’s trend is focused on how the corset is worn, not the body that is under the corset.
Women today are turning the stigma of the oppressive corset into a powerful statement of femininity and body positivity. Stretchy and comfortable, corsets today are statement accessories and tops, not cookie-cutter undergarments. They can be worn on the outside of clothing, rather than underneath, and often add a feminine edge to a more masculine dress shirt. Historically, corsets were worn under clothing and made to seem like women had natural hourglass figures. But today, they are meant to be seen, not hidden. Wearing cinched corsets in plain sight, women are not ashamed to show that their bodies are not naturally shaped that way.
The corset trend is normalizing women being proud of their sensual selves. In exploring power, individuality, and style, women have used corsets to reverse the meaning of a once-demeaning piece of clothing.
