For anyone who doesn't know, corsets' primary use HISTORICALLY was not for making the waist look smaller, but for support, same as we have bras today. They worked as support for the breasts and were excellent for distributing the weight of the dresses they wore so they were easier to wear. Yes, corsets were used for aesthetic purposes as well, but the "tiny waist" was typically an illusion created by padding and the shape of the clothes.
Another fyi, corsets can make the waist smaller for some people. This works best with people who have more central body fat, as it doesn't really hurt when squeezed at those points, since it's just moving the fat to the side a bit. It's definitely not doing to work for someone who is very skinny or muscular, who don't have much fat on their bodies. Ie. I can tie a belt fairly tightly around my stomach when looking at its size, but I can't do that above the upper waist, as I can feel my ribcage hurt even if I press gently with my fingers.
For anyone who doesn't know, corsets' primary use HISTORICALLY was not for making the waist look smaller, but for support, same as we have bras today. They worked as support for the breasts and were excellent for distributing the weight of the dresses they wore so they were easier to wear. Yes, corsets were used for aesthetic purposes as well, but the "tiny waist" was typically an illusion created by padding and the shape of the clothes.
Another fyi, corsets can make the waist smaller for some people. This works best with people who have more central body fat, as it doesn't really hurt when squeezed at those points, since it's just moving the fat to the side a bit. It's definitely not doing to work for someone who is very skinny or muscular, who don't have much fat on their bodies. Ie. I can tie a belt fairly tightly around my stomach when looking at its size, but I can't do that above the upper waist, as I can feel my ribcage hurt even if I press gently with my fingers.