The corsetry exists today in the form of padded, boned, close fitting or laced bodices. Diane Kruger is wearing a gown by Yves Saint Laurent: blue skirt connected to fitted black bodice.
Queen Elizabeth wore the corset as undergarment during her reign 1558-1603; Elizabethan. Her form is said to be immortalized in the padding and boning of the Effigy Garment (corset).
During the time of Marie Antoinette (reign 1774-1792), the corset along with court dress is changed by the attitudes and political views that came about during the French Revolution. The front lacing corselet is worn over a chemise by women in the countryside. The stay and paniers worn by the upper class is rejected when Classical style returned and the Empire silhouette became fashionable.
In 1810, the corset returns - this time it is short and the corset evolves through variations and changes. Innovations and technology influence the structure, shape and availability of the undergarment. An hour glass feminine shape is desired and achieved. The female form is confined with flattened or shapely bust.
A dramatic noted variation occurs with the desire for the S-silhouette near the beginning of the twentieth century. The corset then drops to the waist when Flappers rejected Victorian fashion for flat bust and straight silhouette of the 1920's.
The use of lycra and plastics change the corset. Attitudes about femininity and the role of woman in society influences the use and desirability of the corset. In the 1980's, designer Jean-Paul Gaultier and Pop-icon Madonna bring the undergarment in its form to be a primary garment for the torso.
On Broadway, artist and costume designer Julie Taymor designed the look for the Lion King around the idea of the corset. Both male and female roles wear corsetry. The costumes are integrated with puppetry and the structure and support of corsets is an aide.
www.obit-mag.com
www.pbs.org
www.reconstructinghistory.com
www.fitnyc.edu
www.brooklynmuseum.org
www.arthist.cla.umn.edu
www.condenast.co.uk
www.metmuseum.org
20,000 Years of Fashion, A History of Costume and Personal Adornment. Francios Boucher. Harry N Abrams, New York 1965, 1987
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