Why Do Designers Get it So Wrong When it Comes to Plus Sizes?

The corset is a piece of clothing that has been used by powerful women way back in the past eras to express their prominence or stature.

Through the years, it has become a timeless fascination by those in the fashion industry especially the fashion designers whose passion is to transform the female body shape into an hour glass look making them feel good and confident of themselves.

Madonna, and Beyonce are only a couple of the international celebrities in the current pop culture that embraced this piece of clothing as part of their fashion statement. In the past two decades they have been repeatedly seen in corsets, bringing this kind of fashion statement into the limelight.

These celebrities displayed their corsets in various elaborate and sophisticated designs, whether lacy and casual for a dinner with friends, a leather corset in an erotic spectacle stage performance, or a beaded one for a Red Carpet walk. It is unlikely that their intention is to be identified with the most powerful women in the world like Queen Elizabeth I of England who dressed herself in various elegant corsets. What probably matters to these celebrities is that wearing beautifully designed corsets provides them a sophisticated feeling and a powerful medium of feminine expression.

Corset, simple clothing as it may seem, was an item of controversy in the past. Cultural historical accounts would say that the corset is an embodiment of male oppression of women because of their restrictive binding. However, in the evolution of time, fashion designers less likely see corsets as a symbol of male domination, but rather see it as a timeless fascination to shape up the female body and use it as a powerful feminine expression. Others do not care anymore about its cultural implication or its ability to shape the body, but for them it is the ideal comfortable underwear supporting the back, a very practical fashion item that must be part of their wardrobes.

Today corsets are described as stunning, sophisticated, and sexy that come in a wide collection of styles and colors made-up from all types of materials. In the evolution of time modern plus size corsets have become distinct from the 16th and 17th century patterns where they used to be boned. Now they come in different sizes - from small to 3X and above, and are being worn as outerwear matched with jeans whether in casual or formal settings, or intricately designed for evening wear. Corsets have also developed into becoming a bra. Commonly corsets are used as lingerie that is comfortably designed for the wearer to get in and out of quickly. Even with these distinctions, what apparently holds true today is that corsets remain a fashionable allure as the early predecessor.

In the fashion of lingerie, leather corsets or those fabricated from classic lace or racier PVC are in style at the present time and come in a wide selection of styles and colors. Same with their outerwear counterparts, bountiful designs are available to exaggerate the curves of the female body. They are carefully and intricately designed to the satisfaction of the wearer. Many patterns are lined in silk or satin. You can also find designs that have optional G-strings and detachable garters; others have front zippers, lace up backs, hook and eye front closure, and adjustable straps. Sometimes they add Lycra to make it more comfortable.

The powerful women in the past eras may or may not have considered corsets as essential to their wardrobes. However, the women of today corsets (from the simplest to the most elaborate) have found its place in the fashion world as a powerful vehicle of expressing her femininity.