The Corset In The Victorian Era

In Victorian era, corset was seen as part of women’s life, as the narrowness of their waist defines their beauty. The discomfort brought was offset by the compliments from others, as the image of being weak and needing for protection could greatly increase their female charm. This phenomenon shows the importance of corset in women’s daily life and their self-identity. Before Victorian era, in the 17th century, even though corset was popular, it was only worn by upper-class women. In the18th century, even men in upper class would wear corsets to maintain the silhouette of their bodies and create the smooth lines that were seen as most fashionable during that time. These young men are called Dandies and the phenomenon is called Dandyism (d’Hamilton,