from take a look
January 29, 2023 | 1:00 p.m
From Bridgerton to Gen Z, this sexy underwear is popular once again. But is the corset an instrument of torture – or a weapon of empowerment” – Beverley D’Silva. The curvy woman is the woman of the 21st century and corsets are no strangers to funding this figure. The corset has been argued to be …
Yemi-Alade-in-hair corset
From Bridgerton to Gen Z, this sexy underwear is popular once again. But is the corset an instrument of torture – or a weapon of empowerment” – Beverley D’Silva.
The curvy woman is the woman of the 21st century and corsets are no strangers to financing this figure. The corset was argued to be a symbol of women’s oppression, and dress reformers have also argued that female bodies were prone to deformities due to its wear.
Karolina Laskowska, a British lingerie designer who has been creating handmade corsets since 2012, disputes this notion. She says a well-fitting corset can “take the strain off the shoulders and rib cage,” making it more comfortable than a bra. Some clients, she says, have compared the feeling of having a fleet corset to a great hug.
Corsets have found their way into 21st century pop culture and the fashion space, taking a spin off of royalty and nobility and making an aggressive comeback with no signs of slowing down. Corsets have progressed from undergarments to outerwear, stylishly incorporating different styles and silhouettes.
Boning has found a home beyond underwear to sculpting, even in basic clothing, from high-waisted pants to jackets, dresses and tips. The versatility of the Nigerian fashion space has embraced the fast growing acceptance of the corset. Traditional clothing has given way to this piece that hugs the figure and transforms the body. it’s almost impossible to attend an event without seeing an array of women in corsets slathered in beauty and poise.
1 out of 10
Yemi-Alade-in-hair corset
The flaw
print-corset-top
blue corset-dress
Casual wear
Blue-jeans-and-corset
brown-corset
ankara-corset-top
A-line-corset-black dress
The corset is especially loved for its body sculpting abilities and quick lift of attitude and class. Thanks to fashion designers like Tubo, Veekee James, Ceolumini, xtrabrideslagos and the like, corsets have made a huge comeback, reminding us why they are widely considered timeless pieces. While this fashion element is magical in its interpretation, it begs the question: is there more beyond corsets to explore in the Nigerian fashion space? Could a focus on a specific body type be a major influencer of the love fest?
Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the mainstream idea of the “perfect body shape” for women has shifted almost as often as fashion trends. In some cases, the contrast in the idea of the perfect woman between the decades is shocking and speaks volumes for the public’s attitudes at the time – standards of beauty, in essence, depended on whether people thought it was okay for women to have curves. Admittedly, a cinched waist is a wonder, however, do we care to look beyond it?
