Curves in fashion as corsets make a big comeback

Daily Post (Liverpool, England); 4/1/2002

BREATHE in girls - the corset is back and even Kylie has been laced up. Hot on the heels of Victoriana and Moulin Rouge, an hourglass shape and heaving bust is staying firmly in fashion. But don't worry, whalebone has been replaced by more gentle materials and this spring the ultimate outerwear is antique influenced underwear.

Phillip Warren, a specialist on costume history, says corsets have bound up western dress-sense for hundreds of years. "Corsets have existed in various forms since the 16th century.

"For a long time you couldn't get dressed without one. In order to have a fashionable figure at any time before the 20th century, women had to move flesh around the body.

"It was only in the 30s when women began to take more exercise and dieted that fashion became more liberal."

So why in this apparently more liberal age is the corset back in vogue?

"It's back in fashion because of the mood of changing body shape - corsets are another way of achieving this, " says Warren. "Women with curves have always been considered sexy."

Nicole Thompson, fashion director of She magazine, says the popularity of the corset heralds the return of the real woman.

"There has definitely been a return of the hourglass figure.

After grunge and the waif look there has been a return to curves.

The models used in adverts look healthier and Eva Herzigova and Cindy Crawford are back on the catwalks."

Celebrities often rely on good old-fashioned corsetry to keep everything in place and Madonna and Victoria Beckham are both fans.

"Corsets give you a good shape in evening dress, especially a strapless dress. Kate Winslet's Ben de Lisi dress at the Oscars had a corset inside, " says Thompson Hear'Say's Myleene Klass gets rigged out at Rigby and Peller, the Queen's lingerie makers.

The company has a range of ready-to-wear corsets starting at pounds 89 and a made-to-measure service, with corsets taking four to six weeks to make, costing from about pounds 700. To find out more go to www. rigbyandpeller. com.

The store advises that, when buying a corset, to make sure it is heavily boned with a lace pull-back to really give a good hourglass shape and voluptuous bust. If it doesn't bring the waist in. it's not a proper corset.

Corsets also support the shoulders and back and hold in the stomach.

However, do treat them with caution. Tight lacing interferes with back muscles and long-term wear can cause serious malfunctions and damage to internal organs. For safety seek expert advice on www. staylace. com.

Original corsets were a fairly straight-laced affair, with three layers of fabric lined with strips of twisted paper, wood, whale bone or even steel to shape the bodice.

Now plastics and Lycra are used and corsets are made for moving and the ones on the high street are designed for the modern woman.

Topshop has a butterfly lace corset for pounds 25 and a pink gingham corset for pounds 22. Try teaming corsets with faded jeans to make the look less formal. Warehouse has a denim corset with pink ribbon lacing for pounds 30 and a baby pink corset in stretch satin with black lace detail for pounds 40. Hennes has denim or stretch satin corsets for pounds 19.99. Abound directory has a nude and black bustier top for pounds 22.

For the fashion conscious, Warehouse has a cowgirl style denim corset with lace edging for pounds 40. Kookai has a peasant-style white corset with lace detail for pounds 40. Lacing also fits in well with the boho look and demi-corset belts are popular.

Pied a terre has a multi-strand belt for pounds 75.

But if you can't find corsets in womenswear, try the lingerie department.

Hennes has corsets in a pale blue polka-dot pattern, leopard skin print or plain white for pounds 9.99 each, all with matching briefs for pounds 3.99. Marks & Spencer have smoothline seam free basques in black or red for pounds 22 and a black basque with pink spots for pounds 45.

Thompson says: "We've got over the stigma of corsets as a form of oppression. They are mainstream now, used in a practical or sexy way, just look at Kylie and Kate."

COPYRIGHT 2002 MGN Ltd.