Schlagwort: corsetry

So, my last post introduced the question why and since when people started wearing undergarment on top of outergarment, especially the corset.

First, I want to make clear what is in my opinion out of this question:
Wearing a corset in tradition of costume history
Below garment, fe. a dress:
Marriage gowns, like of the louche grande dame and known corset-lover Dita Van Teese
Vintage Clothing. As a reference, a genuine photograph approximately taken around 1900,
Museum Display in Fairbanks Dress, ca.1900
Re-Enactment as seen here, 1890ies.

As part of lingerie/underwear, worn with a Chemise
As seen in many Costume Movies, sometimes accurate, sometimes not: Elisabeth Swann/Pirates of the Carribean (Mrs Swanns Corset would most likely not have caused her fainting)

Further Dessous,

Erotica/Fetish Photography
Latex
Tightlacing

An Exception being displays for Fashion Photography/Advertisement (fe. Corset Manufacturers), for obvious promotional reasons
1874, „Thomsons Underthings“
2002 until to-day, To.Mto Berlin

Whereas part of that question is the
„new“ fashion of wearing the corset on top:

Vintage Fashion with a modern twist (made by a corset enthuisiast)
This could be taken even further away, as seen here and here (resembling a „vintage taste“ now, rather than taking „genuine vintage“ references)
Typical Goth Girl Party Outfit

Many pictures of famous Gothic Music Icons show that new fashion:
Amy Lee/Evanescence
Blutengel
Both are rather „fashion corsets“ than actual corsets for waist reduction. The second one might be with steel bone but the back’s most definately not closed.

I found another way of wearing underwear on top of outerwear
Wave Gothic Gathering (German: WGT) at Leipzig
2008 wearing lace hipsters (or sometimes boyshorts) on top of pantyhose (or nylons) – this also shows the mode à la françoise, wearing the garter underneath the pantyhose (well, at least one? of them. Why this became a „french“ fashion I leave to the wild imagination of the dear reader!)

I asked in two forums, one specialized on Gothic Fashion and one for Corset Enthuisiasts, why people would wear a corset on top. As far as I can conclude, many were not even aware of the fact that a corset was underwear once.

I wonder why so many girls these days wear their corsets (sometimes even beautiful, handcrafted ones) on top of their clothing. It does not make any sense to me, and it’s very ugly in my opinion. To me, it’s like wearing your bra on top of your shirt. I ask you, why would you do that?

I don’t mean the many girls showing lingerie in general, like corset+stockings+heels or similar. They’re just about to get naked in my opinion, not specifically bad dressed. What I am talking about is the fashion of wearing a corset (no matter how beautiful) on top of outer wear.

When and where did this fashion develop?
Why would a girl wear a corset on top of a dress?
Did the innovation of the modesty flap enhance this lapse of taste?