As a challenge to myself and a way to educate others I decided to wear corsets for a week straight. If you follow my Instagram you will have already seen a lot about this back in when I did it, but I wanted to go more into depth here.
I wanted to show that corsets are not painful torture devices and that I could still go about my day to day life with no problems. My rules were that I needed to wear a corset every day, I had to wear the corset on the outside of my clothing a few times, and I wasn’t going to wear my corsets for exercising (only because I didn’t really want to have to get them sweaty figure out how to get them clean, movement and breathing are not an issue). With that, my week started.
The first day I decided to keep things more low key. The corset was hidden and really not noticeable to anyone. I knew it was there, my posture was great, and I was comfortable. I’ve actually worn this outfit with a corset before so it really wasn’t a big deal. I was telling someone about my challenge and how it was part of being proud of and really embracing my hobby and they told me the best pun. It’s my hobby embracing me! I thought it was really funny as I love puns. The day went by pretty uneventfully.
Day two was a little harder. I decided to put the corset where it could be seen but I wore a big sweater that I could hold closed in case I felt uncomfortable. Once again, movement wise I was fine. My corsets are incredibly comfortable because they are made to fit me and because corsets are supposed to be comfortable. People lived, worked, and did everything on corsets in the past, if they weren’t comfortable and practical, they wouldn’t have been used. A corset’s purpose is not to reduce your waist, it is to provide support much like a modern bra except that the support is extended to your abs and back as well.
The real challenge of this for me was feeling self-conscious. Wearing something that is against the norm feels really difficult and it feels like everyone is looking at you. I love my corsets, but I know to the world they have sexualized and that it just isn’t normal. I was scared people wouldn’t understand or they would judge me. I for sure got some weird or confused looks, I think a guy starred at my boobs at one point, but for the most part people actually thought it was really cool. Despite some people’s interest it was still scary but I had committed to the week and was posting about it on my Instagram so I had to keep going and follow through with my commitment.
Day three was probably my favorite outfit of the week. It was cute, it blended in but also showed off the corset and I got to wear a skirt with pockets which is always good. I was still a little afraid to show the corset off so publicly but I also felt really cute in this outfit.
Day four I hid the corset again just for a new variation and because I was a little tired of being on display. It was also really cold that day and I just wanted to be snugly and warm in my sweater. I was still very comfortable.
Day five I was really feeling over this whole challenge. I was tired of feeling like an anomaly, and to get really personal, I started my period and didn’t want to feel squeezed. I was afraid I would be unhappy and uncomfortable all day long but I couldn’t give up after doing four days of the challenge already. I chose my most comfortable corset and paired it with a sweater so I could cover the corset if I really started feel uncomfortable with everything. I figured women wore these for hundreds of years and were fine. If they could do it, I could too. It was actually really comfortable and I was glad to be wearing it. Because corsets are super adjustable I laced myself a little looser and went about my day. The corset supported me even when I was tired and didn’t want to support myself and it was like getting a comforting hug all day. It was a big turning point for me in the week.
Day six I was really busy. I had about a million things to do along with rehearsals so I wore athletic wear, but with a corset on top. At this point I really didn’t care about wearing the corset anymore. It felt so normal that I forget to wonder what people thought. The only downside was my busy day involved some intense movement rehearsals so I had to keep changing from corset back to sports bra which was a little annoying. When I was wearing my sports bra, I actually kind of missed wearing corset!
Day seven was another busy day and I had work to do helping with the set so I wore work clothes, paired of course, with a corset. I decided since it was my last day to go out with a bang and wear my corset completely uncovered for the world to see. I was comfortable and found the back support nice while doing building work. It was a fun contrast to be working the chop saw and building things while wearing a lacy corset. I quite liked the odd picture it made. I also didn’t feel self-conscious anymore which was really amazing.
As the grand finale to the week I changed corsets on the last day and put on my regency outfit for a historical event I had that evening. I managed to get two of my friends to go with me so it was fun to dress them up and take them out!
Overall, the week was an amazing experience. It really stretched me and helped me educate people about corsets and the people of the past. Part of wearing these historical clothes is demystifying the people of the past. If we can see historical people as human we are more likely to relate to them and learn from them so we can learn from their lives. History is important and clothing is a great bridge to connecting us to them.
One the eighth day of this, I returned to my normal life. I wore my normal 21st century bras and I actually missed the corsets. I had gotten used to wearing them throughout the week. I want to start wearing them in day to day life more often because they really are something I love. Practically they aren’t something I will wear daily because my life is really active and all over the place but every now and then, why not throw one on? I find them more comfortable and they’re a great way to share my passion. I’ll admit since doing this challenge I haven’t really worn any more corsets but I still found the experience to be really important and wonderful.
Go do something to push yourself, it can be really rewarding.
Love always,
Victoria
History On A Budget 