The Allure of Corsets

Let's talk corsets. These dandy boob lifter/tummy suckers have been around for centuries. Around the sixteenth century, French women donned corsets made of iron and velvet. Ouch. Talk about a heavy burden. The idea less about creating a tiny waist as it was about highlighting the breasts. The earlier versions flattened the breasts but pushed them up so the wearer had a "shelf" of round, perfection regardless of the true state of her girls. The trend took off and when it got to England, those smart cookies switched the iron for whalebone and a whole new generation of boobs were uplifted much more comfortably.
The Elizabethans got creative and added a light, carved wooden piece to the front of the bodice. This busk was generally used for special occasions and sometimes was given to a would-be romantic interest. I guess back then they passed the bra instead of burning it. I personally can't see handing over my bra as a token of my affection. I'd rather take it off and leave it on the floor, but I digress.

Never trust a big butt and a smile.

The 1700 and 1800's brought a new appreciation and duty for the corset. Now women wanted that tiny waist, the steel straight spine AND the jiggly boob top. The corsets of those days did all that and more. Judging by this picture, I'd say the more included a Brazilian butt lift at the least.
The Regency era saw some modifications. Women strayed from the full torso corset to the pre-cursor of the bra. A smaller but still uplifting material that wrapped around the upper back and stayed in place with more traditional bra straps we're accustomed to.

Show me the bling!

These days, corsets are thought of as sexy, flirty and accessories. Unlike their staid sisters of old, today's corsets come in a variety of colors, fabrics, feathers and blingatry.
I, personally, love wearing them. There doesn't even have to be a special occasion. I  just light being all tucked and sucked and not have to worry about a roll popping out at an inopportune moment. Come on, you know you've had that happen. Your pull up or pull down body sleeker has done the waistband roll and instead of a sexy silhouette you look like the Michelin tire man. Yep. Been there, done that.

Can you just image the fun she had getting
helped into this corset?
Image courtesy of AmbeRed Photo at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

But corsets are a different breed. They're more fun when you're helped into AND out of one. The tugging of the laces to get the fit absolutely perfect is way more fun than Scarlett complained about in Gone with the Wind.
There also happens to be a ton of really great places online to buy them, regardless of your color preference, size and budget. I heartily recommend Glamorose. Those ladies have it going on.Another excellent site is Hourglass Angel. Seriously, Google corset shopping and you'll be sucked in. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Happy reading,
Jennifer