The corset is a rigid, close-fitting frame for the torso that shapes the waist and supports the bust, historically boned with whalebone or metal and laced. For centuries the corset was the foundation of the female silhouette, forming the 'hourglass' ideal, and at the same time an object of sharp criticism for constraining the body. In contemporary fashion it has been reborn: from hidden underwear it has become an outerwear piece in its own right — a corset top, a detail of a dress or an evening look. It is now worn deliberately, as a statement of strength and embodiment rather than constraint. The corset silhouette dramatically accentuates the waistline.
