Shapewear to Shapely?

by Lynn on August 3, 2009

Corsets and girdles, now referred to as shapewear, have their history based in antiquity. No one exactly knows when women started wrapping their stomachs for a slimmer silhouette. But, it has been confirmed that women throughout the world, from Africa to South America have long-standing traditions of wrapping their tummies after having a baby. In these countries, long pieces of fabric were used for wrapping, which had the same effect as wearing a corset.

The modern-style of corsets that we’re used to seeing became widespread during the Renaissance (1500s – 1600s), as many portraits from that time show. During this time frame, corsets were long, stiff (made from iron, wood, or whalebone), and uncomfortable.

Over the next several centuries, wearing a corset came in and out of favor throughout Europe and in the United States, as corset wearing (also called tight lacing) came under scrutiny.

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In addition, during the 1900s, when women sought more rights, corset wearing became more of a subculture and fell out of favor in mainstream society. However, girdles were an undergarment staple for many generations through the 1970s.

Recently, girdles, or shapewear (as they’re now called) have been making a comeback as many women see the benefits of reshaping their waistline and bouncing back faster after having a baby. As stated above, many cultures (from Asia to Africa to South America) have passed down this secret for flattening their tummies after a baby and we are just learning to embrace this secret in mainstream America.

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