Inspiration: Shape shifter
The corset belt is bound for glory with the return of the waistline.
By Sarah Casselman
DOLCE & GABBANA Fall 2007. Photography by Peter Stigter
Scarlett O’Hara’s curvaceous contours may have taken Rhett Butler’s breath away, but her confining corset, cinched to a mere 17 inches, surely left her gasping for air. Worn under clothing from the early baroque and rococo periods (the late 16th to 18th centuries) through to the Edwardian era (the early 1900s), corsets, often fashioned from whalebone, stylishly squeezed a woman’s waistline into pint-sized proportions. Damaged internal organs, fainting and hysteria did not deter these ladies of leisure from embracing this undergarment in hopes of catching the eye of an ardent admirer. The look of lingerie loosened up at the beginning of the 20th century, when Paris couturier Paul Poiret took the radical step of doing away with corsets. Women everywhere breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that the corset made its fashionable comeback, thanks to designer Vivienne Westwood’s naughty nod to bondage. Based on flirtation rather than physical restriction, these modern-day constraints tightened the grip on the new power dressing. Women could be strong and sexy without having to say sorry, and wearing a push-up no longer meant being a pushover. This season’s hourglass silhouette feels of-the-moment with the return of the waist cincher. Although worn on the outside of the body rather than underneath one’s clothing, this fashionable cousin of the corset rocked the runway for fall.
The best include Dolce & Gabbana’s medieval--inspired metallic, Burberry’s buckled bondage and Missoni’s colourful framework. Corseting continues to spark controversy as to whether women are slaves to fashion, society or their figures. But whether or not corsets are viewed as symbols of historic oppression or tools of seduction, there is no question that women will always strive to look breathtaking.
First published in FASHION Magazine October 2007
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