Over the centuries, the corset has been women’s indispensable undergarment, evolving along with fashion trends and being known, depending on era and geography, as a pair of bodies, stays, and corsets. As the garment evolved, people began to change their bodies to fit their fashionable clothes rather than wearing clothes to fit their bodies.
Corsets gained popularity during the Victorian era when “a pair of bodies” or stays, supportive garments that predated corsets, rose to popularity in the sixteenth century. Corsets are typically worn as undergarments, but they have also been worn as outer garments at times; stays as outer garments can be seen in national dresses of many European countries
Here are some fabulous photos of Victorian ladies in tight corsets from the late 19th Century.
