First of all, I don’t wear corsets regularly in my everyday life. But a while ago I wore historical corsets everyday as an experiment because I wanted to find out how it would feel. And also to learn more about the pros and cons of wearing a corset on a daily basis. This is just my personal opinion, no universal pros and cons of everyday corset wearing! 😉
Pros Of Wearing Corsets
Clothes Fit Much Better
With a corset underneath, dresses and blouses fit so much better and without wrinkles.
Related: 11 Tips On How To Dress Vintage & Historical Without Looking Too Costumey
It Provides Warmth
Wearing a corset in winter can be comfy because it provides additional warmth. Last winter I tried how it would feel to wear a corset everyday. And even though I get cold easily, with a corset underneath I was always warm. Sometimes, I didn’t even need to wear a coat over my sweater.
Always The Same Waist Measurement
If your waist changes a lot during a month which most bodies do, a corset can help you achieve almost the same waist measurements so that skirt waistbands and dresses always fit.
Related: Modern Recycled Denim Corset
Can Relieve Pain
Wearing a corset can relieve pain, like period cramps. I also seem to get less migraine attacks when I wear a corset everyday. Curiously, doctors in the Victorian era said that wearing corsets causes headaches while at the same time preventing migraine attacks! Isn’t that strange? 😀
Cons Of Wearing Corsets
My Waist Is Actually Bigger
You might think that a corset always makes your waist smaller. However, this is not always the case. Some corset even add to my waist measurement! Personally I’m not very squishy. And I also have a wide and rigid rib cage. So if I wear a traditional heavily boned coutil corset with a chemise underneath, my waist size is actually bigger than my natural waist!
Only with lightly boned or unboned thin cotton corsets – like my Edwardian unboned sports corset – I can actually reduce my waist size considerably.
Related: Edwardian Unboned Sports Corset
Too Hot In Summer
A corset can be too hot on hot summer days. But it’s not just the corset’s fault: If you follow the “underwear as outerwear” trend and only wear a corset over a slip, a corset is bearable even in summer. But it can be too hot to wear a corset with a full historical costume including all the necessary underwear when you’re used to modern summer clothes! 😉
Related: Handwoven Corset Top
Can Be Uncomfortable
A corset can also be uncomfortable at certain times. Personally, I find it uncomfortable to wear a corset while driving in a car.
I’ve been considering wearing a corset under my clothes occasionally, but I’ve been rather put-off by so many modern condemnations suggesting fainting, severe pain and even heart-problems. It’s so interesting to see how corsets can actually lessen pain, and I can definitely identify with the warmth point. And I also now know not to bother with the boned corsets- which frankly seem a lot more difficult to make that the unboned ones!
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful! 😀
I went to a CSA symposium years and years ago; someone presented a paper on the health effects of wearing a corset on a daily basis. I think the corsets were 17th century from one of the sites on the east coast. The paper’s author was an RN and there were medical stress tests involved. Basically, the conclusion was that you needed to spend an hour exercising for every hour you spent in a corset to counteract the physical effects to your circulatory and respiratory systems. It was fascinating! My personal thoughts are that much of this depends on the time period of your corset. A 16th century corset is very different than a late 19th century corset. My experience is much more in 16th than 19th century and feedback I have gotten from more “gifted” women is that a properly fitted corset is infinitely more comfortable and supportive than a modern bra.