High society Edwardian corset vs working class corset

[Claire-lqll]

Generalizing about the comfiness of corsets is like generalizing about bras, a sports bra is going to be more comfortable than a push-up, but that doesn’t mean that all of them are uncomfortable!

[MyFatherLooksLikeAPallasCat]

As someone with a bigger chest size, corsets were the best thing happening to me! My back doesn't hurt anymore, and I can do pretty much everything in them. My job requires both desk work and physical activities, and I feel nice and comfy doing both.

[aliceg]

They were also: custom made, ESPECIALLY the high society ones. Worn with the proper under layers, which is not always the case in modern uses. And you *could* tight lace, but you didn't have to.

[lonelygovernment]

Even the high society ladies didn't wear the more uncomfortable corsets a lot of the time. If there was an event, then yeah that was all about showing off but just going about and uneventful day at home, the rich lady would've likely worn a less dramatic corset. Still beautifully made and tailored but not necessarily tight or uncomfortable.

[SweetnL]

And just like shoes, a proper fit matters. Even in stilettos, fit is the difference between discomfort and pain.

[timetravelingpenguin]

Can't wait for the day when we start seeing movie tropes about stilleto heels breaking women's ankles and pushup bras making their arms fall off

[pahvi]

Some day they'll talk the same way about stiletto heels. "Did you know they used to make women wear these insane shoes that made their feet deformed??"

[kienchenk]

Great video! People today seem to think their ancestors were stupid🤦‍♀️

Women had to work horrendous hours under terrible circumstances which just wouldn't have been feasible with a constant rib-breaking oxygen deficit 🙄

[jacquiethebibliophil]

They don't break them in, season them, and let people over corset them, so of course they are uncomfortable to downright painful. But I do believe that they change your figure, as well as you change the corset's shape.

[morg]

As someone who has done ensemble dancing (death drops, splits, cartwheels) in corsets, any time an actor comes forth abt how hard wearing one was for them I want to find whatever costume designer was in charge and shake em. It is so important to keep your actors safe and healthy, and to properly train them in what is healthy to feel/experience in a corset.

[kas]

As someone with severe spinal issues, I have a corseted brace that makes plane and train travel as well as walking tolerable. It sounds kind of ridiculous, but the relief I get when pulling those strings is immeasurable

[cindy]

I think this speaks to the kind of stories we tell. Oftentimes, movies, especially period pieces, focus on the experiences of the wealthy, rather than the working class

[kiriaytroust]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE FOR YEARS NOW. I regularly wear a corset to help my back pain & it's honestly really damn comfortable to wear. Common mistakes I see a lot of is people lacing them up way too tight & way too quickly. If it hurts to move & breath, it's way too tight.

[makeda]

Right. Like wearing a chunky heeled boot vs. a pair of stilettos, one you could wear all day and be relatively fine and the other, as my Mom would say, are “from the house, to the car, to the table”.

[gal]

A properly made ‘average’ corset is more comfortable than a bra in my experience. So we’ve apparently taken some steps back over the years 😂

[johannacxiii]

What I also heard is that movie productions don't leave a lot of room for custom work, so actresses corsets are estimations, instead of the custom fit work someone in the period would've worn. Much more uncomfortable that way.

[kayellee]

Love the Edwardian corset tutorial but that Art Nouveau wallpaper in the background is just soooo eye catching!!

[SisterOfDeathInAK]

I love the comparison to shoes. A working class woman's daily shoes are much different than a rich woman's dress shoes. The corset discourse is like 150 years from now thinking that teachers wore Louboutins in class everyday.

[reynadelikat]

Its like the difference between a sports bra or bralette and a pushup bra. There are always crazy body altering garments for women. Then theres what you're average mom, waitress, or student would wear everyday.

[zombiedoggie]

Remember also padding. They also padded out the hips and bust. It isn't just the corset making the curves!