Tight-fitting undergarments stiffened with bones or stays, worn to shape the body, especially the waist and torso.
From French 'corset', diminutive of 'cors' meaning body (from Latin 'corpus'). The modern corset developed in the 16th century as a way to achieve fashionable body shapes, though the concept of body-binding garments is much older.
Corsets are often seen as instruments of female oppression, but women actually *chose* to wear them for centuries because they symbolized wealth, status, and fashionable beauty—the same reason people wear uncomfortable clothes today. They're less about male control and more about how humans always reshape our bodies for social power.
Historically enforced feminine body ideals and restricted movement; symbolizes gendered control over women's bodies and labor capacity.
Use historically/literally; avoid as metaphor for any constraint without acknowledging gendered power dynamics.
["restrictions","constraints"]
Women designers and corset makers (e.g., 19th-century seamstresses) were economically dependent on the industry while having minimal control over its cultural messaging.
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