Corset Craze: Why We’re Obsessed

Grace Gefsky

March 18th, 2024

Corset Craze: Why We’re Obsessed

Ever since going to college, I have loved wearing corsets. To me, corsets are intrinsically flattering in both their structure and foundation. Corsets exude femininity in the way they tend to accentuate the chest, leaving a woman’s collar bones exposed, while tightening the waist area, ultimately creating the infamous “hourglass” shape. However, corsets were initially seen as an ancient fashion cage for women, particularly during the times where women were married off at young ages. They were seen as restrictive, uncomfortable, and demeaning. And though, in a way, this remains true, women worldwide have taken the corset back with a vengeance.

Today, designers are especially utilizing corset elements—such as the fitted waist, detailing with hook and eye, and specific material like fiber-reinforced plastic—to create sculpting effects either alike with or similar to the traditional corset. Luckily, modern designers are emphasizing an increased comfort that still highlights the most romanticized parts of the female body. Many celebrities of the corset are proponents, such as Anya Taylor-Joy, Anne Hathaway, and Kim Kardashian. Recently, Anne Hathway was seen in a red latex corset dress at the Versace AW24 show, while Anya Taylor-Joy wore a black corset Maison Margiela gown for the premiere of Dune: Part Two.

The rise in popularity of the corset is understandable as it is in tandem with the rise of shapewear. Skims and Spanx are both phenomenal and soaring brands, in both their popularity and their seemingly timeless use. In fact, according to research, the shapewear industry is anticipated to grow to nearly $4 billion by 2031.

Corsets are an extension of shapewear, but are similar in that they provide an outlet to alter and play around with one’s body. It is like contour or bronzer for the face, but instead for hips and breasts.

Ultimately, it is inevitable to be insecure about certain parts of the body, but corsets today can be used to accentuate elements that we do love and shape them in a modern, more comfortable way.