The Feminal Love for Body modification

The Feminal Love for Body Modification The Chronicles of Corsetry

SRISHTI MADAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS The corset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Health impacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Current trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wearable Paintings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cessation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

09 12 15 38 56 59 64

5

PROLOGUE The corset is to all intents & purposes, more about accessorization, not antifeminist body-modification politics. In the past, the aim of corsets was completely different than what it is today.

These modern corsets are not seen as being specifically feminine or sexualizing. They are more of a sturdy layering piece than a constricting undergarment. The corset has to be seen an extension of our society’s ongoing love for body modification and the extreme ways we like to present ourselves.The body shape that a woman desires.

7

THE CORSET A corset is a close-fitting piece of clothing that has been stiffened by various means in order to shape a woman’s (also a man’s, but rarely) torso to conform to the fashionable silhouette of the time. The term “corset” is attested from 1300, coming from the French “corset” which meant “a kind of laced bodice”. It is highly embedded with cultural and social significance that directly reflects the zeitgeist of the time.

Often associated with a way of disciplining the female body as well as an instrument of physical oppression and sexual commodification, the corset has acquired different meanings through time.

9

To put on a corset properly is as much as art as is to make a corset properly.

10

Busk

Spiral Steel Bones Shell Fabric

Modesty Panel Grommets Flat Steel Bones

HEALTH IMPACTS In the 19th century, the human body inside these costumes was subjected to tortuous aids, nothing was natural or simple, shoulders, waists, stomachs, and hips were constructed, corseted and padded, wired, distorted, molded into man’s fashionable style. There are many anecdotes of women gasping for air and fainting because of their tightly laced corsets. The health impacts include pushed up rib cage, dug into the stomach, pressure on the organs breathing problems, achy muscles and joints, digestive troubles such as heartburn & distension, blocking of blood flow causing varicose veins. While scholars still debate the extent to which patriarchal control over women’s bodies and women’s own clothing choices affected corseting practices, it is clear that long-term use of these garments caused changes in women’s skeletons.

12

A

B

A shows the natural insides of a woman, and B shows the latter of a woman who wore a corset, until the age of 30.By looking at the variation in corsets and their physical effects on the spine, and correlating those observations with age-at-death, we are rethinking the modern assumption that corsets were like painful torture devices.

13

A satin corset may be the nude of our era Edouard Manet

14

EVOLUTION The corset has been an important article of clothing for several centuries in Europe, evolving as fashion trends have changed. Women, as well as some men, have used it to change the appearance of their bodies. It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that Corsets were used to achieve the desired silhouette depending on the trend of the day. The word corset came from a French word ‘corset’ which meant a kind of laced bodice.

In English, the term stays was frequently used for corset from 1600 until the early twentieth century. Italy was the first to originate the corset as an undergarment and Catherine de Medici introduced it into France in the 1500s which was tight, elongated bodice used as an undergarment and was considered indispensable to the beauty of a female figure.

15

ANTIQUITY

Fashion history reveals the first recorded corset originated from Crete in Greece, worn by the Minoan people. Images on ancient pottery show both women and men

16

sporting form fitting belts and vests with leather rings or straps that constrict and shape the waist. Culturally, this showed a women’s ideal shape, accentuating the beauty of her curves and often exposing bare breasts. Both Minoan men and women wanted a small waist. As children, both genders wore a girdle around their waists that was tightened as they grew in order to stop growth in the waist area. Grecian women wore an elaborate, stiff girdle called a zona on the outside of their garments to shape the waist and lift support the breasts. The corset – a garment with a rigid, boned bodice that is laced together in order to shape the torso – has a controversial history. Long derided as a patriarchal instrument of torture that deformed the female body, historians now argue that that there was no one experience of wearing a corset, and that some women may even have found them positive.

17

MIDDLE AGES

Historians are unsure if women wore corsets during the Middle Ages as it is thought that they usually covered from head to toe in a modest way. Tunics and long clothing were usually worn and did not accentuate a women’s curves that greatly worn more for com-

18

fort rather than fashion. The idea prevailed that the body was sinful, so dresses were usually loose and flowing. During the 12th century, an illustration of a demon wearing a corset might suggests the supposed cultural profanity in the garment. Instead of a separate support garment, bones or wooden slats were most likely sewn into the actual gown if needed. Although, it is assumed that the use of breastplates as armour may have been the models for the corsets in the later centuries. During the gothic period of the 1300’s, experts speculate that bandages may have been used to slim the waist underneath long and tight fitting clothes. At the end of the 1400’s, front laced bodices were worn, stiffened with strengthened fabric and sometimes even with brass wires.

19

FIFTEENTH CENTURY

20

The ‘cotte’, a tight fitting garmentwhose name meant ‘on the rib’, was first worn in Franceduring the 15th century. During this time, the wealthy Frenchwomen were known to desire a thinner waistline, using stiffened linen undergarments, tightened by front or back laces, known as stays or bodies to achieve the look. In the 1400’s century, Agnes Sorel, mistress to Charles VII of France, started a trend when she wore a gown in the French court which fully exposed her breasts. After this appearance, many French women opened their bodices to reveal their breast, also cutting their gowns to show their lower back.

21

SIXTEENTH CENTURY During the 1500’s, French aristocrat Catherine de Medici made an influential mark in fashion by banning ‘thick waists’ at court. This promoted the wearing of corsets by wealthy women in the public view. Instead of shaping clothes to the body, as had been done throughout the Middle Ages, the body began to conform to the fashionable shape of the clothing worn. Bodices became a separate article of underclothing, laced together at the front or back. For corsets that were tied up at the front, a decorated fabric panel called the ‘stomacher’ was attached to conceal the laces. In Spain, corsets were supported in the front by a vertically placed wooden or bone rod known as a ‘busk’, which produced a flat shape, and was reinforced elsewhere with whalebone

22

stays. The busk was often used for special occasions and events, and was sometimes presented to a suitor as a prize when he was interested in a female. Even men sported polished and decorated breastplates to show their wealth. Many other countries developed their corsets off the Spanish style.

In England, the “Tudor Corset” utilized iron corset covers for both men and women, while France, Germany and Italy preferred a less stiff style to eventuate a wider hip.

Queen Elizabeth I created the “Elizabethan Corset”, inspired by the Tudor, but with a less rigid (using whalebone) and emphasized waist. Corsets were often worn with a ‘farthingale’ that held out skirts in a stiff shape, turning the upper torso into an inverted cone shape. Some corsets had shoulder straps that ended in flaps at the waist, flattening the waist, and in doing so, pushed the breasts upwards. This created a looked that emphasised the flatness of the front bodice and the curving tops of the breasts that peeked over the top of the corsets.

23

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY Corsets in the 17th century were mostly made from linen and bones, with reeds, bents or whalebones. The neckline of the corsets ranged from high neck to very low. At a time where a prominent bust was desired, corsets helped to accentuate the bust and put more emphasis on the dĂŠcolletage.

Important people of the era such as Queen Mary II, Henrietta Maria and the wife of Charles I of England are depicted in many paintings with fully bare breasts. Exposing the breasts was regarded amongst the aristocracy and upper classes as a status symbol and a sign of beauty. Corsets sometimes came with attached sleeves, and lacing became a very decorative feature of the corsets, some women adding ribbons for extra accents. During this time the corset had transformed into a fabric bodice that was mounted on a heavily boned .

24

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY The 1700’s brought on an even more constricting shape.

During this time the corset was made from stiff material, in which rows were closely stitched encasing whalebone, cane or hemp like materials. The design itself were long-waisted and cut with a narrow back, wide front, and shoulder straps; the most fashionable stays pulled the shoulders back until the shoulder blades almost touched. The resulting silhouette, with shoulders thrown back, very erect posture and a high, full bosom, is a characteristic of this period. The corsets often included tabs, formed by making cuts from the lower edge to the waistband that spread when on the body, giving hips more room and comfort.

The corsets were often highly decorated, with finely stitched tunnels for boning, and precious silk brocade and gold trims.

25

NINETEENTH CENTURY

Early 19th century stays were long, soft and came in a more natural shape, reflecting the fashion of the era, high waisted and long flowing dress made from fine silk and

26

muslins. These corsets or stays were made of sateen, cotton, silk or linen, containing minimal, as support was achieved through quilting/cording and by stays. Made out of ivory, whalebone, steel or wood, women would often receive them as gifts from their husbands, along with hand carved love poems and pictures on them. During the mid19th century, heavily boned rigid corsetry with tight lacing became popular to achieve a small waist. Bodices began to be tighter fitting, and skirts were full and bell shape which created the illusion of a smaller waist.

It was not uncommon by the 1860’s for corsets to be boned with as many as 60 whalebones and some corsets of the era had over 100 bones in them. A major innovation in 19th century corsetry was the introduction of the front fastening busk in 1848. This allowed a woman to have independence and put on her corset easily by herself. The new busk was gently curved to follow the natural posture and lines of the body for comfort rather than the stiff busk popular in the early part of the century.

27

EDWARDIAN ERA

28

In this era, the ideal shape of a women changed, therefore it was necessary for corsets to be majorly redesigned. Small waists still remained popular, but the fashionable silhouette had changed. Corsets forced shoulders upright and formed a long sloping bust that ended with a graceful curve over the hips, creating the famous “Gibson Girl” look. The body shape created was called the S-Bend, as the curves of a lady’s figure resembled the curves of the letter S. Unlike the curve bust of the Victorian era that began to be seen as unhealthy, the new straight busk did not harm any of the woman’s internal organs, and only gave her a more upright posture. This straight busk meant that the corsets fabric was cut on the bias and had diagonal seaming to force the torso to sit upright against the busk. Edwardian corsets were still made in the traditional corset fabrics such as coutil, jean, sateen and batiste but silk became more popular as corsets started be to be thought more of as lingerie rather than a utilitarian garment. Corsets of this period could be trimmed in ribbons and bows, wide lace edging, decorative flossing.

29

THE TEENS Corsets during this time period still used a straight busk and straight front, but their function was not to compress the waist to exaggerate the bust and hips, but to minimise the abdomen and hips. A top heavy appearance was sought after, as women wanted their bust to be emphasised, and the rest of their torso to measure in the same line. To achieve this, corsets no longer came up to support the breasts but ended just below the bust line.

The actual waist of the corset was placed just above natural level onto the lower ribcage so that extreme waist shrinking was impossible. To achieve the shape, corsets were cut longer and straighter in the body and hip than earlier corsets had been. Some early long line corsets were very long, often ending at mid-thigh, creating the basis of what was later known as the girdle. Boning was still used, but minimally.

30

NINETEEN TWENTIES Due to the lack of supplies after the War, women’s fashion began to evolve into simpler lines. Looser shapes, with a straight silhouette from shoulder to hem became the norm.

Whilst flapper style dresses allowed more freedom of movement, a new style of corsetry was required. To achieve the desired boyish look of that time, corsets were designed to slim the hips and thighs as much as possible, worn under the bust to the mid-thigh. The corset also had a number of garters for connecting to stockings. During the summertime, coutil, silk brocade and Batiste summer corsets were worn, with included panels of cotton sateen or woven elastics for extra movement. Corsets were fastened at the front or the back. A variety of corset styles were available, such as ‘hip confiners’ and ‘sports corsets’. These simpler styles were designed for a lower bust line, with lighter boning at the front and back.

31

NINETEEN THIRTIES By the 1930’s, slightly more fitted silhouettes emerged. Women still wanted to have slim hips, but now desired a more prominent waistline.

Garments continued to have a dropped and were often cut with angled seams, and wider hemlines, incorporating gores, godets and pleats. Corsets continued to be mid-thigh length, but began to include built in brassieres, evolving into all in one foundation garment. These full body corsets usually had side hook and eye fastenings and hidden heavily boned inner girdles or belts. Fabrics used included coutil, rayons, cottons, woven elastics, and cotton covered rubber. With World War II declared in 1939, the fashion industry was deeply affected by fabric shortenings. Luxurious fabrics used in previous centuries were

32

now hard to come by. People were forced to make do with what they had. Zippers were prohibited and hook and eyes closures were limited, so corsetieres turned to lace up fastenings and elastic fabric. When the war ended in 1945, it was time for a breath of fresh air after years of going without. Although rationing continued in most countries, by 1947 Christian Dior was able to revolutionise fashion by launching his New Look collection in Paris. The collection was a huge success, and would be copied all over the world. The wide hemlines, nipped waists and feminine designs were in complete contrast to the frugal cut and finishing of the fashions during war time.

33

NINETEEN FIFTIES

Corsetry during the 1950’s saw the girdle become commonly worn by females. The girdle was constructed out of nylon and latex rubber, and provided the firm outline

34

required by fashion. Strategic panels were placed in order to smooth the stomach and give flat line and a flat bottom, contrasting the breasts from the rest of the figure.

During this time, advancements in textiles manufacturing meant that elastic materials had the ability to stretch in more than one direction, allowing garments to be well fitted without boning. Pointed breasts were achieved by wearing circular stitched bras.

Besides the aesthetic look achieved by wearing a girdle, women were warned about the dangers of not wearing a girdle after childbirth. Those who didn’t wear a girdle were seen as having little self-respect, even wearing them during performing or exercise was a necessity. Lacing was largely done away with, and women either zipped themselves into garments, tugged themselves into elastic girdles or fastened the garment using hooks and eyes.

35

NINETEEN NINETIES The 1980’s was a relatively prosperous time for the world.

Designers had a lot of freedom as celebrities and supermodels emerged wearing designer names. The 80’s saw the return of the corset, but this time as a part of the outer design of apparel, worn by famously by popular culture icons, such as Madonna, who wore corsetry design by Jean Paul Gaultier for her many stage performances.

In the 90’s ranges of controlling slips were introduced to the public, which similar to corsets, were worn to slim the figure, and are argued to eliminate any visible panty line underneath tight fitting clothes. Although some major retailers still offered corset options in their stores, the majority of women chose to wear comfortable underwear separates.

36

Your corset is your armour Lace it tightly Breathing is unimportant

37

CURRENT TREND Now the question arises that after numerous centuries, how are the corsets still a trend? Today, amidst a wave of women’s “barely there” panties and bras, we’re simultaneously seeing a resurgence of corsets in fashion. Counterculture fashion has a tendency to trickle up to mainstream fashion in a similar way that couture trickles down. So the dual forces of haute couture and counterculture fashion have ensured the staying power of corsets in mainstream fashion from both directions. Corsetry also has a longstanding connection to the fetish community, something the fashion industry has been drawing from recently with bras being worn on top of clothes in addition to harnesses being donned by men. With views on sexuality ever-expanding, it’s really no wonder designers are sending these pieces down the runway while celebrities are rocking them on the red carpet.

38

The corset has become an object d art with a new meaning artistic of course and society almost a statement Its no longer the symbol of womens oppression but has become a symbol of sexual empowerment

39

FALL 2016

40

(RTW)

41

SS 2017

42

(OOTD)

43

SS 2018

44

(Versace)

45

SS 2018

46

(Mugler)

47

48

49

2019

50

(Celeb Trends)

51

Fashion Week 2019

(Paris)

52

53

Fashion Week 2020

(New York)

54

55

WEARABLE PAINTINGS Corsets as wearable paintings are making their way to the culture at a n extreme pace.

It’s like the perfect melange of pasr and the present & into the future.

56

So wearing a corset certainly changes your state of mind

57

GLOSSARY AUSTRAILIAN BELT - a leather-clad metal belt, about two inches in width, featuring turn screws, which go about the corset. The turn screws are then tightened in order to render the waist a perfect circle

CORSET - a woman’s tightly fitting undergarment extending from below the chest to the hips, worn to shape the figure

COTTE - the cotte (or cote) was a medieval outer garment, a long sleeved shift, or tunic, BODICE - the close-fitting up- usually girded, and worn by per part of a dress, covering the men and women chest and back above the waist DECOLLETAGE - a low BONING - remove the bones neckline on a woman’s dress or from (meat or fish) before top cooking, serving, or selling DIMITY - a cotton fabric, with BROCADE - a rich fabric woven stripes or pattern, especially with a raised pattern, typically produced for corset trade with gold or silver thread FLAPPER - (in the 1920s) BUSK - perform music or oth- a fashionable young woman er entertainment in the street intent on enjoying herself and or another public place for flouting conventional standards monetary donations of behavior

59

FLAT STEEL BONING Flat steel boning takes the form of strong steel sheets, cut and rounded at the edges.

These strips are durable but do not allow for much movement, bending only slightly in one direction. The biggest pro of flat steel boning is its ability to really hold a strong support and form

GROMMET - an eyelet placed in a hole to protect or insulate a rope or cable passed through it or to reinforce the hole

HAUTE COUTURE Haute translates literally to “high”.

An haute couture garment is always made for an individual client, tailored specifically for the wearer’s measurements GIBSON GIRL LOOK - the and body stance and only in Gibson Girl was the personi- Paris fication of the feminine ideal of physical attractiveness as HEM - the edge of a piece of portrayed by the pen-and-ink cloth or clothing which has illustrations of artist Charles been turned under and sewn Dana Gibson during a 20year period that spanned HOURGLASS - body shapes the late 19th and early 20th have a wide bust, a narrow century in the United States waist, and wide hips with a and Canada similar measurement to that of the bust GIRDLE- a belt or cord worn round the waist HOOK SIDE -side fastening

60

MODESTY PANEL - a thin board of wood or metal that is attached to the front of a desk, drafting table, electronic organ, or similar item. Its purpose is to shield legs, ankles, or feet from view

SHOULDER BLADES either of the large, flat triangular bones which lie against the ribs in the upper back and provide attachments for the bone and muscles of the upper arm

TORSO - the trunk of the huQUILTING - the making of man body quilts as a craft or leisure activity UNDERCLOTHING - clothing worn under other clothes, S BENT - a double curve typically next to the skin in a pipe that forms a shape similar to an ‘s’ WAISTLINE - the measurement around a person’s body SHELL FABRIC - a shell at the waist fabric is the outer layer of warm clothing, often the out- WHALEBONE - an elastic er layer of an insulated jacket, horny substance which grows or it can be a single-layer outer in a series of thin parallel jacket or shirt plates in the upper jaw of some whales and is used by them to strain plankton from the seawater

61

So wearing a corset certainly changes your state of mind

63

CESSATION The corset is being recontextualized as an empowering symbol of women’s sexuality, while also reflecting society’s regulations on the female body, including its obsession with an hourglass shape. Although, there is still great pressure for women to conform to beauty ideals, it’s encouraging to see women’s reactions to patriarchal and oppressive regimes. These present modern trends of the latter and the upcoming forms of this garments are making pointed statements by subverting traditional sartorial and sensuality codes. In order for the trend to evolve, we will need to dispose of the long-held belief that corsets are bad or a sign of patriarchal control and that there needs to be a wider understanding that wearing corsets does not automatically equate to tight lacing. Plus, with the democratization of gender, hopefully, a larger spectrum of people will feel comfortable in corsets. But before this can happen, the media needs to stop demonizing corsets, and they need to stop

64

repeating the myths that they are harmful, and not shame the people who wish to express their fashion identities through corsetry.

These new corsets no longer attempt to mold women’s bodies into unnatural shapes.

Instead, they aim to highlight parts of the body that women feel proud of. The new style prefers looser fits and flowing fabrics over constrictive boning and stiff textiles.

Whether this new corset trend will stick around for more than a season or fizzle out when the next trend comes around is hard to tell. Nonetheless, it is definitely a trend to play with as the old fashion staple joins the modern era.

65

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, RAEBARELI FASHION COMMUNICATION SEMESTER -4 FASHION CULTURE & COSTUME FINAL ASSESSMENT SRISHTI MADAN BD/18/1383