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from 1878 . It features a Busk fastening at the front and lacing at the back.]] A corset is a Garment worn to mold and shape the Torso into a desired shape for Aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it, or with a more lasting effect). Both Men and Women are known to wear corsets. Many garments sold as "corsets" during recent years are not technically corsets in the traditional sense. While modern " Corsets " and " Corset Tops " often feature lacing and/or Boning and generally mimic a historical style of corsets, they have very little if any effect on the shape of the wearer's body. In recent years, the term "corset" has also been borrowed by the fashion industry to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without actually acting as one; such tops are frequently seen in stores which cater to fans of Gothic Fashion . Many such tops feature lacing or boning and are fairly tight-fitting; however, genuine corsets are usually made by a Corsetmaker and should ideally be fitted especially for the wearer. ETYMOLOGY The word '''' - the Latin for ''body''http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=corset. USES Fashion The most common and well-known use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette. For women this most frequently emphasizes a curvy figure, by reducing the Waist , and thereby exaggerating the Bust and Hip s (see photo). However, in some periods, corsets have been worn to achieve a tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involves minimizing the bust and hips. For men, corsets are more customarily used to slim the figure. However, there was a period from around 1820 to 1835 when an Hourglass Figure (a small, nipped-in look to the Waist ) was also desirable for men; this was sometimes achieved by wearing a corset. An overbust corset encloses the torso, extending from just under the Arm s to the hips. An '''underbust corset''' begins just under the breasts and extends down to the hips. Some corsets extend over the hips and, in very rare instances, reach the Knee s. A shorter kind of corset, which covers the Waist area (from low on the ribs to just above the hips), is called a ' Waist Cincher '. A corset may also include Garter s to hold up Stockings (alternatively a separate Garter Belt may be worn for that). Normally a corset supports the visible dress, and spreads the pressure from large dresses, such as the Crinoline and Bustle . Sometimes a corset cover is used to protect outer clothes from the corset and to smooth the lines of the corset. Medical People with spinal problems such as Scoliosis or with internal injuries may be fitted with a form of corset in order to immobilize and protect the torso. However, this may be harmful if not medically indicated. Andy Warhol was shot in 1968 and never fully recovered, and wore a corset for the rest of his life. Fetish Aside from fashion and medical uses, corsets are also used in Sexual Fetishism , most notably in BDSM activities. In BDSM, a Submissive can be forced to wear a corset which would be laced very tight and give some degree of restriction to the wearer. A Dominant can also wear a corset, but for entirely different reasons such as aesthetics. CONSTRUCTION Corsets are typically constructed of a flexible material (like is now the most commonly used material for lightweight corsets, whereas spring or spiral steel is preferred for stronger corsets. Other materials used for boning include Ivory , Wood , and Cane . (By contrast, a Girdle is usually made of Elastic ized fabric, without boning.) The craft of corset construction is known as '' Corsetry '', as is the general wearing of them. Someone who makes corsets is a ''corsetier'' or ''corsetière'' (French terms for a man and for a woman, respectively), or sometimes simply a '' Corsetmaker ''. (The word ''corsetry'' is sometimes also used as a collective plural form of corset.) Corsets are held together by lacing, usually (though not always) at the back. Tightening or loosening the lacing produces corresponding changes in the firmness of the corset. Depending on the desired effect and time period, corsets can be laced from the top down, from the bottom up or two laces were used to lace up from the bottom and down from the top to meet in the middle. It is difficult — although not impossible — for a back-laced corset-wearer to do his or her own lacing. In the Victorian heyday of corsets, a well-to-do woman would be laced by her maid, and a gentleman by his valet. However, many corsets also had a buttoned or hooked front opening called a Busk . Once the lacing was adjusted comfortably, it was possible to leave the lacing as adjusted and take the corset on and off using the front opening (this method can potentially damage the busk if the lacing is not significantly loosened beforehand). Self-lacing is also almost impossible with tightlacing, which strives for the utmost possible reduction of the waist. Modern tightlacers, lacking servants, are usually laced by spouses and partners. WAIST REDUCTION By wearing a tightly-laced corset for extended periods, known as Tightlacing , men and women can learn to tolerate extreme Waist constriction and eventually reduce their natural waist size. Tightlacers usually aim for 40 to 43 Centimeter s (16 to 17 Inch es) waists. Until 1998, the Guinness Book Of World Records listed Ethel Granger as having the smallest waist on record at 32.5 centimeters (13 inches). After 1998, the category changed to "smallest waist on a living person" and Cathie Jung took the title with a 37.5 centimeters (15 inches) waist. Other women, such as Polaire , also have achieved such reductions. These are extreme cases, however. Corsets were and are still usually designed for support, with freedom of body movement an important consideration in their design. Present day corset-wearers usually tighten the corset just enough to reduce their waists by 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches); it is very difficult for a slender woman to achieve as much as 15 centimeters (6 inches), although larger women can do so more easily. CORSET COMFORT In the past, a woman's corset was usually worn over a garment called a Chemise or Shift , a sleeveless low-necked gown made of washable material (usually Cotton or Linen ). It absorbed perspiration and kept the corset and the gown clean. In modern times, an undershirt or corset liner may be worn. Moderate lacing is not incompatible with vigorous activity. Indeed, during the second half of the nineteenth century, when corset wearing was common, there were sport corsets specifically designed to wear while Bicycling , playing Tennis , or horseback riding, as well as for maternity wear. Many people now believe that all corsets are uncomfortable and that wearing them restricted women's lives, citing Victorian literature devoted to sensible or hygienic dress. However, these writings were most apt to protest against the misuse of corsets for tightlacing; they were less vehement against corsets per se. Many reformers recommended "Emancipation bodices", which were essentially tightly-fitted vests, like full-torso corsets without boning. See Victorian Dress Reform . Some modern day corset-wearers will testify that corsets can be comfortable, once one is accustomed to wearing them. A properly fitted corset ''should'' be comfortable. Women active in the Historical Reenactment groups (such as Society For Creative Anachronism ) commonly wear corsets as part of period costume, without complaint. MODERN HISTORY The corset fell from fashion in the 1920s in Europe and America , replaced by Girdle s and elastic Brassiere s, but survived as an article of Costume . Originally an item of Lingerie , the corset has become a popular item of outerwear in the Fetish , BDSM and Goth subcultures. In the fetish and BDSM literature, there is often much emphasis on Tightlacing . In this case, the corset may still be underwear rather than outerwear. There was a brief revival of the corset in the late 1940s and early 1950s , in the form of the Waist Cincher sometimes called a "waspie". This was used to give the hourglass figure dictated by Christian Dior 's ' New Look '. However, use of the waist cincher was restricted to Haute Couture , and most women continued to use Girdle s. This revival was brief, as the New Look gave way to a less dramatically-shaped silhouette. Since the late 1980s , the corset has experienced periodic revivals, which have usually originated in haute couture and which have occasionally trickled through to mainstream fashion. These revivals focus on the corset as an item of outerwear rather than underwear. The strongest of these revivals was seen in the Autumn 2001 fashion collections and coincided with the release of the film '' Moulin Rouge! '', the costumes for which featured many corsets as characteristic of the era. Similarly other films have used these garments as costume features, generally to suggest a period effect, as in where Seven Of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ) throughout the series wears catsuits with contained built-in corsets, or Underworld , where Selene ( Kate Beckinsale ) wears a black Leather corset over matching Latex Catsuit . The majority of garments sold as " Corsets " (or sometimes " Corset Tops ") during these recent revivals cannot really be counted as corsets at all, in the traditional sense of the word, see Corselette s. While they often feature lacing and Boning and generally mimic a historical style of corsets, they have little or no effect on the shape of the wearer's body; traditional corsets generally require custom fitting by a tailor who specialises in corsetry. SPECIAL TYPES There are some special types of corsets and corset-like devices which incorporate boning. They are mostly used in BDSM and Goth Subculture s. Corset dress See Also: Bondage corset A corset dress (also known as hobble corset because it produces similar restrictive effects to a Hobble Skirt ) is a long corset. It is like an ordinary corset, but it is long enough to cover the legs, partially or totally. It thus looks like a dress, hence the name. A person wearing a corset dress can have great difficulty in walking up and down the stairs (especially if wearing high-heeled footwear) and may be unable to sit down if the boning is too stiff. Neck corset See Also: Neck corset A Neck Corset is a type of Posture Collar incorporating Stays and it is generally not considered to be a corset. Chastity corset A chastity corset is a corset that incorporates without crotch opening. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CORSETS There are several advantages and disadvantages to wearing a corset. Advantages specially designed for safe body modification without any pressure on the entrails.]] Health benefits
Personal, social and aesthetic advantages
Long-term advantages
Disadvantages Health risks
French:
Difficulties finding a corset
The difficulties in getting used to corsets
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