Coco Chanel advocated for fashion to reflect the current era. In 1925, she promoted women cutting their hair short, which was appropriate for modern working women. Additionally, Chanel urged women to abandon the constrictive bone corset due to its detrimental effect on productivity in the workplace.
The image is an advertisement from the late 19th century that promotes the use of corsets. It reflects the culture, fashion, and social status of that time. The advertisement consists of four chapters, illustrating the story of a wealthy unmarried woman from the upper class society in the 19th century. Unsatisfied with her appearance in an old corset, she decides to purchase a new one called ‘The Madame Warren Corset’. After wearing this new corset, the woman feels confident enough to go out and attract the attention of men who comprise the public in this scenario.
The ad presents the corset as a means for upper-class women in the 19th century to attain a fairytale-like life. In contrast, in the present 21st century, the corset serves a different purpose. The first chapter depicts a large mirror on a vanity table, where a curvy brunette Caucasian woman in a red coat stands. The table also holds various items such as a hairbrush and tissue. The caption reads, “Oh, how I long for the enchanted ending and to be married.”
“How awful I appear in this outdated corset,” is inscribed beneath the chapter. The illustration depicts a woman who is apprehensive about her appearance in an antiquated corset, serving as a representation of how women were portrayed and their obsession with vanity during that time period. By possessing the means to purchase a new corset, she is identified as an upper-class individual. Conversely, lower-class women, as well as middle-class women who did not have the privilege of inheriting one from a family member, did not typically wear corsets. “Working-class women (unless attired for special occasions) were spared the discomfort of tightly-laced corsets.”
The text states that during the Victorian era, women wore looser corsets and simpler clothes to allow for more freedom of movement. However, the higher up in social class a woman was, the more restrictive her clothing became. This was because wealthier women did not have to do household chores as they had paid servants to do them. The text also mentions a chapter in which a woman is depicted wearing a white dress with a narrower waistline, holding a smaller mirror and looking at her reflection in two mirrors. The caption under this chapter describes the corset she is wearing as an improvement and comfortable, contradicting the common perception of corsets as torture devices that restrict women’s movement. It is noted that since this image is an advertisement, its main goal is to persuade the audience of the product’s benefits and not highlight any flaws. The central image of the advertisement shows a woman in a white corseted top and red skirt looking at her reflection in a hand mirror.
The image above displays the description of the advertisement, ‘A True Story of The Madam Warren’, while the description continues below the image with ‘Dress Corset Form’ and ‘Illustrated in 4 Chapters’. The mention of ‘A True Story’ emphasizes that the depicted image reflects the 19th-century culture, highlighting how an affluent single woman could use her wealth and figure to secure a marriage during that time period.
In the third chapter, a woman stands in a crowd of men, all holding walking or horse riding sticks. She wears a red coat and a red flowered-hat. There is a man with dark hair and a full beard and moustache, wearing a black top-hat and coat. He also holds a similar stick and seems to be approaching the woman. The caption beneath the chapter reads, “How delightful to be admired by everybody.”
The upper class culture in the 19th century emphasized the importance of marrying within one’s social class to avoid scandal. The woman in the new corset is able to capture the attention of eligible bachelors, indicating that men of that era were attracted not only to the hour-glass figure created by fitted-corsets, but also to the wealth and class symbolized by these new corsets. It is noteworthy that the advertisement does not mention any other women.
The image composition primarily showcases a solitary woman surrounded by multiple men. This deliberate arrangement seeks to avoid diverting viewers’ focus from the corset. One can speculate that if other women were included, the men might be drawn to those who are more visually appealing or affluent rather than the woman exhibiting the new corset. Consequently, this would undermine the advertisement’s objective. Regarding the color scheme employed in the image, it is noteworthy that the main figure dons a vibrant red coat—a captivating shade bound to seize onlookers’ gaze.
The woman in the fourth chapter is now dressed in a beautiful white wedding dress and veil, carrying a bouquet of diverse flowers. Next to her stands a man with dark hair and a moustache, wearing a dark-colored tail coat and trousers. They are facing an older man with white hair who holds a book. The caption for this chapter is “The Happy Result!” During the 19th century, such advertisements held significant social and cultural significance, particularly for individuals belonging to the upper class.
In previous times, numerous men would wed or become engaged to women who possessed both beauty and wealth. Additionally, some men held a preference for narrow waists or the notion of untouchability. In order to safeguard themselves from male desires and uphold their own sense of morality, women would don numerous layers of clothing as well as tightly laced corsets. Consequently, undressing became a laborious and time-consuming task (Victoria’s Past).
In the upper class society, women who cannot show their wealth through fashion are ostracized and excluded from social events. The advertisement for the ‘Madame Warren Corset’ benefits from this exclusion. By using logos, the advertisement designer appeals to viewers. The advertisement indicates that upper class women attract marriage or engagement opportunities when they look their best, making them the ideal audience for the product.
According to the message conveyed, wearing a Madam Warren Corset would attract many men and increase chances of getting married. This idea was not completely unfounded in the 19th century. A brief history of corsets during this time reveals that they were considered essential for medical reasons. It was believed that women were delicate and required support from a corset to stay upright.
Even girls as young as three or four, and probably directed by the best motives, were laced up into bodices. These clothes were eventually made longer and tighter. By the time they reached their teenage years, girls required a heavy canvas corset that was reinforced with whalebone or steel in order to be able to sit or stand for extended periods of time. Wearing a corset had the effect of deforming their internal organs, rendering it difficult to take deep breaths while wearing one or even when not wearing one. Consequently, Victorian women often fainted and experienced bouts of dizziness.
In the past, women were perceived as physically and mentally inferior, leading to the belief that their bodies and minds were weak. Consequently, the corset was deemed essential both ethically and medically. Tightly lacing it was considered virtuous, while donning a loose corset hinted at promiscuity (Victoria’s Past). However, in the 21st century’s feminist movement, corsets have lost popularity without facing significant public criticism. Nevertheless, some women nowadays still opt for wearing corsets, especially those engaged in professions like burlesque dancing, entertainment or even dominatrix roles.
In contemporary times, corsets have transformed from tools of punishment and confinement to representations of power and mastery in the realm of sexuality. This transformation is evident in occupations such as burlesque entertainers and dominatrices, who employ their sexual attractiveness to captivate audiences while simultaneously exerting control. By choosing these professions, women position themselves as desired objects that are inaccessible, mirroring the historical purpose of corsets in protecting women from the advances of lustful men.
Dita Von Teese, a famous burlesque entertainer, is known for her tight lacing habits. She wears corsets for extended periods (14 to 23 hours a day) to shrink her waist size. The portrayal of dominatrices has also become prevalent in modern popular culture. Rihanna played the role of a dominatrix in her music video ‘S&M’. In ABC’s show ‘Castle’, an episode featured the murder of a dominatrix. ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ showcased numerous episodes with BDSM themes. Additionally, the movie ‘Bruno’, which centers around a homosexual reporter, includes a scene involving a dominatrix.
Currently, women have the option to wear corsets without facing societal judgment. However, contemporary society still employs other means to devalue women. On a plastic surgery website, a brief article characterizes a Tummy-tuck as the modern-day equivalent of a corset. Although women have not completely escaped their diminished status, substantial advancements have been achieved from the late 19th century to the present.
In my opinion, the women of the 19th Century utilized the corset as a representation of an idealized life imbued with fairytales. It not only provided them with an enviable physique, which women even in the 21st century yearn for, but also enhanced their desirability as unmarried women, as shamelessly promoted by the poster. Nevertheless, over time, as women have discovered their true selves and climbed social and political hierarchies, the once belittling symbol of the corset has transformed into a emblem of power and control.
Women have transformed the corset, once an oppressive instrument, into a symbol of power (Bair, Cinnamon. “”. 2008 New York Times Company. Colen MD Plastic Surgery, http://www. colenmd. com/breast-lift/tummytuck-the-21st-century-corset/; “Mini History of the Corset”, http://www. victoriaspast. com/DressingRoom/corsethistory. htm; “History of the Victorian Corset”, http://victorianeracnr. blogspot. com/2011/01/history-of-victorian-corset. html).
