waist cinching

Tiny Waists and Steel Corsets: The Tough Body Expectations of the 1900s

Tiny Waists and Steel Corsets: The Tough Body Expectations of the 1900s

I love the blithe glamour of these vintage corset adverts. They remind me of the uber-glamorous Modess adverts of the 1950s (never before or since have feminine hygiene products been so aspirational). All of these adverts claim comfort (I guess that’s a relative term), and one even has a blissful cherub sleeping snuggled inside it(…)

How did 1950s models get such tiny waists? The low down on waist training

How did 1950s models get such tiny waists? The low down on waist training

I’ve often marvelled at the different body shapes which have been in fashion over the decades: from the skinny boyish figure of the 1920s and 1960s to the fabulous hourglass figures of the 1950s. It also got me wondering why people don’t look like that today. Above: 1950s model and pinup Betty Brosmer. Image courtesy(…)