Wants to wear a corset

[Amy]

Just want to put in a good word for corsetry through the ages. It's really not until very late in the 500-some year history of corsetry that the garments become actually damaging to the body. In general, they assist with posture, take some strain off the muscles of the back, and hold the bust in place. I cannot express the relief I felt the first time I was laced into 18th century stays--I'd been on my feet for hours and my back was killing me, but as soon as the stays went on, the pain lessened to almost nothing. 18th and early 19th century stays do not constrict the waist at all; in fact, my waist measurement is bigger with my stays on than without them. There is no difficulty breathing if they're laced properly. The only disadvantage is not being able to easily put on socks and shoes.

Corsets of the later 19th century, say around the time of the American Civil War, do of course restrict the waist. However, the most widespread complaint women of the period had was indigestion. If the corset is laced properly, again, there should be no fainting. I have, on several occasions, gone to a Halloween swing dance in my Civil War corset and have never come close to fainting yet. Naturally, if you wear a corset for one day and haven't accustomed your body to it by degrees, it's going to hurt, and you may be short of breath of nauseated. But if you wear the garment every day, if you are used to it, and if you wear it properly, it should be comfortable and you ought to be able to do almost anything in it.

We shouldn't assume because it's not the modern era that all women did all day was sit around looking ornamental. They had work to do, places to go, and exercise to engage in, and they did all these things while wearing corsetry. If corsets were as bad as their reputation holds, none of it would have been possible. And we mustn't forget that many men wore corsetry too in the early-to-mid 19th century, with no ill effects.

As a final note, I just want to mention that what is so often referred to as "whalebone" is not actually bone at all, but baleen--the stuff from the whale's mouth that filters the krill. It's a very flexible material, and about the consistency of fingernails. This is what was used in corsets.

[Vintage Lady]

Hi. I am Virginia Jones. Even though I am a Jane Austen fan I have only read one book: Sense and Sensibility. I have watched the other movies but that one is my favorite. I have worn a corset from the regency era and it does take getting used to. I made my own regency gown and corset from a pattern from the early 1800s. I love that era and even have done some letter writing and the study of it during that time period.

[Emily]

Sorry, NO fashion would have gone so far as to run the risks of 19th century surgery, simply to have bones removed for cosmetic purposes. Operations were often put off until it was literally life or death. Even after Lister's germ theory practices became common in hospitals, surgery was often deadly, and a last resort for life-threatening or otherwise unbearable conditions.

[Louise]

On the Victorian History page on facebook there was a recent link to a youtube video by a woman who does Victorian reenactment, called Debunking Victorian Myths, and she says a well fitted corset does not restrict the ribcage or affect your breathing. Nor did women have ribs removed etc. It's prefectly possible to be quite active while wearing a corset. She demonstrated this by showing herself doing things like dancing, cycling, skating, archery horseriding etc while wearing a corset.

[QNPoohBear]

The Regency corset can be quite comfortable. It squishes your boobs if you're heavy like me and it can be hard to take deep breaths if you lace it really tight but so far, just trying it on is comfortable enough. I can feel myself standing up straighter as I pull the laces tighter. Mine has synthetic whalebone and front laces. I'll let everyone know what i think after I wear it for an evening.