RANT/RAVE CORSETS ILLUSTRATIONS BY AVERY ALLISON
RANT
BY MOLLY WILSON
Look, I am all for a cute “going out” top, but corset-style tops are not it. Corset tops are not only tacky, but also perpetuate an unrealistic body standard. Corsets were created to shape the female body by lifting the breasts, tightening the stomach area, and narrowing the waist. They literally restricted women’s breathing and were created to make the female body look more “feminine.” Corsets are one of the most non-body positive items of clothing not only because of their historical connotation, but also because they are meant to suck one in and give one the look of a more “flattering” flat stomach. Now, I understand that not all modern-day corset tops are super tight with the purpose of making your waist smaller. However, by wearing tops that emulate that look, we are furthering the societal pressure put on women to be thin and pretty with a perky bust and curvy waist. All of that should be reason enough to ditch corset-style clothing, but if you need more convincing, let me be the first to say that you can do better. That $5 corset top from Shein is not 200 | THREAD
doing it for you. There is no need to wear a lace corset top out to the bars with a pair of jeans and Nike Air Force 1s anymore. There are better outfits out there, I promise. I am not saying this as someone who has never worn a similar outfit to a party before. While I
have never worn a corset top, I do love a cute “going out” shirt. But, I want to see more inclusive clothing styles at the bars. We should not reinforce the body standards that corsets were designed to create by wearing modern-day versions.
