With all the images I've been doing of corsets, I thought it was time to try one on.
I was recently fortunate enough to meet designer Thea Yeatman of Woven Streams Couture, who not only makes beautifully custom design clothing but creates period costumes including corsets. I spent a couple of fun afternoons at her studio sketching and photographing corsets from different ages.
Shown above is a corset from the Seventeen Hundreds as distinguished by the plain fabric and tabs at the bottom which allowed the garment to flair gently into the lower portion of the body just above the hips, creating a willowy form. Also notice the straps which pushed the shoulders back and the chest forward. The Victorian corset in contrast curved outwards more dramatically to accentuate the hips, resulting in an hour glass figure. It was also made with lavish silks and laces.
With a body like mine there isn't a lot to shift around, the change in posture was the most dramatic effect. Wearing corset is as I suspected a bit claustrophobic but not too uncomfortable as long as you aren't planning to exert yourself...
