Evolution of Corset Fashion: The Collision of Retro Trends and Feminism at Fashion Weeks 2023 -

The return of the corset has yet to diminish years later. Is this trend really anti-feminist?

1. The corset trend captured in fashion weeks

Take a look back at the fashion weeks from New York to Paris, the corset, chosen by designers like Christian Siriano and Ralph Lauren, was a prominent element that still dominated the trends shown on the runways.

The pop star, Selena Gomez, was captured with her two dazzling looks during Paris Fashion Week, which perfectly interpreted the street charm of corsets with different styles.

Her first look was all black, styled the crop corset with a short business-meets-party fit blazer and a high-waist wide-leg pair of trousers. The pop of a big silver buckle head echoed her silver earrings. The first look was smart, yet elegant, this look neutralized the sharp lines of the suit and highlighted her proud curves.

The second style contrasted with the all-black look, which was more playful and casual. A white T-shirt tuck-in corset top with a high-waist denim skirt matched her simple white shirt. It was a totally elegant, but sexy French street, look.

Zendaya also rocked a bombshell look with a medieval-inspired corset off-shoulder suit from Vivienne Westwood a few days ago in Paris. In this suit, she looked ready to descend a theatre staircase like a diva. Anna Hathaway flouts conventional fashion on this look too. She just delivered a bold look of the year in a vintage style spliced cropped denim blazer.

From all these looks, it can be easy to observe that modern design has put a new spin on them. They are no longer a form of confinement of women. On the contrary, they now serve as a fashion symbol, encouraging women to express their curves and create different chic styles in a nostalgic way. Let us dive into the history of the corset to see what has changed!

2. History of corsetry

A corset was mainly composed of lanyards, metal keels, and hook-and-eye fasteners. They were popular in Europe from the 16th to the 19th century.

They originated in Italy and were introduced to France by French Queen Catherine de’ Medici in the early 16th century. They can make a woman’s upper body into an inverted cone shape, tighten the waistline, gather the breasts, and achieve a shaping effect. By the mid-16th century, they became common in Europe. During the Victorian period, women’s clothing with exaggerated shoulders fell out of fashion, but to retain an hourglass figure, the waist had to be further tightened to achieve this visual effect. So, in late 1840-1950, lace-up styles became popular, and styles began to extend a few inches below the waist.

Until the 19th century, they remained an integral part of women’s underwear. Accessories such as bustles are used to open up the crotch and rear of the buttocks to expand the bottoms, thereby further highlighting a woman’s slender waist.

The story of the corset and the modern world of high fashion can be traced back to the early 20th century. At that time, Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel announced that they would abandon corsets and use their respective designs to liberate the female body. This trend’s brief return in the late 1930s caused a stir in fashion circles, but it quickly fell out of fashion with the outbreak of World War II.

After World War II, what really promoted changes in women’s underwear was not only the fabric changes brought about by new technologies.

In 1947, Christian Dior brought the famous New Look, which caused a sensation. The luxurious and abundant materials and the corolla-like silhouette made it a major event in the history of fashion. Women’s waists were once again emphasized in the 1950s and 1960s. The mainstream aesthetic is firmly dominated by the hourglass figure, and corsets are also making a comeback.

3. Why are corsets making a comeback?

Mr Pearl is arguably the most famous corsetry designer and enthusiast in the industry. Alexander McQueen was attracted by the already famous Pearl’s slender waist, so he invited him to walk the catwalk for his personal brand’s 1995 spring and summer “The Birds” series. Then McQueen invited her again, and the result was the lilac moiré corset in black Chantilly lace from the 1996 autumn/winter collection. For example, under the leadership of various fashion gurus, they have made a comeback and regained attention with the popularity of fetish fashion in the 1990s.

Alexander McQueen 1996 Fall Ready-to-Wear Collection Image Source： Vogue

Fashion comes around in cycles, or rather, it comes around every twenty years. Therefore, under such unwritten rules, they once again became a popular trend in the late 2010s. The most iconic event was undoubtedly the 2019 Met Gala. Kim Kardashian wore a Thierry Mugler wet dress that emphasized the waist. The design is also from Mr Pearl.

*At The Met Gala in 2019, Kim Kardashian wore a Thierry Mugler wet dress, with a waist-emphasis on design also by Mr Pearl. Image source: Vogue*

The current popularity of this trend has not faded away quickly but has gained momentum and evolved into new trends.

In December 2020, the Netflix series “Bridgerton” was launched. This fictional historical drama set in 19th-century Britain has remained highly popular due to its romantic plot. Equally noteworthy are the costumes in the play.

After the phenomenal popularity, the fashion in the show had an impact on the style in real life, and regencycore quietly emerged. According to a Lyst report, regencycore-related searches surged after the episode aired, with searches for corsets seeing the largest increase of 123%. Due to the surge in consumer interest in them, sales of related products on the market have been encouraging and even sold out. “Bridgerton” is back with a second season that’s just as popular and has given regencycore a boost in popularity.

Like almost all fashion trends today, its rise would be impossible without the blessing of celebrity influence. Celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Kendall Jenner, and Bella Hadid have all chosen this element for their many appearances. At the same time, the popularity of archive and vintage secondary markets in recent years has also driven this trend.

As the younger generation of consumers receives more education and receive more diversified external information, they have a relatively more “sovereign awareness” of their own bodies, which also means that they have more requirements for the practical wearability of corsets. Image source: Vogue

4. How modern designs make corsets a feminist fashion

Nowadays, corsets have been greatly changed from material to structure, and they more closely fit the lines of the modern human body, achieving the coexistence of comfort and fashion, while retaining the retro design. As underwear, they were once shackles that restricted women but have evolved into a fashion statement for women to express their individuality. Feminism is about celebrating and being excited about fashion being recycled and having a larger platform for secondary creation.

Dress freely, there is no threshold for modern corset fashion. Some sports brands such as Adidas and Nike have launched sports series of them. We must admit how amazing it is that this fashion can be played so creatively by designers at their fingertips.

Be bold and embrace the feminist looks of corsets with Lilacblvd.com:

Renaissance Floral Jacquard Lace Corset Top in Black