Steampunk Madness

mycroftspolishedshoes:

fuckyeahclassiclolita:

calantheandthenightingale:

fripperiesandfobs:

historicalfashion:

forrestbondurant:

historicalfashion:

Royal Worchester Company corset, Met, ca. 1902

This corset was most likely maternity wear, due to its extra adjustability. The corset itself is constructed of four pieces, with extra sets of eyelets and lacing at back, and there are large elastic panels inserted at front. This would allow the wearer to use the corset for a majority of the maternity term, as the corset could easily loosen as the stomach expanded.

YEAH OR JUST NOT WEAR ONE AT ALL BECAUSE YOU’RE FUCKING PREGNANT, YOU DUMBASS.

seriously what the fuck. they made women wear this shit when their bodies were performing their natural functions, like being pregnant?

they’re lucky we don’t have time machines yet because i’d go back there and Feminist-Hulk-out on these fuckers.

Pardon me, but corsets weren’t used during maternity to inhibit the natural functions of the body. Modern people don’t realize that corsets, in their day and age, were used much in the same way that we wear bras and even back braces today - for support. Ever spent a day without a bra? It can hurt, especially if you’re large busted. Yes, some women tight-laced then, but it was about as common in the Victorian age as it is now - meaning it was not common in the least, and certainly not during a woman’s pregnancy. A pregnancy corset was mainly a supportive garment, not a restrictive cage designed to confine a swelling belly and harm the growing child.

Ever seen one of these in modern stores for pregnant women? I introduce you to the function of a maternity corset.

And another thing about corsets. I always see people reblog some of the Victorian stuff I post and comment on how tiny the waist is. Yes, the waists were small, but that’s because woman waist-trained their entire lives, starting from adolescence. If you wear a corset everyday for years you will achieve a small waist. I hear all these actresses in these period movies saying, “Oh, the corset! It was so painful! I could barely breath!” Well, no shit, bitch. You only wore it for eight weeks. Yes, corsets were restrictive, but as with any garment, if you wear it long enough you get used to living and functioning in it. Only the ultra fashionable had the time and resources to devote themselves to achieving those truly itsy-bitsy Scarlett O’Hara waistlines, and that was obviously dangerous.

I invite everyone to take a look at this great YouTube channel. She’s done a lot of videos debunking myths about corsets and health issues related to them.

Reblogging for the awesome commentary.  I’m getting really sick of seeing so many people bitch and whine about the tiny waists on corsets.  It’s flat out wrong to demonize the corset and make generalizations about a fashion when you haven’t even studied it.

Also, I’m just going to add this: if you’re wondering by how much the average woman reduced her waist, my reproduction of the National Cloak & Suit Co.’s 1909 catalog instructs women to purchase corsets so that they are 4 inches smaller than the natural waist.  This catalog targeted middle-class women, many of whom were just entering the work force, so these were very much ordinary women.  4 inches is not an extreme waist reduction— the corset that most women today wear with their wedding dresses usually reduces the waist by 2-4 inches, if you’re curious.

Reblogging for the informative commentary, because I know a large number of this blog’s followers are into corsets (whether wearing or admiring).

ALL OF THIS ^^^^^^^ It’s bloody ridiculous people get all up in a tizzy over corsetry.