History Analysis / OfCorsetHurts

It's heavily overestimated. A modern eye might be tempted to look at the wasp waists and imagine that what the Victorian doctors said ''must'' be true, that tight lacing claimed an unimaginable number of lives.[[note]]And no, nobody ever had a rib removed so they could lace themselves tighter -- not least because surgery in the time when corsets were prevalent was an incredibly dangerous proposition that was quite likely to end up with the patient ''dead.''[[/note]] The reality is that, since you're likely looking at a photo or drawing, the figure was exaggerated through other means aside from corsetry. Artists produced the ideal and not the factual, and people still managed to photoshop their photos through black or white paint -- photo manipulation is as old as photography itself. There's also plenty of padding at the hips and bust to give the illusion of a smaller waist.

It's heavily overestimated. A modern eye might be tempted to look at the wasp waists and imagine that what the Victorian doctors said ''must'' be true, that tight lacing claimed an unimaginable number of lives.[[note]]And no, nobody ever had a rib removed so they could lace themselves tighter -- not least because surgery in the time when corsets were prevalent was an incredibly dangerous proposition that was quite likely to end up with the patient ''dead.''[[/note]] The reality is that, since you're likely looking at a photo or drawing, the figure was exaggerated through other means aside from corsetry. Artists produced the ideal and not the factual, and people still managed to photoshop their photos through black or white paint. There's also plenty of padding at the hips and bust to give the illusion of a smaller waist.

It's heavily overestimated. A modern eye might be tempted to look at the wasp waists and imagine that what the Victorian doctors said ''must'' be true, that tight lacing claimed an unimaginable number of lives. The reality is that, since you're likely looking at a photo or drawing, the figure was exaggerated through other means aside from corsetry. Artists produced the ideal and not the factual, and people still managed to photoshop their photos through black or white paint. There's also plenty of padding at the hips and bust to give the illusion of a smaller waist.

Many people in the corseting community take comfort and safety ''very'' seriously. When fit, made, and worn properly a corset should never cause any pain.

This can also contribute to modern actresses hurting in corsets. Since corsets haven't been apart of regular fashion since WWI, most people don't know how to properly lace a corset. There's also the stereotype that corsets necessarily hurt, but if it's painful the sensible thing is to loosen it as people used to do.

It's heavily overestimated. A modern eye might be tempted to look at the wasp waists and imagine that what the Victorian doctors said ''must'' be true, that tight lacing claimed an unimaginable number of lives. The reality is that, since you're likely looking at a photo or drawing, the figure was exaggerated through other means aside from corsetry. Artists produced the ideal and not the factual, and people still managed to photoshop their photos through black or white paint. There also plenty of padding at the hips and bust to give the illusion of a smaller waist.

The question of whether this trope is TruthInTelevision is a complicated one. It certainly ''can be'' painful to wear corset, but it doesn't have to be, and isn't always.

The shape of corsets has changed radically and continually over the centuries, as the "desirable" female silhouette has changed,so corsets from some eras will be inherently more prone to be uncomfortable than others are.

!!! The design

# How accustomed the person is to wearing tha style of corsetry.

The question of whether this trope is TruthOnTelevision is a complicated one. It certainly ''can be'' painful to wear corset, but it doesn't have to be, and isn't always.