Harsh Restraint: Corsets

They were a part of everyday clothing for many women for centuries. In fact, for the wealthy, it was seen as improper to go about without one. It was claimed that they promoted good posture, and enhanced the natural female form. Physicians and many women pointed out that they caused physical ailments and deformity after being worn for a lifetime. They slowly fell out of favor with the turn of the century as fashions and social mores changed. But corsets have become stylish once again, being claimed by the fetishist as a sign of feminine beauty. One can find countless resources on the web alone--there are even corsets being auctioned off on eBay!

Of course, we cannot simply say that corsets are seen only as a fetish. The arguably mainstream character Xena: Warrior Princess slashes her way through Ancient Greece wearing a very impractical but very stylish brown leather corset. More underground publications, such as various comics, zines, and understandably enough, pornography, often feature women in the tight-fitting undergarment. While they are ever-present in the realm of fantasy, corsets are also seen as important aspects of the costuming arts. In theater especially, historical accuracy in costume would necessitate the use of corsets.

With the accentuation of the "natural" hour-glass figure of a women, the corset does indeed seem to emphasize the beauty of the feminine form. The waist is narrowed, while the bust and hips are allowed to flare out. These are cues of youth and fertility. Some might argue that the corset advertisesd sexuality at an instinctive level.

However, the health effects of long-term use of the corset cannot be ignored. Nineteenth century texts are filled with sketches illustrating the physical changes that a women undergoes after wearing a corset for many years. The organs at the waistline, having their natural space constricted, are shifted about. The diaphragm, obviously necessary for normal breathing, is also found in this area of the body. It is little wonder then that women of this era were known to faint. Try wearing a tightly-laced corset under several layers of heavy clothing in the mid-August heat. Physical weakness had little to do with this.

While the corset has long been viewed as a cruel method of forcing vulnerability upon women, some argue that in the fetishist world it acts as a signature of power. The dominatrix who wears the tight leather corset is of course, the ruler of the situation. She is highly sexualized, and highly powerful. But when thinking about women a hundred years ago or more attempting to go through life wearing yards of fabric and cinched up tight, it is difficult to see them as powerful. It's doubtful that they were even able to run if the situation demanded it.

Some critics argue that we have not truly escaped the corset at all. They claim that today, instead of whalebone and lacing, we are restrained by an ever-shrinking beauty ideal. The body itself is now a corset, and girls are starving themselves in order to fit into it.

Whatever the case, the corset was not the first painful beauty regimen that people have endured, nor is it the last. We have seen the advent of such accessories as the stiletto heel, which forces the female foot at such an angle that the calf muscle of the leg actually atrophies. It is almost comic the lengths to which people are willing to go in order to embody the "natural" human form.