Nathalie Prebich

The Evolution of Women's Shapewear

Nathalie Prebich

Throughout American history, women’s appearances have played an integral role in how they are viewed by society. Certain characteristics can communicate that a woman is proper, affluent, or well-mannered, all of which have been desired traits throughout time.1 Consequently, women utilized countless tools to alter the appearance of their bodies. Shapewear is a type of undergarment that allows women to temporarily alter their bodies, specifically in the torso and hip area. Shapewear has been the mainstay method for women to achieve the desired appearance and has served a wide range of functions throughout history, for structural and aesthetic purposes. Social and political events throughout American history largely contributed to changes in beauty standards throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Major events such as World Wars and major cultural upheavals played a substantial role in how women’s shapewear and undergarments developed through today. As the years progressed, the necessity of wearing shapewear decreased, resulting in a drastic transition from Victorian steel-boned corsets, to girdles, to the modern-day bra.

Puritan-era New England was heavily characterized by moral and religious earnestness. The culture of this time was strongly guided by religious reform, which aimed to rid the Church of England of Roman Catholic influence.2 Clothing of this era was defined by sumptuary laws, which dictated what clothing and accessories individuals wore, based on socioeconomic class.3 Simplicity and modesty were a cornerstone of the Puritan Church, and individuals were discouraged from any form of vanity.4 Women were forbidden from exposing their arms or “bosoms,” and it was maintained that they wore gowns that covered their legs and chest. Therefore, the clothing of middle-class women consisted of plain, loosely fitted floor-length gowns, lacking ornament. Women of high status practiced the same forms of modesty; however, “quiet” colors were generally accepted, and often accompanied by a white cape. As a result, shapewear was very rarely, if ever, worn for any purpose. Later in the 18th century, the widespread use of “stays” emerged, an undergarment worn under women’s dresses to provide support and shape to clothing. Stays were unrestrictive and were primarily for structural and supportive purposes.5 However, women of the Victorian era utilized corsets, primarily for aesthetic purposes.

Figure 1. Corset, Thomson's. "Glove-Fitting Corsets." The Graphic Co. Lith. 39 & 41 Park Place N.Y. 1874.

Womenswear in the Victorian era is famously distinguished by the widespread use of steel-boned corsets. This era was characterized by sexual restraint and morality, primarily towards women.6 Victorian ideals of morality perceived women as submissive, fragile, and chaste. As a result, women who wore tight-laced clothing were perceived as pure and well-mannered.7 The word “corset” came into use in English in 1828, in The Ladies Magazine to describe a “quilted waistcoat,” called “un corset” by the French (primary). Advertisements at the beginning of the era featured corsets with whalebone lining, and the women in them were depicted to be of high status and privilege, communicating that they were less accessible to the lower class (Figure 1). 8 More restrictive forms of corsetry were preferred by upper-middle-class and high-class women because loose corsets were worn by working-class women.9 Steel-boned corsets were a status symbol that demonstrated the ability to afford servants, as they required assistance to put on.10 For most of the 19th century, steel-boned corsets were the primary form of shapewear. Despite minor concerns from physicians, women continued to wear corsets daily and felt that the need for aesthetic enhancement was very important.11 However, the rational dress movement played a role in the slow phase-out of Victorian-style steel-boned corsets in the 20th century.

The industrial revolution brought about major changes in fashion and women’s beauty standards, which were later rejected by the rational dress movement. Industrialized factory production allowed the creation of stronger corsets, with an interior structure made of steel instead of old-fashioned whalebone. Late 19th-century physicians debated the severity of the consequences of long-term steel-boned corset usage. A newspaper article titled “Killed By Her Corsets” discussed the difficulty in breathing that women may face with prolonged corset usage.12 Many physicians weighed in on the discussion to verify the negative consequences of wearing corsets, such as broken ribs from excessive tightening.13 Medical concern and increasing dissatisfaction with the discomfort of steel-boned corsets led to the dress reform movement, led by Amelia Bloomer.14 The movement occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and sought to make women’s clothing safer and more practical.15 As a result, the “bloomer costume” emerged: loose knee-length dress, harem-style trousers, and no corset (Figure 2). This movement was associated with more than just fashion and became the origin of discussions around the role of women in social and political aspects of society. The outfit was most popular in the early 20th century; however, it was met with criticism about the manly characteristics of trousers. Consequently, female reformers had limited success, as critics deterred women from adopting the “masculine” wardrobe. Nonetheless, the movement introduced a notion that clothing could be worn for comfort rather than solely ways to convey status, or for fashion purposes.

Figure 2. DOROTHY BLUMFM, TENENBAUM. "Original Bloomer Girl." New York Times (1923-), Nov 19, 1944.

Figure 3. "A NEW CORSET ALLIANCE: HEALTH--STYLE--COMFORT." Ladies' Home Journal, 06, 1916, 86.

WWI was the root of the decline of steel-boned corsets and the origination of the 20th-century girdle. In 1917, the US War Industry Board encouraged individuals to stop buying corsets, as the metal used to construct them was better used for ammunition and military manufacturing16 After WWI, the drastic shift away from metal-structured corsets began. This made room for developing more comfortable, flexible shapewear called girdles, elasticized close-fitting undergarments, extending from the waist to below the hips (Figure 3).17 Victorian corsets were leaving women discontented with the natural shape of their bodies, and they wanted a more realistic-looking alternative. The girdle was made of flexible fabric like cotton, coutil, or rayon, and thin bendable wire that allowed more movement (Figure 3). Girdle advertisements encouraged there was “no need to mold the figure to the corset, but a corset to fit the figure in the most comfortable, hygienic, and artistic manner.”18 Girdles were a cleaner option, due to their breathable design that prevented the growth of bacteria, often an issue of the insulating material of corsets.19 Publications wrote columns about wearing girdles in a healthy manner and preached the importance of comfort. The article “Corset Comfort” in Parents Magazine of 1935 explained that newer, flexible girdles have “restored once and for all the normal proportions of the waist.”20 These publications suggest advancements toward body positivity, through decreasing reliance on extreme tools to change the body shape. On the other hand, it was often suggested that teenage girls in high school and college should begin wearing girdles as well, revealing that society believed that many girls and women still needed shapewear, despite being uncomfortable and potentially harmful.21 This form of shapewear brought about by WWI remained consistent for almost two decades. WWII came shortly after, and American society saw another major shift in women’s shapewear.

WWII had various economic and societal effects that changed the way people perceived and utilized shapewear. The War Production Board was ordered by Franklin Roosevelt to regulate the production and allocation of materials,22 some of which were used to make corsets, like silk and steel. Consequently, the invention of man-made fibers such as nylon became widespread.23 Women’s clothing became more simplistic and was made for functionality rather than fashion, causing less distinction between social classes. This change was seen in major publications like VOGUE, which, in its January 1942 cover spoke of the shift in fashion for women in the war (Figure 4). As women were losing their ability to wear and buy fashionable clothing, there was less incentive to wear decorative shapewear without clothing to go with it. Millions of men left the country to fight in the war, and women entered the workforce to replace the decrease in male employment. In May 1942, Congress instituted the Women’s Army Corps. These women worked in more than 200 non-combatant jobs and required proper clothing for work. Fashion shifted to a utilitarian style with coats and trouser suits, zipped jumpsuits, and cotton frocks (Figure 6). Girdles became even more durable than those of the 1920s, thanks to the invention of man-made fibers that were softer and contained more stretch than previous materials (Figure 5).24 Shapewear was still advertised throughout WWII but aimed to convince working women that shapewear was patriotic and that looking your best on the job was a way to show respect and camaraderie (Figure 6). Advertisements claimed that shapewear helped support the back and muscles, and helped women to look fit in their uniforms. Furthermore, shapewear companies began to add functionality to their products such as pockets, as women working in factories and labor-intensive jobs could not hold handbags. WWII brought about substantial changes in the perception of shapewear in the 20th century. Women began to view their undergarments as functional for work and everyday life as opposed to solely for cosmetic purposes. However, in the decades following directly after WWII, the role of shapewear for aesthetic purposes made its comeback.

Figure 4. Vogue. January 1942.

Figure 6. "Advertisement: The Spirella Company, Inc." Ladies' Home Journal, 10, 1943, 111,

Figure 5. "Advertisement: The Crown Corset Company." Ladies' Home Journal, 05, 1947, 21

Many refer to the 1950s as the golden age of the United States.24 The post-WWII economic expansion brought a decade of prosperity for Americans, as employment rates increased significantly. Consequently, consumption had drastically increased since WWII, encouraging a materialistic society.25 The cosmetic industry blossomed in the 1950s, as more people than ever could afford the price of beauty-enhancing products. The Playboy magazine launch of December 1953 marked a new idolization of women with conspicuous sexuality. Playboy, alongside other publications, placed emphasis on how the “perfect” man or woman should be, and society focused on heterosexual gender roles to an extreme. The effect of this was an unattainable beauty ideal and had a direct influence on the shapewear women sought. After years of mandated dress codes, women desired shapewear that accentuated their curves. Lingerie came into popularity with the rise of extravagance. Popular undergarments were bullet, cantilevered, and padded bras, and polyester or nylon girdles to cinch the waist. The Maidenform bra was most notable and became a symbol of elegance. The bra was made to accentuate and enlarge the breasts, facilitating the hourglass silhouette. Maidenform’s famous campaigns featured women wearing their lingerie in extravagant settings, with the phrase “I dreamed I…in my Maidenform bra,” connoting the exclusivity of the brand (Figure 7). These trends in shapewear continued into the early 1960s, an era of heterosexual normativity, and unrealistic beauty standards. Eventually, rising dissatisfaction with male-controlled expectations led those feeling oppressed to pioneer the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970s, which resulted in a rejection of shapewear and ultimately a transformation of women’s undergarments.

Figure 7. "Advertisement: Maidenform Bra." Woman's Day, 08, 1957, 9

The Women’s Liberation Movement emerged in 1967, as a result of demonstrations and marches for civil rights and antiwar protests that persisted through the 1950s and 1960s. The demographic of protesters was primarily young women in college and older women who were discontented with their passive, and dependent lifestyles post-WWII (Figure 8).26 The term “Bra Burner” was a vital aspect of the movement, describing female civil rights activists who publicly burned their bras to protest their status as sexual objects.27 Despite the fact that bra-burning has been disputed as a myth, the act was a symbol of liberation from societal expectations and constructs pushed upon women.28 In the 1970s, many women stopped wearing bras and shapewear altogether. Bras were seen as a symbol of control by society, and dismissing them rejected the notion that women dressed to appease the male gaze. During this period, shapewear designed to alter the body shape became rare. The primary form of undergarments worn by women became minimal bras of thin fabrics made for comfort.29 Maidenform bras were seen in this style as well and moved away from the body-altering shapewear of the 1950s (Figure 9). Advertisements after the Women’s Liberation Movement, namely for Maidenform bras, featured ideas of feminism and female empowerment. Signifying a dramatic shift in societal views, as men were often the creators of these publications. This change remained well into the 1980s, until the lingerie company “Triumph” skyrocketed in popularity. Their advertisements aimed to promote body positivity with slogans such as “Triumph has the bra for the way you are,” which endorsed self-love and confidence. The Women’s Liberation Movement paved the way for a new era of undergarments for women, free of body shaping.

Figure 8. "Women! Free Our Sisters." N.E. Women's Liberation and Black Panther Party of Connecticut. Prop art / Gary Yanker. New York: Darien House. 1972.

Figure 9. "Advertisement: Demi-Bra." Seventeen, 10, 1980, 35

Shapewear of the 21st century finds itself in a much different position than the 20th century. The rise of social media allowed a range of social movements to develop. The most widespread was the “Body Positivity” movement that began in 2012. The movement aimed to challenge unreasonable standards of beauty by promoting and accepting a range of diverse appearances online.30 Literature on the movement has examined the content of posts across Instagram and found that the majority of them demonstrated an inclusion or diverse physical appearances31 However, several posts still contained contradictory messages, suggesting that while the 21st century is a time of body positivity, the desire for thinness or an hourglass appearance is still prevalent. Recent developments in the hourglass appearance are attributed to the rise of The Kardashian family, who popularized the “Brazilian Butt Lift” procedure. As a result, women in the 2010s and after sought ways to emulate the appearance of an unrealistically small waist and large hips permanently, as opposed to women of the 20th century who turned to shapewear to alter their appearance. This resulted in a radical change in the way women view body shaping. The rise of surgical alterations has diverted the previous continuity of the way shapewear and undergarments were evolving. Women who could not afford surgical procedures returned to shapewear to create their desired appearance, which suggests that social and political events of the 20th century did not permanently change how all women seek to alter their appearance. A woman named Iman Ingram aspired to open a beauty shop and underwent the Brazillian Butt Lift procedure because she thought her body would help her business succeed. She explained that “in the world that we live in, that is the look, especially if you have certain goals and aspirations for yourself.” 32 The prevalence of social media and celebrity influence of the 21st century brought back unrealistic beauty standards, despite the Body Positivity movement of 2012, and the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970s.33 These events suggest that despite advances in celebrating natural bodies, women often feel pressure to conform to societal standards, and therefore turn to shapewear or surgical alterations in extreme cases.34

The evolution of shapewear in America has proven to be caused by much more than fashion trends or societal standards. What primarily influenced the evolution of shapewear in America was a range of major events encompassing World Wars and cultural upheavals throughout the 20th century. The transformation of women's shapewear in America is an example of the way that political and economic events can shape the way society adjusts to changing ideas and beliefs. As women gained more liberation and freedoms throughout the 20th century, the use and prevalence of shapewear consequently declined. It seems that as women became more involved citizens in America, the role of physical appearance as a major contributor to a woman's worth decreased as well. The evolution of shapewear had been consistently modified for the majority of the 20th century, wherein the prevalence of corsets and girdles slowly decreased over time, as its use shifted from being for aesthetic to functional purposes. However, the radical shift in the way that women desire to conform to societal standards due to social media in the 21st century may indicate that the function of shapewear is evolving to become similar to aesthetic purposes of the early to the mid-20th century. As American society experiences impactful political and economic events in the future, the evolution of shapewear may continue to reflect the resulting societal beliefs of the time.

Footnotes

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About the Author

Nathalie grew up in Manila, Philippines and spent much of her childhood running around the beach covered in sunburns and sand. She grew up watching every American sitcom and TV show you can imagine, while also slowly becoming an avid reader. Ever since she could remember, she has had a passion for the natural sciences and family medicine, and has since moved to Boston to study biochemistry with the hopes of becoming a dentist.

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