A corset is a garment designed to make a person's body, typically a woman's body, conform to a certain shape through the use of rigid stays and strong fabrics.

The corset has been an item of women's clothing for approximately 250 years.http://www.antiquecorsetgallery.com/ In the 1800s, this constraining garment was thought to be a "medical necessity." The reason for this was because females were perceived as quite frail and needed the support. Even small girls had to wear laced bodices.http://www.victoriaspast.com/DressingRoom/corsethistory.htm

Unfortunately, precisely the opposite was the real scenario. The corset badly deformed a woman's internal organs to the extent that ladies of the era frequently fainted or got "the vapors" which technically means they could not breath.http://www.wisegeek.com/what-were-the-vapors.htm Other complications were anxiety and depression. So, within this vicious cycle, the very piece of clothing considered necessary to support the frail woman was actually the cause of most of her medical woes.

Corsets are typically made of cloth or leather and stiffened with boning, or stays, which are inserted into channels in the cloth or leather. In the 19th Century, whalebone, ivory, wood, or cane were used as boning. Today, plastic is the most commonly used material.

Corsets are tightened and bound together with lacing. The most common use of a corset is to slim the waist and create a curvy silhouette. Some corsets cover the breasts while others begin under them. A corset may include garters to hold up stockings.

1. 1939: Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
2. 1993: Holly Hunter as Ada McGrath in The Piano
3. 2001: Nicole Kidman as Satine in Moulin Rouge
4. 2003: Kate Beckinsale as Selene in Underworld

Corsets need to be broken in to allow them to mold to the shape of the wearer. This allows the corset to gain a more natural shape and lets the wearer get used to having a corset on. Mio Destino Corsets: Corset guide (April 4th, 2009)