Support and Seduction: The History of Corsets and Bras

by Béatrice Fontanel

Thoughout the ages, women's breasts have been subjected to the endless whims of fashion. From the ancient Greeks to Mae West and Madonna, this light-hearted book charts the changing shapes of female beauty. The elegant and amusing images - including fashion drawings, paintings, photographs, and film stills - illustrate the often surprising history of the garments women have worn for support - and seduction.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Fashion, Microhistory, Fashion History, Historical, Costume History

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Alaina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is full of gems.

Page 44: " More stylish women died in one year from [pulmonary illnesses caused by low-cut dresses] than in all the bloody days of the Reign of Terror."

Fascinating. Unfortunately, Ms. Fontanel neglects to cite her source.

That pretty much sums up this book. An anti-academic puff piece with pretty pictures and sensational (and completely unsupported) stories about the "torture" of the corset (page 38).

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceedingly interesting, and with fantastic illustrations. Every page had at least one large-scale and beautifully rendered "excerpt" from a painting (or photograph/advertisement/etc.) from the era under discussion. The general quality of the book -- design, layout, images, research, writing -- was A+ all the way through.

[Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly tells the American and French side of things. To the point that I was surprised when Italy was mentioned! Still, very informative and a fun read! My favorite was seeing how the ideal body shape has changed over the years.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. More coffee-table than academic. Didn't have much I hadn't seen in random casual websites.

Also I think I read it before. DOH

[Ashley Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of women's undergarments. Very informative. Lots of pictures.

[Alessandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very rigorous, but lots of pretty pictures. I would not recommend this as a source of information.

[Bobbi]

Excellent! Loved it!