The relationship between the corset and fashion is quite significant, especially when intertwining it with the systems of feminism and gender. Back when Catherine de Medici first introduced them in the 1500s, corsets were made predominately for the wealthy classes and this was obvious because of the way objects have the ability to associate us with different groups and classes.
In this time corsets were considered undergarments and were worn for the masculine gaze, as the corset is designed to accentuate and woman’s bust and hips and to make the waistline flat and dramatically smaller and curvier. Thus making a woman appear more fertile and desirable by a man.
Fast-forwarding to the current century, corsets have jumped back onto the scene as high-fashion designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier and Miuccia Prada have reclaimed and re-introduced the corset in a whole new way. Taking it away from the stigma of patriarchy that it was confined to and reforming it as a symbol of empowerment in self, sexual freedom and being in control of her own femininity.
The way that the fashion industry is accomplishing this is through modifications to the “traditional ideals” surrounding what the corset used to be defined as when looking at the female form and have stripped it of any qualities that would have normally drawn the male eye because of the concepts of ‘sexiness’ and ‘desire’, making it liken more towards a ‘feminist corset’.
A big moment in fashion and for the corset itself, stepping out of the pre-conceived notions that stretch way back to the 1500s, is when Madonna was infamously dressed in Jean Paul Gaultier’s conical bust corset, structuring a new ideal and symbolism for the garment through human activity of a female influencer wearing such a controversial piece. Madonna instilled into the corset a social meaning of sexual empowerment for women.
Corsets were made necessary for women to wear during the 19th century, by the patriarchy to please men. The structured garment was a type of uniform for women in the Victorian era, as they were required to have a specific silhouette. The corset defined a woman’s social status as to whether or not you belonged to a wealthy class or the lower class. This is where regulating social relations ties in, as there were definitive rules and mannerisms surrounding women’s dress in society, at this particular time period.
Some women challenged this conformity because of their lower class status, meaning they could not actually afford to wear the corset and making them less desirable women.
In today’s modern society, the corset is seen in a very controversial light because of the rumored health issues and sexual symbolism surrounding this particular garment. Women of today who par-take in tight lacing and corsetry are in fact placed into the subculture of body modification, as it is a “personal lifestyle choice that crosses into the body modification subculture, bringing together a new community” (https://www.thedailywaist.com). Having these connections built between people highlights the strong relationships we have with objects, and “personal meanings” (Woodward, Material Culture) that are instilled into them. These “emotional and personal meanings” (Woodward, Material Culture) are how we then can relate to others and interact, not just in a social function, but also within ourselves.