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Corsets and Waist
Reduction
By wearing a
tightly-laced corset for extended periods--a practice known as tight lacing--men
and women can learn to tolerate extreme waist constriction and reduce their
natural waist size. Tight lacers usually aim for 40 to 43 centimeter (16 to 17
inch) waists. The Guinness Book of World Records records two instances of women
reducing to 15 inch waists: Ethel Granger and Cathie Jung. Other women, such as
Polaire, also claim to have achieved such reductions.
These are extreme cases. Corsets
were and are usually designed for support, with freedom of body movement an
important consideration in their design. Present day corset-wearers usually
tighten the corset just enough to reduce waists to dimensions that range from
18 to 24 inches.
Corsets and Corset
Comfort
Moderate corset lacing is
not incompatible with vigorous activity. In fact, during the late nineteenth
century, when corset wearing was common, there were sport corsets specifically
designed to wear while bicycling, playing tennis, or horseback riding, as well
as for maternity wear.
Many people now believe
that all corsets are uncomfortable and that wearing them restricts womens'
lives, citing Victorian literature devoted to sensible or hygienic dress. However,
these writings were most apt to protest against the misuse of corsets for tight
lacing; they were less vehement against corsets per se. Many reformers
recommended "Emancipation bodices", which were essentially
tightly-fitted vests, like full-torso corsets without boning.
Most modern day
corset-wearers will testify that corsets
can be comfortable, once one is accustomed to wearing them. A well fitted
corset should be very comfortable. Women active in the Society for Creative
Anachronism and historical reenactment groups commonly wear corsets as part of
period costume, without complaint.
