A corset is a tight-fitting article of dress, worn principally by women, to give shape to and support the body. A corset consists of a sort of closely-fitting jacket, usually stiffened by strips of steel, whalebone, or other means, and tightened by a lace. The materials of which it is made should be smooth and elastic, and it should be specially fitted for the individual wearer, as no two human figures are precisely alike. It is likely that in the Victorian era women did abuse corsets in order to compress the body, and texts at the time reminded their readers of the dangers of such actions, stating that corsets are meant to preserve a good figure, not to make one, and any forcible compression of the shape, especially on young persons, will only end in destroying natural grace of movement and in serious injury to the health. Research Corset
Abbreviations
Costume
Research Corset