Victorian Era Corsets

During the Victorian Era the function of the corset was primarily the narrowing of the waist.  It is rumored that some women laced their corsets so tightly that they were able to achieve 12-14" waists.  This is probably hearsay. Most fashionable women had roughly 24-26" waists but would buy smaller corsets and leave a gap in the back. The corsets of the 1840s were cut from separate pieces to give roundness and fullness to the bust and shape the hips. A broad busk made of wood or steel was inserted up the center front of the corset to give a clean line to the bodice.  Strips of whalebone were inserted in the back and sometimes the sides to give further structure. Often leather was also used to reinforce the corset.  The corsets of this time had to be stiff to conceal the many layers of underwear.  During this period corsets also became longer to narrow the waist. 

In the 1860s steam-moulding was developed and helped create a more voluptuous silhouette. Once the corset was finished it was heavily starched and then dried and shaped on a mannequin mould that was fed steam. 

I have attached three images. 

The first is the front view of a British corset from 1878.  It is made of white silk satin with lace trim and whalebone with a steel spoon-shaped busk.  

The second image is the back view of  this corset. 

The third image is of the ideal wasp shaped waist from the Victorian Era. The photographic retouchers have cut off and curved the woman's waist to create the exaggerated silhouette.