History
The first fashions worn with hourglass corsets, around 1830, emphasized width - they tended to have very wide skirts, large sleeves and sloping shoulders. These elements contrasted with the narrowed waist, making it appear smaller than it actually was. The hourglass corset can achieve the greatest immediate waist reduction as it acts mainly on a short zone around the waist, rather than attempting to slim the torso around the ribs; the soft fleshy tissue can be compressed and squeezed, redistributed above and below the waistline.
As skirts and sleeves shrank, fashions began to favour a more slender, vertical look. Princess line dresses were popular in the 1880s; these were made without a horizontal waist seam and with long vertical seams running the length of the dress, with the dress fitted closely to the body. Hourglass corsets changed to emphasise the long lines of the body, and their shape often attempted to slim the torso above the waist as well.
Read more about this topic: Hourglass Corset
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