Usually if there’s any sort of buzz about a new blog post, book, class, etc. regarding corsets and the wearing of, the historical costume community is apt to proceed forth either carefully with trepidation or with full zeal. Which one of these viewpoints the reader comes from is based on one’s current view of corsets and the modern opinions of such a unique garment.
The trepidation comes from the re-hashed, strangulated view of the steel boned corset, brought to our conscious through bad movie lines, photos frequently circulated of crushed ribs and rumors of fainting spells. This is, as we historical costumers know, is not the true case of corsetry.
When Sarah A. Chrisman’s new book: Victorian Secrets: What a Corset Taught Me About the Past, the Present, and Myself, was published in November 2013, I was intrigued by someone wearing a corset full-time and NOT being part of the fetish community. She simply was wearing it to aspire to a Victorian aesthetic. How could I not be interested in something I pine for myself?!
For this slow reader I found the pages flying through my fingers, my mind focused on her progress and the next story about how others react as she limps on crutches, runs through rain storms or rides her bike around town.
The writing is easy to read with and is well researched. I simply loved hearing about her physiology & anatomy studies and the effect of corsets on the female form. It was not surprising, but enlightening, her description on how pregnancy and corset wearing are not unrelated when it comes to shifting organs to fit within a given space.
In my own life of wearing period clothing, it is not for me to judge others if they are wearing polyester dresses or baggy gowns trying to represent the tailored looks of the Late Victorian era. If it makes them happy then, by all means, I will encourage the behavior.
From this personal viewpoint, I was a bit bothered (in the writing at least) of how Mrs. Chrisman behaved toward those who weren’t dressed in “proper” Victorian clothes when at costumed events. It came across as quite critical and uppity that those women weren’t worthy enough to put on such celebrated fashion. Not personally being a part of those encounters, the book is mute on whether or not instruction of the art of wearing Victorian clothing took place or simply a defense of clothing preference. At times the interactions read as quite harsh.
Another issue I had to get past was that Mrs. Chrisman actually WORE antique pieces.
Collecting antique garments is one thing (I have many myself), but to wear them brushes bitterly against my view that we should preserve intact pieces for posterity. Wearing these fascinating works puts them in harm’s way. When her lovely peach silk petticoat ruffle was torn off the skirt I moaned, “See! This is why you shouldn’t wear antiques!” I cried for that lovely piece that won’t ever be the same.
But to be fair, the whole idea of wearing a corset on a regular basis to produce a superior appearance that evokes power from the feminine form and gives a middle finger to the sloppiness of contemporary fashion is intriguing.
It takes guts to wear something so unlike the popular blue jeans and t-shirt of today. Negativity will follow, as it always does, that idea that exposes our shortcomings. Our laziness. Our lack of creativity.
However, Sarah has seemed to carry off this old-fashion style with aplomb. In our historical costuming realm and even down to popular Facebook pages that have shared news stories about her unusual habit, we admire the risks she has/is taking, applaud her sensibilities, yet still post comments saying “Oh, how I wish we still dressed that way.”
So, what’s stopping us?
We, who stand out from “general” society when we don our period clothing for events because we love it so – why do we hesitate to dress up the same in our everyday lives?
I, myself, yearn to wear period garments more often. I dream of the past and the beauty of it as seen through my modern-day rosy lenses. Although, my day job in a modern, professional office limits me to my choice of clothing.
But does it? Why can’t I take my beloved Truly Victorian skirt patterns and make them shorter and more office friendly? It surely could be done and still present a professional atmosphere.
That’s why I truly love Sarah’s book and the risk she has taken over the years. The first one out is always the hardest position. But once the barrier is breached the flow becomes faster. What if Sarah’s story influenced us – who love Victorian styles so much – encouraged us to be a bit more daring with our daily wardrobe?
What if the simple act of wearing longer skirts and improving our posture with a well-made corset was not forbidden in contemporary society? What if we did this? Could we really bring the past we dream about into our modern world? Can we change our world simply by the clothes we wear? I think so. I think it can truly happen.
Give Sarah Chrisman’s book a glance and be inspired to live in the present while dressing in the well-loved past. 🙂
“‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.’ Yet foreign countries have ambassadors and diplomats to speak for them. The past is far less able to defend itself; it cannot formulate rebuttals. Perhaps that is why it is such an easy victim. Thus, an opinion has become common that everything about the present is superior to anything that existed in the past. It is difficult for many people to grasp that lifestyles may have been different in the past, and yet still completely satisfactory to those living them. History has no emissaries.” ~page 178
Have you read this book? What did you think about it?
Update: In 2019 a new term for wearing historical fashion on a regular, everyday basis was created: HistoryBounding. You can listen to my podcast on how to bring more of this into your daily wardrobe.
When I read Sarah’s book, I too was bothered by her disdain for certain people, but more than that, I was appalled that she didn’t wear a chemise, either. To wear one or not is a personal choice, but in TEACHING what was worn under the fashions, you need to make the distinction clear between personal choice and popular usage, She states not all women wore chemises. Strictly speaking, true, but I’d wager 95% or more DID wear them (or combinations). In not specifying that, she is guilty of making the exception seem like the rule, which furthers inaccuracies on par with the ‘corsets are torture’ and ‘corsets break ribs’ fallacies, which she tries so hard to counteract. Replacing one set of inaccuracies with another isn’t good teaching. It would be like stating that women in the women’s lib movement all burned their bras and went braless. Some most certainly did, but not the majority. It was more symbolic. And yet . . . I can see future generations will inaccurately state of my generation, “Oh, all of the young women of that time went braless” ignoring that a casual scanning of clothing catalogs will prove they most certainly did wear bras (not to mention any business environment would never have condoned bra-lessness).
I was mildly exasperated when she was disdainful of the struggle for women’s rights and the vote, saying that the vote did nothing for her, as her favored presidential candidate lost. Well, of COURSE if your candidate didn’t win, there is no reason for ANY woman to have had the vote (slight sarcasm). And while she decries the violence of their methods (I wish they hadn’t had to go to that extreme, either), the fact is, when they politely asked for the vote, they were equally politely ignored.
I did grieve that the antiques she wears will not be around for future generations to love, even as I concede she has a right to wear them. I am able to own the wonderful antique garments I do because someone before me made the decision NOT to wear them, but to preserve them.
Sarah definitely has a gift for writing, I acknowledge fully. She is incredibly brilliant at capturing and keeping the reader’s attention to the very end. I was completely absorbed in her writing, even when I was cringing. I imagine (hope) that her intolerance of those not as accurate as she feels she is, will fade to acceptance as she matures. I started out in polyester, too, but gentle encouragement from those more educated made me want to be better, and so I learned and sewed and became better and more accurate. If I’d encountered someone disparaging early on, I might well have given up in embarrassment. And what a world of beauty I might have missed out on if I had!
Great comment. Thanks for your thoughts!
I loved this book. She really inspired me to quit talking about wearing a corset and to actually start doing it. I love them. I try to wear one everyday – even if it is just for a few hours. Slowly but slowly I’ll build my wardrobe up and dress better.
Her writing style can be a little off putting at times, but all in all I really liked this book. She is inspiring, has done her homework and is walking the walk.
Actually, I gave up bras in favor of corsets at age fourteen due to frequent back problems and it prevented me from needing a medical corset later in life. It started with a simple underbust corset from Hot Topic that came with an outfit I bought, and I quickly found that it improved my posture and the improvement of posture improved both my self-confidence and health. I never gave a thought to anyone else’s opinions on the issue because I’d looked through a Fredrick’s Catalogue and (what is now considered) lingerie is indeed a subset of *undergarments*; I wasn’t actually aware that many women consider it a problem (men don’t tend to). I don’t wear a corset all the time, of course, because in the summer months the *last* thing you want is the extra layer a chemise adds (heat + layers = fainting far more than doing your stays too tight ever could), but in weather where I don’t need the breathability of a sport’s bra? It makes me not only stand tall, both literally *and* figuratively, but also feel sexy, even without a fashion fabric. What’s wrong with feeling sexy in a world that perpetually slumps?
Hi Jennifer. Thanks for the review! The comments here are rich in content about modern-vintage dressing…would definitely love to SEE some more patterns/options that could easily be tweaked toward modern without giving up either the corsetry option(it’s hard to wear a corset under modern clothes!)or the vintage sensibility. 🙂 Going to check out the book!
~april
I bought this book on kindle yesterday afternoon, and had finished it before I went to bed. It’s so refreshing to see someone doing the thing that I’m not quite brave enough to attempt… Perhaps one day I’ll have the courage. (And the funds, which are probably my biggest limiting factor at the moment, especially since my corset is busted and I need a new one before I can even start sewing clothing…)
I’m not sure how I missed this post when you first wrote it, since I own and read Sarah’s book back in 2012 when she was still printing and binding it herself, and selling them on the street corner in Port Townsend. During the Victorian Festival there I attended the “temperance meeting” that she and her husband put on for us, and later went to their little Victorian home which they were still working on, to watch her presentation on wearing her corset. She had a couple beautiful antique ones on display and then undressed herself to show us her own. I was appalled that she was demonstrating the wearing of a corset and all the time, but WITHOUT a chemise. I felt like saying don’t you know WHY you should be wearing a chemise or something under it? But I didn’t say anything at the time and even bought one of her books she had for sale there. I happened to be wearing my Bloomer gown which I had worn in the fashion show there, and was surprised she didn’t say anything to me. Because later when I read her book, she claimed that women who wore the Bloomers back in the 1850s wanted to give up their womanhood and be more like men. Give me a break! If she had done ANY research before making that statement, she would have know the real reason. So I believe she was making up personal opinions according to her own ideas. But I did enjoy reading the book very much, and on occasion have worn my own corset around the house to see what it feels like. However unless I was wearing one of my costumes that was built around wearing the corset, the majority of my modern clothes don’t fit over it without looking awkward.
Val
I cannot dress my own hair! And the hair has to go with the outfit or I feel it simply looks peculiar. I wonder what ladies of the day did when they couldn’t dress their hair either?
I really am totally disgusted with the jeans and tee shirt culture though. Nothing is sadder than seeing an eighty year-old lady in blue jeans and a sweatshirt. I am disturbed by the uniformity of it. I have distressing flash-backs to the bad old days of the Mao-era grey pajamas all the Chinese wore. I think tees and jeans look trashy and sad. They bespeak of laziness and lack of care. I am reminded of dungaree-wearing convicts on chain-gangs along the sides of roads. Jeans wear the stench of despair about them.
A little while ago I decided I no longer wished to be a part of that culture of slobs. I haven’t got a good alternative wardrobe put together though yet.
You state that:
“What if the simple act of wearing longer skirts and improving our posture with a well-made corset was not forbidden in contemporary society?”
It is not forbidden – almost nothing is forbidden in our society these days when you can buy newspapers with topless women in them.
The only barrier is a perceived one and one of fear. If I chose to don corset and gown for a day at the office I would not end up in a disciplinary for breach of office dress code – I work in an office that has a very relaxed dress code with pretty much the only rule being that clothing should not expose inappropriate amounts of flesh or have offensive slogans.
I would love to wear corsets every day but this would require a HUGE investment in custom corsetry that I simply cannot afford. I have plans in the new year to start my first corset after the success I experienced making a boned bodice, but most of my cosplay corsets are Steel-boned off-the-rack from Corsets UK and as such don’t necessarily fit me perfectly enough to wear all the time. My biggest issue is my bust – I’d really like corsets to be tighter and higher as I tend to ‘fall out’.
Similarly, I struggle to sit and drive when wearing a corset so this would be impractical for me to wear to work.
The other problem we have is the opinions of others – specifically those that choose to abuse and disrespect the choices of others whether that is related to the clothes they are wearing or whether they are in a same-sex relationship or the colour of their skin. You will never escape these people and the best way of dealing with it (or so I find) is to almost pretend not to know what they mean. Behave as though everything is completely normal and the only one that comes out of it looking silly is them. Most people having nothing but complements and admiration.
Very true thoughts Lex! I have found that more complements, rather than negative comments, are given when wearing my historical garments.
I have the original version of this book back when Sarah was printing and handbinding them herself, and I did not put it down until I had read the whole thing. I like the way she tells stories. Sometimes she can be a tad snarky about people, however they seem to be people who have brought down judgement on her first. As far as her making fun of the “Polly Esthers” of the world, to a point I do agree with her. There is nothing wrong with wearing incorrect clothing, whether it be the fabric or design to most events, but in a teaching environment, plastic clothing with zippers has no place. It’s another matter when people at least try to have correct reproductions, using correct (or as close as possible, after all there are some very good false silks out there) fabrics, and using reproduction patterns. But the people she shows disdain for are mostly bragging about how they find this and that at a thrift store and make it plain that they are “teaching” people without having done a shred of research. People come to those types of events wanting to learn, and late 20th century dresses with zippers and shiny poly fabric are not useful. I have to agree with her that they don’t belong there because they are pretending to be authorities and lying to people who probably have paid to learn something about historical clothing and want to see something accurate (even an attempt at accuracy) if not an actual original. I have been to events like that when I was starting out as a reenactor and found it extremely disappointing to see clothing that I could tell from 30 feet away wasn’t accurate.
Sometimes I did cringe at her wearing real historical garments (rather than reproducing them) to events, especially using public transit, however I had to remind myself that they were her garments, she purchased them, and at least when she wore them, people did get to see the real thing, tho the preservationist in me would have preferred it if she had brought them along to display instead of risking the damage.
I think the author has a wonderful writing style and I get so immersed in her story that I have read it several times straight. I love her descriptions of people, even when they aren’t nice because I felt she was at least being honest. It was also great to finally read a book about someone who corsets regularly who is not a fetishist and someone who isn’t afraid to get out there and be who she feels like she is. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reenacting, historical clothing, or corsetry in general.
I have been curious about this book. Thank you for such a good review of it! I do think how we dress changes how we interact with the world and how the world interacts with us. I’m adding it to my reading list. 🙂
I read her book with fast paced intesity as I have become more and more intrigued in the era and the clothing. I too was disaapointed in the idea of harsh words for those who don’t or can’t dress appropriately though they try (I’m more of give them props for trying). And as well, the disappointment in wearing the antique pieces. It’s one thing to try them on in the home, see and feel what they do to then be able to use that as a template for making a copy, but wearing them out?
I would love to do more corset wearing, not only to get used to it but also for the look in clothes and body change. But then my husband, when I giggled over things just looked at me like I was mad and that I was going to break ribs and the like for wanting to wear my corset more often. Fallen for the years and years of misinformation about corsetry. Sigh. 🙂 He even belives the stuff about the rib removal!
Having been recommended to this book by a FB post from this site, I will say I enjoyed it. I would love to be able to dress this way every day- and though I do participate in the Society for Creative Anachronism and so at least get to wear medieval garb often; I have always had a love of Victorian era garb. Having grown up Apostolic Pentecostal, I wore long skirts and long sleeves during most of my youth and tried to live up to the standard of Victorian era clothing- Alas, I could not for many reasons.
As an adult slowly learning the art of making historically accurate clothing I am astonished at how my knowledge has grown and deepened. I have made my first corset and petticoat. I cant wait to actually wear them!
As for Mrs. Chrisman’s experiences I will say that I personally found her research interesting and informative, her interactive experiences with friends/family/public to be amusing and her attitude towards wearing antique clothing and other costumers’ clothing to be an odd mix. Personally I don’t object to wearing real antique clothing- as long as it is done with care. I again, wouldn’t have taken public transportation in it. As for natural fiber costumes- I agree, to a point. Yes, natural fibers will be more accurate and more comfortable to wear (as they tend to breathe better than polyester- which I loathe). They are also often more expensive and harder to come by.
I found it extremely interesting how wearing the clothing she made, she eventually became far more fastidious in her habits and changed the way she treated her wardrobe. I also found it interesting how it changed her physical demeanor to become more graceful and more aware of our modern physical habits in posture and movement.
All – in- all I enjoyed the book and Mrs. Chrisman’s adventures and anecdotes very much!
I have read the first edition of Sarah’s book and just listened to the audio of this second [new] edition. I enjoyed reading about her transformation to a Victorian lady. There was humor and self-realization along the way that has inspired me to dare to wear my corsets in public more often (though still under modern clothing). I think Sarah was/is brave to dress the way she does. I do agree that she does come across condescending towards those using modern fabrics. However, as a natural fiber artist and purist, I believe she has a point. By using pure wools, cottons, linen, silk as they did, we are not only more accurately depicting an era, but are supporting producers of natural fibers and fabrics. Don’t know how I feel about wearing real antiques. Did not think it that offensive though would probably avoid using public transportation or bicycles to prevent mishaps such as the ripped silk petticoat on the bus. In the end, Sarah is trying to remain as faithful to the Victorian era as one can in the modern age. Her living experience is teaching us in a very tactile way, how Victorian dress informed behavior and demeanor.
One of my dearest desires is to be able to wear Victorian or Victorian inspired (and Edwardian of course) clothing every day if I choose, and that includes going to work. I am currently planning on trying to find a pattern for a skirt that looks Edwardian style but is a little more work friendly. As well as just being obsessed with everything Victorian, I burn easily in the sun so clothes like this help me stay covered and look nice, I plan to try and get some cottony materials so I can keep cooler in the sun. I definitely don’t wear a corset every day, because of my extremely straight up and down waist, they do not pull me in, only cause me pain. Until people have seen the marks that I get after trying to wear a corset for a few minutes they never believe it!
I would love to see some ‘work adapted’ Victorian and Edwardian patterns!
Should not have that much pain in a corset. Are your corsets custom made or off the rack? Makes the world of difference to have a custom fitted corset by a professional corsetiere. I personally cannot wear off the rack. The custom ones fit me like a glove so can wear them daily. If you want to wear corsets under modern clothing, cinchers work well.
Actually, that’s a good idea (modern-adapted victorian clothing) and has happened occasionally in fashion throughout the years. A basic Trumpet skirt of any length, whether cut on the bias or gored is always classy. A pretty cotton blouse with a little puff to the sleeve and some lace paneling is again- not impossible.
Some people are just physically built to the specs of a different era and tend to carry modern clothes badly. I’m one of them *smile* so I wish you good luck!!
I have worn Sense and Sensibility Edwardian Skirt to work. It’s a nine gore skirt and I make it between 3/4 length-walking length I love this skirt so I have made many over the years in all different lengths. I have also worn Folkwear #209 as a work skirt this one I make 3/4 length. Butterick has a pattern 3418 that is discontinued and this one I have made in heavier wools walking length that is also worn to work when it is cold. The skirts can be matched with modern blouses that have a vintage feel.
Also if you wear the skirt with a modern slip you won’t have so much of a vintage silhouette. Have just one vintage petticoat and you will already see the difference. For the above skirts I do not wear a corset when I am wearing modern day inspired vintage.
The S&S Edwardian Skirt at 3/4 length made out of a suiting material I often wear with modern button down shirts and they then don’t look that “vintagey”. Something like that may be an easy way to ease yourself into wearing vintage inspired without going the whole walking length skirt and lacey blouse look. As you grow more confident in your look you can work through to wearing things with more vintage details.
I am currently trying to rack my brain how I can make Regency styles more friendly for day to day wear but I am yet to make my Regency stays so that project still has some way to go.
As a person who loves wearing vintage inspired clothes in the modern day on a day-to-day basis I find that I have to step away from making things “perfectly” vintage i.e. material choice, closures e.g. zips, colors etc can all be modern. Choose to make a vintage skirt with a zipper in your favourite color (even if fuschia wasn’t in top fashion in Winter 1906) and all of a sudden it doesn’t look so vintage. For me if I am getting dressed and making sure I look “right” I am in costume. If I am getting dressed just to please me then I am wearing my everyday clothes – that happen to be make from a 1890’s pattern, or 1908 pattern and I don’t care that the color is wrong for the time or the material didn’t exist at the time.
Hths and all the best for your quest to wear more vintage on a daily basis it would be great to see more ladies (and gentlemen too) wearing vintage inspired clothes.
Try finding a corset with a “modern slim” silhouette, it will probably fit your up and down figure much better. There is also a woman on the internet who you can send your measurements to her and for $2 or 3 she will recommend corsetmakers whose off the rack corsets should fit you. They all make different shapes. You don’t say where your pain is (usually it’s the hips and running down the leg, or it’s the ribs or even into the arms, both happen because that corset is made too small in the area where you have pain. If you are very slender/muscular you may find that you can only achieve a small reduction even with regular wearing (2″ for very slender people with muscular torsos seems to be about average, people who are more fleshy can reduce 4-6″ with minimal training). If you are having pain in the abdominal area, try wearing the corset with no reduction to start (corsets add anywhere from 3/4″ to 2″ to your waist size just because of the thickness of the boning and fabric, so if you put it on and lace down to your current uncorsetted measurement, you’re actually reducing your waist even though it does not appear to be so.
If the pain is in your ribcage or arms, a corset that does not have a tapered ribcage area, but instead cups the ribcage would be better for you. If the problem is with the hips and/or pain down the legs or low back, standard corsets are probably too small for your hips and putting pressure on the nerves in that area.
A custom corset might be best for you, but if that is not in your budget (if you want to wear one for long periods of time try to save the money for a custom made model), try the service for a few dollars, or email a few off the rack makers with your meaasurements, tell them where you have pain in a normal corset (they may want you to measure the corset you are wearing), and see what they say. You might find that you simply had the wrong shape for your body.