By Essie Ferguson Cucchi
Corsets are some of the most well-known and controversial historical structural garments. Although people today often view historical corsets as harmful or otherwise restrictive and uncomfortable, most contemporary ideas about corsets as torture devices are myths informed by inaccurate depictions of corsets in pop culture. While a poorly fitting corset would have been uncomfortable and could cause health issues in extreme cases of prolonged tight lacing, a well-fitting corset would have been supportive and comfortable for everyday wear.
Women of all classes wore corsets for a variety of reasons, including for both fashion and support. Historically, corsets were usually worn over a light cotton or linen undergarment, known as a shift or chemise, which kept the corset clean and protected the skin from rough materials. They were also commonly worn with other structural garments, including bustle pads or crinolines, to create dramatic and exaggerated shapes depending on what was in fashion at any given time.
Corsets were preceded by “stays,” which first became popular in the 1500s. From the 16th century through the 18th century, stays were commonly stiffened with whalebone sewn into channels to help shape the body and achieve the fashionable silhouette of an upside-down cone. These garments not only shaped the body but also offered support, creating a smooth surface for clothes to be worn on top of. The term “stays” continued to be used to refer to supportive undergarments into the first few decades of the 19th century, while the term “corset” came into use during the last few decades of the 18th century. Eventually, the term “corset” eclipsed the term “stays” in use.
Fashion evolved at the turn of the 19th century. Unlike earlier trends, which emphasized a cone-shaped torso and large skirts, clothes in the early 1800s took inspiration from classical Greek and Roman styles. The fashionable waistline rose significantly to fall just below the bust, and skirts fit much closer to the body. These styles are also known as Regency fashion. Corset styles changed to conform to the new fashionable silhouette. Instead of whalebone, corsets were commonly only stiffened with cotton cording sewn into thin channels. Corsets from this period were also sometimes shorter, only encompassing the bust rather than the whole torso because the empire waistline was so high.
By the first half of the 1820s, fashion was transitioning between the column-esque, looser-fitting Regency styles of the 1810s and the more structured and voluminous styles of the Romantic era in the late 1820s and 1830s. Like Regency styles, early 1820s fashion favored a somewhat loose silhouette and a high, empire-waistline that fell a few inches below the bust. Because the fashionable waistline fell above the natural waist, there was little need for tightly laced or restrictive corsets. As a result, corsets from the early 1820s were still usually only lightly stiffened with cotton cording, like the one in the Bedford Historical Society’s collection. These corsets provided support and minimal shaping, allowing long, closely-fitting skirts to fit smoothly over the hips.
This is an early 1820s corset from the Bedford Historical Society collection. It is lightly stiffened with cotton cording. Object ID # C64.3. Donated by the Fox family. 
This c. 1830-33 silk dress belonged to Bedford resident Charlotte Esther Stearns, daughter of the Rev. Samuel Stearns. It would have been worn with a corded corset. Catalog ID # C61. Donated by Charlotte Elizabeth Leavitt Slocum. 
This early 19th-century black silk dress was worn in Bedford. It has a high empire waistline as was popular in the 1820s and likely would have been worn with a corded corset. Catalog ID # C34.12.
Fashion was dramatically different by the end of the 19th century. Styles at the turn of the 20th century were much more structured than those of the 1820s. The S-shaped or pigeon-breasted silhouette was popular, created by corsets that pushed the bust forward and the hips back. This style of corset reduced pressure on the abdomen, which was seen as unhealthy at the time. The silhouette was further enhanced by bustle pads and coret covers that added fullness to the backs of skirts and the chest, respectively. Corsets from this period typically laced up in the back, fastened in the front with a metal busk with hooks and clasps, and were made with steel boning that provided shaping, support, and flexibility. Even though popular fashion demanded structure, people still valued comfort in their clothing. Three of the corsets in the Bedford Historical Society’s collection, dated between 1890 and 1905, are “Thomson’s Glove-Fitting Corsets,” a brand that prided itself on the comfort of its corsets in advertisements.
These circa 1890-1905 corsets are examples of typical, everyday corsets worn by most women of this period.
Object ID # 1987.18.16
Donated by Ina Mansur
Of the three circa 1890-1905 corsets in the Bedford Historical Society’s collection, the “Breakfast Corset” is unusual because it has two sets of laces on the front on either side of the busk, rather than one in the back as is typical of corsets from this period. The corset has these unique features because it is leisure wear. The two front laces enable more adjustability than a typical corset at the time. It also could have been useful during early pregnancy. The “Breakfast Corset” would have likely been worn under a tea gown, a loose-fitting dress worn by wealthier women for informal activities, such as private gatherings with close friends or relatives. A more typical corset, like the other two from this period in the Bedford Historical Society’s collection, would have been worn outside of the house or for more formal activities.
Object ID # C67.5
By the 1910s, the women’s fashionable silhouette became less structured. The waistline fell slightly, and the overall silhouette became less exaggerated compared to the S-shaped silhouette of the previous decade. As a result, corsets became longer to slim the hips. World War I also played a significant role in shaping women’s fashion, particularly in Europe, making clothing more utilitarian and practical.
This trend of simpler styles continued into the 1920s with the rise of the flapper silhouette. Women’s dresses became boxy, while their hemlines rose significantly compared to earlier fashions. The emphasis on simple, looser-fitting clothes changed corset styles once again. Corsets from the 1920s were intended to slim the bust and hips, rather than create a small waist. It also became popular for women to forgo corsets entirely during this era. Additionally, various corset alternatives emerged during this decade, such as corselettes, which were unboned but closely fitting garments that extended from the bust to below the hips. Brassieres also became popular during this decade and were used to flatten the chest.
Velvet dress, circa 1926.
Object ID # C79.5
After the 1920s, corsets continued to decline in popularity due to various social and economic factors. Although there were several corset resurgences over the years, such as in the 1950s, corsets never regained the prevalence or popularity they had in earlier decades. However, the echoes of corsets and the silhouettes they created can still be seen in different fashion trends today.
Essie Ferguson Cucchi is a junior at Mount Holyoke College, majoring in History with minors in Education and Museums, Archives, and Public History. Essie completed a volunteer summer internship with the Bedford Historical Society through Mount Holyoke’s Lynk Summer Experience Program.
