tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post5970402989810837759..comments2023-11-10T04:19:45.677-08:00Comments on American Duchess: V361: Corset Training - Facing Questions and IssuesLauren Stowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00462200065542930752noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-58879767040194097032013-09-06T10:48:23.769-07:002013-09-06T10:48:23.769-07:00Part of my work (I work at a danish museum) is dre...Part of my work (I work at a danish museum) is dressing up and working as 1910-cook in a manor house, working at a stove and lifting heavy pots etc. For year I have worn a corset under my costume, the last 3 years an edwardian mid-bust corset. I started doing it as a support of my back - it forces you to use your legs instead of your back. It works - but the problem is that you stop using your own muscles and instead relies on the support of your corset. And no belly muscles make it harder to give birth!<br /><br />IMPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11807053915293962366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-54221986782976521602013-02-05T02:53:52.308-08:002013-02-05T02:53:52.308-08:00A couple of years ago I read Katherine Klingerman&...A couple of years ago I read Katherine Klingerman's thesis "Binding feminity". It was very interesting and full of informations.<br />http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04072006-115441/unrestricted/Klingerman_thesis.pdf<br />or : http://www.amazon.com/Binding-Femininity-Katherine-Klingerman/dp/3836429152Ceselhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08664599020797290564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-41749386067415156712013-02-02T08:14:35.976-08:002013-02-02T08:14:35.976-08:00I'm glad you brought up the posture and medica...I'm glad you brought up the posture and medical side of things--my dad is a chiropractor (so kind of an expert in spines and bones and such). A friend at a Rev War reenactment once asked him (I think trying to impress him) about the ill effects of the stays worn during the period. He replied that he'd see far fewer back issues if everyone wore stays today--as they enforce proper, upright posture! We don't realize the pain we put ourselves in with horrible desk chair posture and slouching on the couch--then we look to those "poor" women in historical periods who wore "uncomfortable" and "painful" corsets with that smug "so glad we've moved past that nonesense" mentality. Ironic, really :)Rowennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09757364614589686606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-37638699905909488932013-02-02T08:06:18.444-08:002013-02-02T08:06:18.444-08:00Krista--a friend of mine actually did this! She w...Krista--a friend of mine actually did this! She was having back trouble and wore her 18th century stays under her scrubs for a few days. Wasn't a permanent thing, but she preferred it to a commercial back brace/belt.Rowennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09757364614589686606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-13041394576267081302013-02-01T12:40:38.211-08:002013-02-01T12:40:38.211-08:00After I am done with nursing school, but before I ...After I am done with nursing school, but before I actually start work as a nurse, I plan to make myself an underbust corset to wear as a kind of back brace/posture improver on the job...nurses have a high proportion of back injuries, so I thought a corset would be much more flattering than one of those back belt things a lot of heavy-lifting professionals wear!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12701729148026108829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-8405667746073429732013-01-31T13:47:03.869-08:002013-01-31T13:47:03.869-08:00That last paragraph made me smile. It's amazi...That last paragraph made me smile. It's amazing how the bust/waist/hip ratio has hit points of obsession throughout history, and how the ideal ratio constantly fluxes...sometimes to extremes. <br /><br />I actually think the 1970s was more to blame with the denigration of putting together complete outfits, and caused the morphing of only wearing jeans and sweats to happen. The 1960s, while simple in it's lines, still held a lot of glamour just in a more subtle fashion. However, the 1960s was definitely the beginning of the stigma of corsets and being bound after all the waist cinchers and girdles of the 1950s and the obsessions of being the perfect housewife. <br /><br />I have kind of a love/hate relationship with the feminist movement for multiple reasons, but one of them is definitely this bizarre concept of being more like men and less like a woman...like being a woman is somehow bad. One of the ways it shows itself is in the views taken about feminine fashion, and particularly the parallel about corsets representing restraining women to hearth and home.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03824751086238577923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-21806586811729749382013-01-31T08:58:23.255-08:002013-01-31T08:58:23.255-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02259502508273135051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-24542285846194662013-01-29T08:30:11.071-08:002013-01-29T08:30:11.071-08:00Here here!Here here!Stephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12181928494578487821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-21240705062186964922013-01-29T00:12:08.917-08:002013-01-29T00:12:08.917-08:00Lauren, They can be quite sexy if they are made to...Lauren, They can be quite sexy if they are made to be that way. I am not that good at sewing so me trying to make a corset would be a little far fetch for me right now. <br /><br />Rachel, that is one thing I enjoy about the historical community as well. I did not realize how big the community actually was and what brought me in was something my husband said. I have realized something though, corsets you can buy in stores and other places are not usually built to last like they were in the past. Most places that sells corsets are X rated stores and maybe some lingerie stores, well around here anyways. I do believe that ladies from the past would probably think that we were crazy. That was part of their every day life from childhood. They wore layers of clothes, where we are taught less is better. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398320857752040965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-47545687201158741442013-01-28T17:24:16.542-08:002013-01-28T17:24:16.542-08:00I like the point you make about corsets being prop...I like the point you make about corsets being proper rather than for abuse. It definitely creates a paradigm shift. One of the things I really appreciate about the historical community is that the undergarments are more respected for the lines and accuracy they give rather than the fetishes commonly seen in them. It makes one wonder how the ladies of the era would feel about how much they've become a fetish device when to them it was just part of every day life.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03824751086238577923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-48187902446268767532013-01-28T13:39:42.919-08:002013-01-28T13:39:42.919-08:00I undertook corset training for sometime and got m...I undertook corset training for sometime and got many strange looks and comments even from friends who had known my love of corsets. Ultimately I ignored their comments and did what I wanted. It befuddles me why people get so bent out of shape about corsets. SO many people assume it is a sex object and that by wearing one (especially daily) you are some kind of pervert. <br /><br />I digress. <br /><br />My experience with corset training revealed much the same as yours. Hip gores are SO important! I was aiming for a much more dramatic reduction (I'm a big lady so there is more to squish) and it all has to go somewhere. As a result my hips appeared much wider. It made wearing my normal jeans a little difficult. After about 6 months I had to stop however due to some back/hip issues. The corset makes your posture better however if you have some undiscovered back issues or even some really big knots a corset makes them very apparent. If I did it again I would build in regular massage into my routine. DodiRosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17019346830072575580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-59420664219440714812013-01-28T13:37:43.714-08:002013-01-28T13:37:43.714-08:00We can probably thank the 1960s as well, for the c...We can probably thank the 1960s as well, for the current stigma associated with corsets, let alone dressing in something other than jeans or sweats.<br />Beyond the 'fetish' association that corsets seem to have these days, they carry the stigma of vanity and frivolity (even elitism) that must somehow be a reflection of the wearer's level of self esteem.<br />They were a symbol, on more than one occasion during the 20th century, of the "establishment" and of women being "restrained" to the hearth and home, without the choice to do otherwise.<br /><br />The women's lib movement (while a good thing on so many levels) also had some negative affects on how women wore fashion purely for their own enjoyment. Fashion suddenly became something symbolic or political, not unlike France during the revolution.<br /><br />The corset is a powerful tool. Perhaps even a weapon.<br />It defines and intensifies the natural shape of a woman, in all sizes...and that shape alone my friends, has started wars, it has created peace, triggered revolutions, inspired the world's greatest works of art, literature, architecture, conquests and adventures.<br />That bust/waist/hip ratio is the undeniable math of life, and some find its power even a little threatening. Especially in our modern world of shapeless and disposable trends.<br /><br />xoxoVienna La Rougehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10409211057158629709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-12491036599419646572013-01-28T13:07:49.108-08:002013-01-28T13:07:49.108-08:00I think you will easily achieve the 31 inches. Yo...I think you will easily achieve the 31 inches. You may find, though, that with the right corset, you can already go down that far, comfortably!Lauren Stowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008240537371936468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-50807310466927534812013-01-28T13:06:43.432-08:002013-01-28T13:06:43.432-08:00You are right - a lot of anti-corset imagery and m...You are right - a lot of anti-corset imagery and myth came out in the Victorian period. Women DID shed their corsets (well, sortof), but underpinnings have never completely disappeared - we still wear them today!Lauren Stowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008240537371936468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-42104643703910235472013-01-28T13:04:58.348-08:002013-01-28T13:04:58.348-08:00I have found that throughout the day I need to loo...I have found that throughout the day I need to loosen it, particularly after meals. I do wear it all day, about 7+ hours, sometimes longer. If I have any pain at all, I will adjust the lacing, and if it really hurts, I just take it off altogether and put on a different one. I'm on a quest now to find the perfect fit!Lauren Stowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008240537371936468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-59165218279891485062013-01-28T13:03:01.139-08:002013-01-28T13:03:01.139-08:00I haven't, but I need to!I haven't, but I need to!Lauren Stowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008240537371936468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-49096632141761826202013-01-28T13:00:46.499-08:002013-01-28T13:00:46.499-08:00Auntie Nan, I have notice that when I take the cor...Auntie Nan, I have notice that when I take the corset off, in general my posture is much better. I hold myself up more, and that alone makes me appear slimmer and more defined through the waist. Perhaps THAT is the real secret of corset training, haha.Lauren Stowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008240537371936468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-6996888576444882992013-01-28T12:59:36.427-08:002013-01-28T12:59:36.427-08:00I wear an underbust, with a normal bra. The corse...I wear an underbust, with a normal bra. The corset is quite short in length, so the waistband of my jeans actually sits below it. I wear it over a tanktop, but under a shirt or sweater. The mid-busts look really weird under a shirt, because you can see the line across the bust, so I don't recommend that for daily wear.Lauren Stowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008240537371936468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-84757110153265670302013-01-28T12:26:33.351-08:002013-01-28T12:26:33.351-08:00Do you wear the corset under everyday clothing? A ...Do you wear the corset under everyday clothing? A few years ago I thought about doing something similar, but I found that the corset looked really strange under modern clothing (button down blouses, knit shirts, etc.) Maybe I wasn't doing it right...But how does one wear a corset every day, wearing regular clothing as to go about one's normal life, without having everyone notice? withpinsandneedles.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08024728456258577474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-19782010239952224122013-01-28T09:40:39.111-08:002013-01-28T09:40:39.111-08:00Wearing a corset in period drama naturally encoura...Wearing a corset in period drama naturally encourages the wearer to pull "up and out" of the garment. I found I was no longer slumping when I sat or stood, that I pulled in my abdomen and kept my spine more erect. Over time I suspect my core muscles got a workout, and that, not the squishing from wearing the thing, was the biggest assistin reducing my waist. But I'm pear shaped to begin with, so I'm probably not the best candidate for the experiment!<br />Best,<br />Auntie NanAuntieNanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11202319448791012747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-41336668436256149352013-01-28T09:14:53.326-08:002013-01-28T09:14:53.326-08:00Have you read Valerie Steele's "The Corse...Have you read Valerie Steele's "The Corset: A Cultural History"? I think it was very interesting compilation and examination of this whole corset debate (fashionable, medical, sexual, sexist...) from the 18th century onwards.<br /><br />Mirihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12328542275362406769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-28137802320003498302013-01-28T08:46:06.557-08:002013-01-28T08:46:06.557-08:00This is a fascinating experiment. I do wonder if t...This is a fascinating experiment. I do wonder if this modern stigma about corsets will ever go away, considering how long corsets were "normal." <br /><br />Do you find anything uncomfortable about wearing one all day? Are you wearing it all day? Sometimes I find, after a long day of wearing one, standing mostly (which might have something to do with it), my lower back can start to hurt. But all in all, I have always found them very comfortable and they really get me in the spirit of dressing in costume. To me, the undies make the costume. Not only the shape, but to me, feeling how each era's undies feel (because I find they feel so different - crinoline swaying, bustle when you sit...), really transports me.Carolinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04543398249049649078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-54236780603581610642013-01-28T02:01:04.307-08:002013-01-28T02:01:04.307-08:00Lauren I think the stigma is perfectly represented...Lauren I think the stigma is perfectly represented in the two images you have included. My understanding is that the 'before and after' sketch was a shock tactic by the anti corset brigade, and is more akin to the 'infomercial' before photos than based on any actual truth (I may be wrong here though!). Yet it is very famous and as is rarely given context, people take it at face value.<br />The photo is definitely 'photoshopped' don't you think? The background around the waist looks very vague and the photo is very flat at that point, and the outline rather unnatural. Also as we know the stories of ribs being removed are urban legend. <br />So much of this stigma has been taken as the truth. We do love a good scaremongering don't we!MrsC (Maryanne)https://www.blogger.com/profile/14440723067459232998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-40910721057257213022013-01-28T00:20:31.656-08:002013-01-28T00:20:31.656-08:00I'm actually planning to embark on a similar t...I'm actually planning to embark on a similar tight lace mission. I'm 35" unlaced and want to achieve 31" laced. I'm naturally curvy and squishy so It's not so hard but I need to make me a new underbust corset that fits me better. I test drove my current one for a whole day and discovered that it was a bit to short over the hip area and dug in there. So it needs to go down a bit longer over my hips and curve out more to give me expanding room. <br /><br />My reason for doing this that I want to have a more defined waist so my 50's clothes will look better on me.I also hope to achieve better posture and some back support. I'm planning to combine my tight lacing with a daily yoga routine so my muscles stay strong and healthy.<br />I hope to start with my new corset after my new 18th century masquerade outfit is finished. In the mean time I'll follow your endeavour with big interest.<br /><br />/LLithia Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01348636694865999092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7953319607326764763.post-91443206109724404512013-01-27T23:47:46.091-08:002013-01-27T23:47:46.091-08:00Yes, I noticed it too - the first couple days are ...Yes, I noticed it too - the first couple days are like corset-hyper-awareness. Then you get kindof used to it, especially if you wear it just moderately laced, like you do :-)Lauren Stowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09008240537371936468noreply@blogger.com