@judna1 Right? I saw a "fashion expert" on Twitter talking about how "dangerous" wearing a corset was, and posted a picture modeling one to show how it pinched her skin. 1) she wasn't wearing a shift underneath it, so it was right against her skin. 2) the corset was at least two sizes too small, of course it's going to be uncomfortable. An ill-fitting bra or shirt will be uncomfortable too.
Corsets/stays do often get a bad rep as people often think of they are stiff, hard, and constrictive to both movement and even breathing. Like they are made to be some sort of armor plated cage for the torso. However, they are the complete opposite and allow the wearer the freedom to be more active. Especially those with spinal issues like scoliosis and lumbar pain.
I really appreciate the balance here of "corsets are super fine and normal if they are well fitting" and "okay, but tight lacing was actually a thing and it did effect ribs and pelvis structures a bit." Fun fact- modern shoes effect the shape of our feet, but it's not the same as foot binding. There are degrees and different levels of discomfort people are willing to put up with for fashion and fitting in.
I was once in line at the grocery store behind a very elderly woman in sandals whose feet were perfectly shaped like ^, like she'd worn far too tight very pointy heels her whole life. Her toes came halfway down the side of her foot like they'd one by one been stopped as her feet gre longer until the whole front half was a very narrow triangle. I still think sometimes about what a painful childhood that must have been. But I've also only ever seen that once.
It is just like how today we have shape wear. Some women do pack themselves into extremely tight under garments then drape a skin tight dress and the majority of us don't A high society 14-15 yr old lady tight lacing herself to look skinnier than every other girl at the ball isn't necessarily what every single woman did during that era
I have never heard anyone mention the second hand clothes market before in a historical video. So many of them talk about the clothes the richer people were wearing. I love that Bernadette talks about how everyday people would be making adjustments to their clothes in all her videos! I'd love to learn more about the second hand clothing markets of the past too
@@365kattygurl And me! I’ve wondered about it a lot, but just assumed most things were worn to death, or the fabric was unpicked a reworked. But of course there would be exceptions. Man. What I’d give to rummage around an 1860s 2nd hand shop.
Imagine that! Women (with or without child) in history had stays and corsets made to support their bodies. These pregnancy stays were lovely. I like the way the stomacher shapes changed. What a wonderful guest speaker! The outro is stunning.❤
Agree to all. Found it fascinating with the extra back-support in the stays. It's so obvious in hindsight, but brilliant. Of course someone with a large pregnancy belly needs extra help for the back
Yeah... Corsets did "support their bodies" a lot. Unfortunately IIRC this resulted in a lot of their muscles along their back etc just not being used much, and they could barely stand straight without one. They even wore corsets to go to sleep.
My mother wore a medical pregnancy corset in 1967 given to her by her high-risk OB/GYN in Switzerland when she was pregnant with me because mom was so tiny and I was big and I still have it. My mom kept it and I have it and I wore it with my pregnancies because I have scoliosis and it actually helped me.. you don’t tighten them so tight that you can’t breathe but it did strengthen how I carried my children it really work. I know they don’t give them out anymore I’m pretty sure but I kept my mom’s just because of a sentimental value but 1967 that’s not that long ago.
I had a hiatal hernia when I was pregnant with my youngest (early 2000’s) & the OB had me wear an under belly supporting corset. It was so comfortable I sent it along to a friend who also had a hiatal hernia & the same genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, like I do. I have corsets I like to wear for cosplay or when the arthritis in my spine is bothering me.
Also remember that women worked HARD and often held uncomfortable positions of leaning over to work...and those corsets and supports saved their backs. I wear corsets every day and it's all due to back support! Wearing bras just pulled my shoulders over into a permanent slump. Wearing a corset holds me upright. I WISH I had a maternity corset when I had babies. It would have helped my back pain so much!
@@AlexDoty-qi5xf I started out (and recommend starting out) with the discount places like Corset Story or Corset Deal on line. While many of their corsets aren't terribly well made, they are a great place to start because they are inexpensive and you can figure out your fit and which styles of corsetry work for you, or don't work for you. THEN you can go splurge on other corsets, including bespoke if you have the funds for it to get exactly what you like. These days I mostly order from Lucy's corsetry...though I still hit corset deal from time to time...some of their stuff is surprisingly well made, though it's a gamble. Lucy's is a bit higher priced, but their corsets have been very good in quality and fit for me.
Maria Von Trapp had a special corset made for her first concert tour because she was pregnant and was amused that she was refered to in the papers as stout, not pregnant.
Well, she was very much trying to hide her pregnancy at first because she feared the tour would be cancelled if it was known, so her midwife gave her special corset made to conceal pregnancy.... and it worked!
@@merrylty7632 I was just going to respond that she specifically worked with her dressmaker to adjust her "top" as her abdomen expanded so that it looked balanced and like she was just getting stouter not like she was pregnant. It's been more than 40 years since I read her book but, if I recall correctly, she was also concealing the pregnancy from her husband initially as well. Don't remember if it was considered something standard to not let husbands know right away or if it was related to being afraid he would cancel the tour or afraid he would let the info slip and promoters would cancel.
The other thing about the slight deformation that they have measured on historical skeletons, is that a lot of these people were not only wearing corsets from a very young age where their bones were still growing, but ALSO that many of them likely suffered from various kind of malnutrition. If you're not getting proper nutrition, AND you're squeezing your bones as you grow, of course it will have an effect on your body.
Not only that that, there are numerous diseases that can affect bone growth. Children routinely wore stays, and in the 18th century even from infancy. There's too many factors to attribute deformity to just wearing stays and corsets. If you had poor posture or weak bones, from malnutrition and illness, it's likely stays or a corset would be seen as needed, like with scoliosis today.
I think this is such an important point, especially since scientific literacy is very low and people tend to apply "corset bad, women silly" logic and latch on to things like this without understanding what it really means. These studies place high emphasis on malnutrition, disease, and the malleability of children's bones as being the cause of the effects of corsets or at the very least making it impossible to say with certainty that corsets alone can cause these changes. In other words, when you combine weak bones with a bit of pressure, you get slight changes to the bones. So glad for people like Bernadette and Dr. Bendall who work hard to dispel myths and sensationalism and fight the misogyny that is at the root of a lot of these conversations.
Deformation of children's bones always reminds me of how (idr what culture it was) used straight boards and wraps to deform their babies skulls so that they would grow to be seen as more beautiful. So I can see the direct correlation from corsets to malformed ribs from childhood wear. We even see malformation of children's skeletons today with shoes, starting as early as infancy, in general you want soft sole shoes with wide toe room for proper foot growth, but many people will put their child into hard flat bottom narrow toed shoes because of fashion.
@@SnowieShiba yep! And it’s also important to note that not all deformations are harmful, which I think is an implicit assumption a lot of people make. The indigenous culture who elongate their skulls do not experience ill effects from it (or at least, it wasn’t even brought up, when I learned about them in college.) When you have seen skeletons and you can see how much variation there is from person to person, you realize that bones have more variety than you would think. Skeletons don’t have to be carbon copies of each other to support an otherwise healthy person.
my mother made a replica of the corset at 1:48 for a corsetry class at FIT in the late 90’s!! i almost choked on my lunch that image is seared into my brain. my mother even hand dyed all the silk to get that exact peach and we had to go on a wild hunt to find an ancient grommetting machine ran by a tiny lady sitting in a nyc window front. i think it had like 6 different types of boning in it my mom worked on that for months. i should see if she still has it. i have to send her this video!!❤
I think we can also assume that working class women would not only wear their corsets for multiple pregnancys, but give them away for a friend or family relative, most of them wouldn't survive the time with so much use, like how people nowday give away their maternity clothes. And, maybe, some women would just make themselves some regency era stays to be more comfortable
This is such a coincidence! I am 25 weeks pregnant and just wondered about this. Female history is so underrepresented. Thanks Bernadette, love to learn from you!
Using the photo of the xray whilst discussing deformities hits way different after learning that those xrays were faked - the "patients" were not alive, there's evidence of stuffing in the cavities (possibly with sawdust) and several vertebrae and the pelvis are literally back to front or rotated in such a way that it would be a physical impossibility whilst alive. There is no information to be gained from them. Even the boning doesn't line up with the boning channels, its just placed wherever. The "binding" at the top extends past the edges of the corset when you'd expect it to follow the edges in a 3D manner. The list goes on. And that's before mentioning the studies on deformities actually featured primarily poor and malnourished individuals so whilst corsets likely played a part, the bones are not soft enough in healthy individuals to undergo that degree of deformity.
@AlexaFaie - They did mention that the rib changes occurred in those who wore stays since childhood. Yes, children were dressed a tiny adults, even to the extent of sometimes being corseted. Clothing meant expressly for children did not come about until about the 19th ---> 20th Century cusp.
Ribs are also made for moving! When we inhale and exhale, they move. Organs shift too! When someone is pregnant, their organs shift around a bit, organs were made for moving, that's why they are all pretty much floating around in there. Our bodies are flexible for a reason, hence why we have floating ribs.
No she's str8 up Nellie Bly! Right out of the series of kids' books done on her by Joan Blos. My fave one was about Nellie's accidental monkey! Amazingly illustrated books by I think another woman and I feel terrible not remembering her name 🤔
Honestly the real Nellie would prolly never permit the curl that Bernadette wisely lets fly cuz she was a full on stuck up Victorian bicho, but Bernadette all cheerful and decked the fuck out is how I always imagined Nellie when I was a little boy and I loved that book as much as Dinotopia
Bernadette Banner is Ms. Frizzle, for reference, pretty sure we all agree on that! The gaysbros' woman of extraordinary precision and execution should be voted the only human rated to drive a magical bus! Dani, pack the piggies, cuz we're going for a fuggin ride 😂
It makes sense to me that someone might have two different stomachers depending on body shape. I would. As I told someone back in 1979, if I can think of doing it, I’m pretty sure my ancestors were smart enough to do it as well.
yeah and it seems such pieces could be made themselves or a seamstress pretty easily and to fit the body of the customer. if there was such a relative easy solution to a daily problem, of course people would do it.
Also, you know, hernias must have been way more of a common problem, especially pregnancy-related ones, and corsetry was definitely used (as it is now) to manage and treat abdominal hernias. You'll find ads for specific hernia belts and corsets in old magazines, so there must have been a reasonable demand for them.
Most common causes of hernia are: muscle weakness, repetitive strain (lifting or carrying heavy items, standing for many hours, etc.), chronic constipation or cough, pregnancy (!). This used to be the life of an average woman - multiple pregnancies, housework done by hand (including laundry and gathering/preparing food), carrying a lot, working back-breaking jobs... We do a lot less of that now, so it's quite logical that the number of hernia cases would decrease.
@@YaaLFH But an active person today could have better core / general muscle strength because they usually don't rely on a corset to do the work for them. So maybe the corsets both helped with and contributed to hernias.
I got a hernia during my first pregnancy and I'm inclined to say the weak core caused by my scoliosis spinal fusion as a teenager was a major contributor 😢
The pain I felt from the rib spreading during my second pregnancy made me wish for corsetry. Lifting the bust and supporting the rib cage would have made a world of difference
Omg, right? I remember getting a little freaked out about it because nobody told me my ribs might hurt and my doctor was all, “yep, it sucks, nothing we can do about it.”
Yes!!!!! I have a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that, among other things, make me more prone to partial or full dislocations and I had a horrible time with ribs partially dislocating during pregnancy. The entire pregnancy was rough, but it was the rib pain that made me decide I could never do this again because it was just so bad. 😣 Even now I wish I had a corset to hold up my chest because that would be such a relief, physically.
@@HunterDriguez Fair. We might be treated as a place filled with strange accents an lots of animals that want to kill you by much of the internet, but we are still a Western developed nation, with a primarily white population. And on the internet? That counts for a lot.
@@melusine826 I know, right? And when it does happen, you need to take a moment to ask yourself it is actually an Aussie, or is it a Kiwi? But when watching Australian TV you pick the Random Kiwi straight away!
I think the difference in corset chest coverage in the modern age has a lot to do with corsets being worn as outerwear. Fascinating topic in this vid! Thank you for sharing :)
Yep, people nowadays are wearing them as outer garments or as their only top garment: so they don't want to worry about nip slips. Back in the day of course, people generally only worried about that when they tightlaced.
14:23 Translation : "For pregnant women, it's absurd that some families consider it shameful to fulfill the first wish of nature and to carry out the function that makes us most similar to the Creator. So why strive to conceal this from the public by tightening and compressing the abdomen with the use of skirt belts and whalebone corsets? These practices strangle the intestines, obstruct and delay the passage of fecal matter, which hardens due to the reabsorption of its finest and most delicate parts. The first consequence of this is constipation, always dangerous due to the efforts required to defecate, which often exert pressure on the uterus and lead to miscarriages. Furthermore, these particles, once passed into the bloodstream, corrupt it and cause infections."
So it's taking it as obvious that the reason you would wear a corset is to HIDE a pregnancy... because people see pregnancy in general as shameful? AND that this is a practice not chosen by the women themselves but by their families. Thanks for the translation
Pregnancy stays must have been super common for married women…since without birth control or abstinence a woman spent more time pregnant than not!! One thing I don’t understand is exactly how breast support on these earlier stays worked…can you explain in greater detail? They look flattening rather than supporting (and I speak as a very small busted woman).
@jennlucky you just completely excluded age of concent, contraception, ongoing marriage traditions and 90+% of the population not being wealthy enough to really afford being properly treated etc, just fyi. And most if not all doctors would get theor medical practice "on the field" quite literally.
This reminds me of how jeans are altered for pregnancy. When I was pregnant, I hated how encumbered I felt. Constant doctors' appointments and weird symptoms (and smells! Whee!) Wearing jeans, a type of clothing I have worn for most of my life, made me feel more human. I imagine women who wore stays and corsets may have felt the same way about those items.
I want to add that in regards to breastfeeding, for high society most woman used wet-nurses and didn't breastfeed their children themselves if they could afford it. It was seen as "unfashionable" and "peasant work" to feed your own children. I can't remember exactly and I couldn't find it but there was a queen (I think queen Victoria) who breastfed her children so ladies started doing it too since the queen was.
I doubt it was Queen Victoria, she thought breastfeeding was disgusting She also hated pregnancy, and though newborns were ugly, which is still wild to me since she had so many kids, and you do gotta start at the same place every time
Definitely not Queen Victoria. The late Elizabeth II did breastfeed all 4 of her children, though. I seem to remember a story about someone specific making it popular, too, though.
@@ZeldaPine Given how disappointed Victoria was about being recommened to stop having Sex, to avoid Pregnancy-related Health Risks, I doubt that she had all these Children for the sake of it, instead of them just being a Sideeffect of Things ;D
Will people in the future be dissecting pregnancy stretch pants in such a way? "These offer very little support, but they do seem to be easy to pull off when running to pee for the hundredth time. And the ice cream stains suggest they were worn 24 hours a day. Fascinating."
My ribs and pelvis have been deformed since birth. As a result, I ended up with an hourglass figure after puberty and my bones probably look like those seen in the 19th century bodies. So we can’t discount the possibility that some of those weren’t just from congenital deformities, and not deformities caused by corsets.
I mean, it seems obviouse to me that pregnant women would need a supportive garment as much if not more than the average women. I think it only would seen strange if you have the pirates of the Caribbean view of corsets.
Even Pirates made sense in a historical sense and in universe. The whole plot takes place in the Caribbean (surprise surprise), and it took a long time for news and fashion to get that far. So when something is new in the Caribbean, it was already old news back in England and mainland Europe. None of the ladies in the first movie, including Elizabeth, knew how to use a corset because to them it was brand new but in England it was old news by now. And because it was brand new to them, they had no clue how to properly put them on or how to wear them. And that's their version on why Elizabeth fainted, because they had no idea what they were doing
The corset Elizabeth was given was most likely made custom for her but not fitted to her (if it was shipped). If there was a tailor/corset maker present then the person fitting it would have schooled the lady and her maid. Also, she had enough breath to last a formal ceremony but couldn't last a conversation in a sea wind. I personally consider her faint a plot convenience.
Great point there, and one that I haven't considered. May I also present my own in-universe explanation for the fainting spells: the heat. It's pretty debatable in the films whether the British population in Port Royal are bothered by it (see the naval uniforms). But as someone who lives in a subtropical climate, I can say with some confidence that an incorrectly worn (probably ill-fitting, considering Elizabeth is sixteen and her measurements would have taken a long time to get to London and the corset get made and get shipped back) corset is a stupendously bad idea in these climates, especially when you're going to be standing for a long time.
One thing I have learned about anatomy and my own pregnancies as well is the hips/ pelvis naturally will begin to expand as the body prepares itself for birth. Babies heads needs to to be able to clear and not be caught or trapped. Occasionally some women’s bodies don’t open up enough which could kill both baby and mother, which is one of many reasons C-sections became a life saving option eventually.
Intresting! I have always assumed that women stopped wearing a corest altogether once they reached a certain stage of their pregnancy. I have seen some VERY large pregnant bellies in my time. Its nice to know they still had options, and I image the back support as well as the one with the belly band to help support to stomach were a great relief for the women who wore them.
I always find anything to do with pregnancy, birth and lactation absolutely FASCINATING. Thank you ladies for teaching us about historical maternity wear. 🖤✨
Same!! I’m currently breastfeeding and now feeling inspired to look at historical clothing for ideas on how I can optimize my clothing for easier boob access. This video was fabulous.
…just a note on a small comment made: modern bras should not be supported by “hanging from your shoulders” -that will cause SO much pain! Just like corsets, fit from a modern bra should be almost all coming from the band (the part that goes around you) …which is why good fit is so important!! I hope that helps anyone who is wearing their *modern* bras… 😊
What about those of us who have both the band and the straps digging in? My other alternative is to have my breasts slip under the band through normal use. Just big chested, I guess. I would try an old fashioned pair of stays, but doubt I could find a proper pair in my price range.
I find stays far, far more comfortable than modern bras. To get the support I need with those, I have permanent indents around my ribcage and on my shoulders.
@@jzahn9647Modern bras are MUCH too stretchy! Your band could support more (I speak for myself too) if it didn't just stretch and stretch. But who makes actually supportive bras? No one. ::sigh::
This video is making me want to design my own pair of stays to fit today's clothing (rounded, individual busts & low back) explained like this it actually seems smarter to have a really good corset than it is to have 5+ bras that I have to rebuy every 2 years.
Start with getting properly fitted and buy 2 bras that actually fit you, they will support you better and last longer. A lot of damage to bras (like underwire poking out) is caused by them not fitting well. Some brands to try: Panache, Freya, Fantasie, Curvy Kate, Bravissimo, Ewa Michalak, Gorsenia, Comexim, Kris Line, Gaia, Dalia, Ava
Or you could get into bra-making, which once you get the hang of it, is significantly faster than making a whole corset. I’ve made a few bras for myself and they’re fabulously comfortable. Look up LizSews here on TH-cam for a good start. :)
Yes that’s what I’d love to try too!!! I don’t have anywhere near the sewing abilities to attempt it but I often think about it. I was a 32G for quite some time and even a well fitting bra (which I only had one of due to cost and difficulty even finding them) was miserable. There’s only so much weight that a band and some shoulder straps can comfortably support!
@@EmL-kg5gn A well designed bra can easily support much more than 32G breasts. I have a strapless bra that comfortably supports 32J breasts without any straps.
@@YaaLFH Well I’m glad you found one! But the rest of us are obviously struggling. I tried a lot of different ones, including from brands you’ve recommended and they were still awful for me. I suspect that factors other than just size come into play, the kind of structure and materials that’s often needed in bras for bigger chests is really uncomfortable for a lot of people.
"Stays were a garment that one could keep with them for significant portions of one's life." "Which is such a different mindset than what we have now." I happened to be listening to this while shopping online for a modern bra. I have 6 bras that are not at all worn out but I gained 15 pounds since I've been fitted and I'm now visibly spilling out of 4 of them. I'm in a size range where buying and selling used is common, so I'll probably sell the bras I have that don't fit me and try to get at least 1 used replacement once I know my new size, but still, modern clothes aren't really designed to be adjustable and durable so as to be kept a long time.
Ahhh such a fascinating deep dive into a niche topic. The blinking sound effects over Bernadette's "WTF" face absolutely took me out 😂 And the end credits are stunning! Great video and so glad to have you back!
this video kind of touches on a historical fashion concept i hear about all the time but rarely see illustrated: the continual deconstruction and transformation of one garment throughout fashion trends or needs. i would love to see one of these historical channels take a single gown through a few decades to show how this could be accomplished despite shifting waist heights, loose or tight sleeves, etc because it sounds like such a puzzle and so difficult to accomplish effectively and have it not look like a patchwork quilt after
oh this is my jam. i've been researching pregnancy belly supports for a few years because things like the hara obi are a big part of maternity culture in my heritage. in midwifery school, we did a segment on pelvimetry where we discussed the utility of pelvic measurements and 'textbook' shapes in predicting complications like shoulder dystocia. even with things like mri obtained pelvic measurements, there is very little correlation between what medical professionals deem 'ideal' and the actual ease of labor. the way that ligaments loosen and stretch during childbirth means that the pelvis is not a static shape (ask anyone who has experienced pubic symphesis separation). although 'pelvic insufficiency' and related diagnoses are frequently cited as the reason for ordering a c-section, i served quite a few parents who went on to have successful vbacs despite their diagnosis. to my understanding, when there is true obstructive malformation in the pelvis, usually it's caused by extremes of childhood malnutrition. i do wonder if that plays into the skeletal changes that medical anthropologists noted in corseted individuals
Fantastic comment, thanks! - I also just came here to comment on how you said you "served" the different women, and I love your attitude - it delighted my heart and I just wanted to say "thank you for your service" ❤❤❤
16:13 the discourse about the corsets causing of deformity reminds me rather of the whole argument about certain things causing autism. The deformity/difference itself may also have not been caused by one thing over the lifetime of each person, rather a mixture of nature vs nurture. Deformity could also have been something to do with diet or other reasons of which we have no empirical evidence. The screaming of "blame the corsets!!" Reminds me of those troglodytes who scream "blame the vaccines/MSG/[insert random thing here] - they cause autism!!", when in fact there are numerous causes/contributory factors which *are not ethically testable in a scientifically controlled environment*... Because experiments on pregnancy/unborn children is thankfully not entertained. All we can do is have our best guess woth the caveat that we may never know if that *one thing* causes the thing we're talking about.
Yeah totally, I mean the study only shows that women in the XIXth had more deformities than in the XVIIIth, but many different things changed during that time else than corsetery. The paper is not blaming any specific thing, I believe; maybe factory work was a more important cause of such slight deformity. That's also a question sadly not answered in the video, maybe it is in the study but does it depend on the social class and status of these women? I would guess tightlacing as done by the upper classes since childhood would probably have more chances to cause it, while if it's also the case for other classes, then maybe there was something in the shape of (late) XIXth corset that was questionable.
Hey, as for history of medical deformities. There's a collection of deformed fetuses in formalin from early XVIII century Russia. It was done to show people it's not a result of devil's work but health problems. To prove that, mutated baby cattle was displayed as well. Most of mothers of those were commonfolk and didn't wear any sort of corsetry at all. Many deformities would be treatable today. As for more deformity in XIX century then XVIII century... i suppose that's better statistics and better access to healthcare. Many of those deformities were in fact mutations the people of the past didn't know about and totally unrelated to the corsetry.
Reminds me of when my little brother got sick after eating a hot dog (he was already showing signs of the flu). For years he blamed the hot dog and nobody could tell him anything different. Even the doc was like "this is the flu, not food poisoning" and my brother was still as adamant as any six year old could get. He's a lot older now but just as opinionated.
I wonder how much of the skeletal deformity could be related to nutrition and/or physical activity. We know now how much adequate micronutrients contribute to bone development, particularly how vitamin D facilitates the uptake and use of calcium, as well as how physical activity has positive correlation to bone density. If we're looking at middle to upper class north-eastern Europe, where people didn't expose their skin to sunlight (for the production of vitamin D), and where vigorous physical activity was discouraged in girls and women, that could contribute to how the corset was able to deform the skeleton to such a degree.
And during industrialization smog in cities could get so bad that even if you went outside, you wouldn't necessarily get enough sunlight. There are videos from the middle of the 20th century even, where children from industrial centers in Europe are treated with some sort of artificial sunlight to avoid bone deformities.
That is a big possibility. Not to mention in Europe you have winters so the sun is not as "shining" as in other parts of the world. Heck it's the reason people of European descent have white skin in the first place, to help absorb more sunlight. So I could see woman deliberately making sure not to expose their skin to the sun might have caused a few health issues.
I knew that Ms Banner's videography skills would get better and better. And they have! She is as talented in that sphere as she is in historical costuming. I wonder if she will ever try her hand at producing / directing a full-fledged documentary?
I made a pair of working class side lacing maternity stays for historical reenactment. I used doubled twine as boning. I was 7-8 months pregnant and it was very comfortable. Because it was side laced I was able to wear it as normal stays for years after that.
I’m so so so happy you covered this! I’ve been so curious and I’m currently pregnant with my 3rd. Re: breast flaps on Spanish stays - I’m theorizing it could be for women with over production of milk. When your breasts are super full you can’t really move them much, they are utter rocks. So if it was for breastfeeding I would personally think that more comfortable than lifting up and out (more feasible with older babies, not as much newborns)
So excited to watch this! Toward the end of a pregnancy, the old back just aches, the tummy aches, the legs ache...😂😅. I wished last pregnancy that I had a corset adaptable for pregnancy. Just for some back support, especially since I have older kids to haul around too.
I thought that at first but then wondered how wide spread the making yourself look sickly really was. It's possible it's the same class of women who would tight lace in order to assist with the look
I did comment on that tuberculosis video asking dress historians like Bernadette and Abby Cox to please call him out for it. I know he is all about “everything is because of tuberculosis” but dude some things are not because of tuberculosis and what you think is happening is not what is really happening…just chill and listen to some ladies for a moment ok.
Midwife here, the talk about pelvic deformity has got my brain going. The big advice I give my clients is to see a chiropractor in the last month to help with balancing the pelvis - modern life tends to tilt it off the level and into a forward tilt (like putting a bend in a pipe). I know most of the silhouette came from padding but if the corset was giving any kind of angle backwards that could cause problems during labor - prolonging the pushing phase.
17:52 reminder that correlation is not causation. There is no way of knowing that those skeletons were different BECAUSE of the corsets. They may have been born with those traits or have a more sensitive body to changes.
That's what I was thinking. Perhaps there was a correlation between diets and prevalent diseases to bone density? I don't know though I've done zero research.
This is picking nits, but flex and stretch (before spandex etc) can very easily be a function of the weave structure; jeans for example (before the current iteration of additional spandex) bent and stretched quite easily around all the curves and movements of the knees, butt, and hips solely by utilizing a twill weave; it works great for that. Simply cutting on the bias also aids with stretch and give. So while lacing and modular construction work fabulously well, clothing has had stretch for a LONG time, back to the Stone Age.
Unfortunately that makes it harder to create a supportive garment. Modern bras are made using stretchy fabrics but their construction is very complicated for such a small item - multiple small pieces stitched together in the right way.
@@parryyotter as I started my statement with “this is picking nits,” please understand that I was only addressing the video’s statement about stretch being a new phenomenon. It is not. In no way was I addressing the support issue, and you are absolutely correct in saying that stretch without support (in the world of corsets) is useless.
Yep, knit fabric has horizontal stretch and has been around for thousands of years at least. But the stretch on the bias and the stretch of knits is very minimal compared to the modern "stretch" fabrics like spandex, elastane etc. I don't think stretch fabric is really that useful for supportive garments anyway!
One correction: bra straps are not meant to carry the weight of breasts. The main purpose of straps is to *help* shape and lift the breasts while holding them in one place. In a well designed and well fitted bra, about 90% of the weight is supported by the bra band - that's why it should fit snugly and why "sports bras" that you can pull over your head are useless. Unfortunately most women wear bras with much too wide band and much too small cups, which prevents the bra band from doing its job, digging grooves in arms, causing bad posture and damaging the bra. FYI: I currently wear size 32J (yes, bra alphabet doesn't end at "DDD" and you shouldn't increase band size just because there are no larger cups) and have a strapless bra that supports, shapes and lifts my breasts just fine without the help of straps.
@@SingingSealRiana Luckily we live in the 21st century and online shopping is a thing! Totally worth it too, you get a much better selection and superior products.
This was so interesting, thank you Bernadette & Sarah. I'm 5 months post-partum and can't imagine anyone tight lacing during pregnancy. With both my pregnancies I couldn't stand the discomfort of jeans etc past about 8 weeks of pregnancy so I agree with Sarah's point that claiming tight lacing was causing pregnancy complications was probably placing blame on something that women weren't even doing.
I used to wear a (modern, midbust) corset a lot while breastfeeding my oldest kiddos. Can confirm, the up and over method works just fine 🙃 My bras of the time however were absolutely mangled from folding the cup over 🙄
I imagine wearing a corset throughout pregnancy would help decrease the risk of abdominal injury. The abdominus rectus actually splits apart at the linea alba (the connective tissue between the two vertical muscles) during the later months, and you have to be careful not to use that muscle too much or you risk tearing. That means no crunches or sit ups, and you have to roll to get out of bed rather than sit straight up from lying down. A supportive garment like that would likely prevent excessive strain on the connective tissue and allow it to heal relatively quickly postpartum. Modern belly bands exist for the same reason but theyre just big bands of elastic that compress the whole torso, theyre not boned or structured. I imagine stays or corsets would be much more comfortable.
I love this! I’m 22 weeks pregnant wearing my belly support band and doing my dishes while learning about how women of the past wore their corsets during this season! Thank you for putting this together!
People always talk about corsets like they are oppressive but I wear a short torso corset for back pain and I have always feared how my back pain would get if I was pregnant so the concept of a garment that supports the spine while pregnant totally makes sense to me.
As a woman who has tried wearing wired bras while pregnant, I think this sounds so much more comfortable. Especially love the image of a baby being breastfed. Very practical.
The end credits are chef's kiss. I love how you are constantly improving the quality of your videos. I started seeing your videos in 2019, and so far, I have loved the journey!
Medical pregnancy and postpartum girdles are very common where I live. It just seems logical people on the past would find similar solutions for their every day problems
I've got a video suggestion for you. Similar to your redesigning outfits on book covers for historical novels, you could redesign outfits in historical movies and shows! For example, in time for the Bridgerton season three premiere, you could redesign some of the outfits from the previous seasons, or the few we see in the trailers for the third season. I would love to see that video!
On my journey of corset (and stays/bodies etc) mythbusting is that modern people don’t understand how flexible and soft they really were. The term ‘whalebone’ for baleen has done a plethora of damage to peoples ideas of these garments, because you hear ‘bone’, you think straight and solid and inflexible. When I tell folk that the modern alternative we use are zip ties, then they get a better idea of what they were actually like. (See also: crinolines. Steel isn’t always as stiff as a bra underwire, friend. Gimme some natural fibre undergrundies over this 38GG torture device any day.) Mind you: most of my mythbusting goes like: “who wrote your ‘source’? Oh? A man??? Ok no that’s just more good old fashioned misogyny”
A well designed and well fitting bra is not a torture device. The underwires should not be super stiff, they're supposed to sit in the crease surrounding your breast and move with your body.
@@YaaLFH I know this, I’ve been wearing one for 35 years, I just really really really dislike them. It wasn’t so bad when I was young and only a C cup, and didn’t have chronic pain disorder that turns every sensation into a pain signal, and wasn’t perimenopausal, and adverse to any synthetic fibre on the planet. But now I do, and I hate them+ and that’s when I can get one in a 38GG, that isn’t just a c-cup pattern sized-up, for less than £75. Different bodies are different.
@@RoxanneLaWinSTABBY Where do you shop that 38GG bras are more than £75? I never in my life paid that much for a bra and I usually wear around 32J. Even my luxury silk and French lace Masquerades and Rigby&Pellers were less than £50. The most expensive bra in your size is £54 in Bravissimo and £52 in Brastop. Most are under £40 with quite a selection available under £25! And those are proper bras designed for larger sizes.
@@YaaLFH I’ve never had a good fit from any of those guys. The Rigby & Peller I bought in store when I was last fitted by them in 2011 was £70, and that was one of the cheapest ones at the time. Last time I looked at Bravissimo, they were £65+ in my size. The bands always try moving up and/or straps are too short/in the wrong position. I’m 5’11” too, with a long torso, and even though we’re only dealing with the upper 1/3, they just never seem long enough. They ride up, and/or the cups are too close together. You sound like you’ve been really lucky because I don’t know another person above a D cup have any luck with off the rack bras, but that’s not everybody’s experience. And that’s before we even get to the synthetic fibres. Hate hate hate them. All bras are my enemy. Congrats to you though. You got lucky, I’ll stick with my linen stays, when it’s not a crop-top or sports bra day. I’ve been in this game to know what works for me, my disability and my income.
@@RoxanneLaWinSTABBY LOL in 2011 you could buy Freya/Fantasie/Panache in Debenhams under £30 and they had the GG+ range in stock. I don't know when you allegedly checked Bravissimo but they never sold regular bras that were £65+ in the GG+ range. Sports bras or swimsuits yes, but not regular bras. If the bands were moving up, you were wearing the wrong size. Claiming that the straps were always too short just confirms it - you were wearing too small cups and loosening straps to the full gave you the illusion of a good fit. A well fitted bra does not ride up. Yes, some models have the cups close together but there is a lot of models with wider front. I'm not lucky, I just wear bras that actually fit - just like dozens of my friends and Internet acquaintances in all sizes, their heights ranging from petite to basketball players. I'm not short either, BTW. Also, synthetic fibres are not the enemy, no matter how much you love linen.
currently writing an essay and I needed a lunch break - thank you for an interesting video!! (and for making sure I actually take a break) EDIT: OH MY GOD OUTRO???? YESSSSSSSSSS
Such an interesting topic. I love seeing these garments, and I'm glad to see the 1600s getting a bit more rep, as it deserves. Fantastical Follies is also doing a bunch of 17th century stuff, as it's her favorite era. Pregnancy stays/corsets are such an interesting topic, I love seeing it get more discussed. And now I feel cool, because I've already seen some of Dr. Bendall's videos. Excellent topic to discuss.
Bernadette said it, people mostly want to be comfortable, I want to be comfortable, most of us didn't wear them so tight we fainted for lack of air. In fact I suspect fainting is highly exaggerated, people not wearing Corsets can do it my little ones did it. They cried so hard they blew out all the good air and didn't get a breath until they blacked out. Adding these facts to some others I learned recently it sounds like a marketing campaign to sell something entirely different.
This was really interesting! You manage to be super informative whilst keeping a casual and fun enough tone that it was impossible to zone out - both of you managed to do an amazing job
So excited for this! I've always wondered about this and ironically have been wondering if you'd eventually make a video on this😂 Time to get all the answers for all my questions! EDIT: the outro?? Yes ma'am!!!❤🎉
This was a really fascinating peek at a niche in fashion history that you don't commonly see much about. Thank you for putting this together and sharing! :)
I made myself a pregnancy corset to wear during our Civil war events. It was so comfortable and it helped by lifting my belly and taking the weight off of my back. I was 8 months pregnant when I wore it.
That’s really cool! I’m sure there could be an interesting project around the evidence of passing on of stays etc over time in wills; if there are enough bits of evidence it could be a really cool source of evidence for patterns of use and value over time
This was a very informative watch. Learning about day to day history especially focused on women is so important and there’s much to learn from our ancestors we often belittle. Thank you very much. I ordered the book by Sarah Bendall and am looking forward to reading it. @Bernadette, it’s great to see new content here. You are such an inspiration.
I am a man who is not pregnant but ngl sometimes I wish I could wear a corset for abdominal support. I have a lot of intestinal issues which are more painful from stretching forward/down but sucking in with my abs hurts even more. I have what's technically a back brace which also supports my abdomen and is heaven some days, but it's extremely thick and bulky
@@lunarose9 Wait really? I know male corsets existed and were much more common than people thought but I figured in modern times they were seen as too feminine to still exist for men. Do you have any idea where to look?
This was such an interesting video, thanks for making it!! As someone that has been pregnant and loves learning about historical dress, this is something I wondered about a lot while I was pregnant, mostly because I knew about how textiles were so treasured. You guys are absolutely correct that you wouldn’t want any kind of pressure on the front of your body. It’s kind of hard to explain, but even before my baby was full term and my belly was huge, it can be sooo difficult to breathe. I work with food and have to wear a half apron (tied around the waist), and it was unbearable by about 20weeks. We also have full body ones that laces only in the back and that kind was 1000x more comfortable. Related to pregnancy, I would love to see a video specifically on children and children’s wear! I’m sure hand-me-downs play a huge role in that, as they still do today, but I’m curious to know if there were any strategies for clothing to work around the growth spurts that many children go through? They can happen quickly, in a matter of weeks to months! Same for shoes?
I wish I had been able to wear a maternity corset during my first pregnancy! Especially with the belly band. My uterine ligaments and back were so painful 😥 It wasn’t as bad in later pregnancies, but the first was awful!
I love the deeper understanding of corsets that is emerging. The only thing I haven't seen is information on corsets that suit more tropical/real summer (30° plus)
I’m super pregnant atm and the corsets with the belly band that goes under would have been right up my street a couple months ago when the baby was positioned in such a way the CRIPPLED me and I had to fashion something to apply pressure to push them up and back. I think people forget how squishy a pregnant belly can be too
omg this is such good timing. I was literally thinking about maternity corsets/stays recently bc one of my historical anime ocs wears one when he's pregnant
Nutrition was better in the 19th cen. with the industrial revolution v.s. the 18th cen. whereby it was common to have lower quality food or lack of. Corsets cannot be blamed for body shape because nutrition is a much stronger factor.
First of all: Yay! A new video that is thoughtful and well put together, and presented by two lovely people! Secondly: Danny! This editing is just glorious!!!
"Flexible", that's the word here that people tend to forget about corsets and stays, it'll adapt with you, it's not a cage.🌚
And another thing people tend do wrong as well is that they don't put anything underneath.
I think the word "Whalebone" confuses a lot of people.
You put a moon face here, and I have no idea what it means...
@judna1 Right? I saw a "fashion expert" on Twitter talking about how "dangerous" wearing a corset was, and posted a picture modeling one to show how it pinched her skin.
1) she wasn't wearing a shift underneath it, so it was right against her skin.
2) the corset was at least two sizes too small, of course it's going to be uncomfortable. An ill-fitting bra or shirt will be uncomfortable too.
Corsets/stays do often get a bad rep as people often think of they are stiff, hard, and constrictive to both movement and even breathing. Like they are made to be some sort of armor plated cage for the torso.
However, they are the complete opposite and allow the wearer the freedom to be more active. Especially those with spinal issues like scoliosis and lumbar pain.
I really appreciate the balance here of "corsets are super fine and normal if they are well fitting" and "okay, but tight lacing was actually a thing and it did effect ribs and pelvis structures a bit."
Fun fact- modern shoes effect the shape of our feet, but it's not the same as foot binding. There are degrees and different levels of discomfort people are willing to put up with for fashion and fitting in.
Mm hm. This happens with men's shoes, as well. Just ask any guy with rotated pinky toes why that's the case.
I was once in line at the grocery store behind a very elderly woman in sandals whose feet were perfectly shaped like ^, like she'd worn far too tight very pointy heels her whole life. Her toes came halfway down the side of her foot like they'd one by one been stopped as her feet gre longer until the whole front half was a very narrow triangle. I still think sometimes about what a painful childhood that must have been. But I've also only ever seen that once.
It is just like how today we have shape wear. Some women do pack themselves into extremely tight under garments then drape a skin tight dress and the majority of us don't
A high society 14-15 yr old lady tight lacing herself to look skinnier than every other girl at the ball isn't necessarily what every single woman did during that era
I'm glad someone else brought up how modern shoes deferm our feet.
Modern bras put permanent indents around rib cages and on shoulders, too. 🤷🏻♀️
Making myself a pregnancy corset for reenacting was 10/10 the best and most comfortable solution I could have opted for at 30 weeks pregnant.
Did you have a specific pattern you used? I am super interested in making a pair of pregnancy stays or a pregnancy corset for my next pregnancy!
I am so jealous. I would have loved that support with my pregnancy.
Oh that's a brilliant idea.
I' currently at the beginning of my pregnancy and I think I will try one!
I'm interested in the pattern too 🙋
I have never heard anyone mention the second hand clothes market before in a historical video. So many of them talk about the clothes the richer people were wearing. I love that Bernadette talks about how everyday people would be making adjustments to their clothes in all her videos! I'd love to learn more about the second hand clothing markets of the past too
Me too!
Erm what?
This is common knowledge.
@@365kattygurl And me!!
@@YaaLFH Ok so you’re patronising to everybody.
@@365kattygurl And me! I’ve wondered about it a lot, but just assumed most things were worn to death, or the fabric was unpicked a reworked. But of course there would be exceptions. Man. What I’d give to rummage around an 1860s 2nd hand shop.
Imagine that! Women (with or without child) in history had stays and corsets made to support their bodies. These pregnancy stays were lovely. I like the way the stomacher shapes changed. What a wonderful guest speaker! The outro is stunning.❤
Just want to second the amazing outro! I love it!
I want to third
I name her the Goldfish Stomacher.
Agree to all. Found it fascinating with the extra back-support in the stays. It's so obvious in hindsight, but brilliant. Of course someone with a large pregnancy belly needs extra help for the back
Yeah... Corsets did "support their bodies" a lot. Unfortunately IIRC this resulted in a lot of their muscles along their back etc just not being used much, and they could barely stand straight without one. They even wore corsets to go to sleep.
My mother wore a medical pregnancy corset in 1967 given to her by her high-risk OB/GYN in Switzerland when she was pregnant with me because mom was so tiny and I was big and I still have it. My mom kept it and I have it and I wore it with my pregnancies because I have scoliosis and it actually helped me.. you don’t tighten them so tight that you can’t breathe but it did strengthen how I carried my children it really work. I know they don’t give them out anymore I’m pretty sure but I kept my mom’s just because of a sentimental value but 1967 that’s not that long ago.
I had a hiatal hernia when I was pregnant with my youngest (early 2000’s) & the OB had me wear an under belly supporting corset. It was so comfortable I sent it along to a friend who also had a hiatal hernia & the same genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, like I do. I have corsets I like to wear for cosplay or when the arthritis in my spine is bothering me.
Also remember that women worked HARD and often held uncomfortable positions of leaning over to work...and those corsets and supports saved their backs. I wear corsets every day and it's all due to back support! Wearing bras just pulled my shoulders over into a permanent slump. Wearing a corset holds me upright. I WISH I had a maternity corset when I had babies. It would have helped my back pain so much!
May i ask where you get your corsets
Seconding the comment above, would love to hear where you get your corsets 😊
@@AlexDoty-qi5xf I started out (and recommend starting out) with the discount places like Corset Story or Corset Deal on line. While many of their corsets aren't terribly well made, they are a great place to start because they are inexpensive and you can figure out your fit and which styles of corsetry work for you, or don't work for you. THEN you can go splurge on other corsets, including bespoke if you have the funds for it to get exactly what you like. These days I mostly order from Lucy's corsetry...though I still hit corset deal from time to time...some of their stuff is surprisingly well made, though it's a gamble. Lucy's is a bit higher priced, but their corsets have been very good in quality and fit for me.
Same, I’m a chef and I wear a corset more often than not because the support is really helpful.
Maria Von Trapp had a special corset made for her first concert tour because she was pregnant and was amused that she was refered to in the papers as stout, not pregnant.
Well, she was very much trying to hide her pregnancy at first because she feared the tour would be cancelled if it was known, so her midwife gave her special corset made to conceal pregnancy.... and it worked!
I never thought of that though I knew her son was born in the US while they were on tour before they moved to the US permanently.
At seven months pregnant, corsetless, i still look fat/stout if it’s early in the day… as the day wears on i look more pregnant
@@merrylty7632 I was just going to respond that she specifically worked with her dressmaker to adjust her "top" as her abdomen expanded so that it looked balanced and like she was just getting stouter not like she was pregnant. It's been more than 40 years since I read her book but, if I recall correctly, she was also concealing the pregnancy from her husband initially as well. Don't remember if it was considered something standard to not let husbands know right away or if it was related to being afraid he would cancel the tour or afraid he would let the info slip and promoters would cancel.
The other thing about the slight deformation that they have measured on historical skeletons, is that a lot of these people were not only wearing corsets from a very young age where their bones were still growing, but ALSO that many of them likely suffered from various kind of malnutrition. If you're not getting proper nutrition, AND you're squeezing your bones as you grow, of course it will have an effect on your body.
Not only that that, there are numerous diseases that can affect bone growth. Children routinely wore stays, and in the 18th century even from infancy. There's too many factors to attribute deformity to just wearing stays and corsets. If you had poor posture or weak bones, from malnutrition and illness, it's likely stays or a corset would be seen as needed, like with scoliosis today.
Yes! I recall a video from Lucy's Corsetry discussing how medical conditions like rickets could make the bones deformed.
I think this is such an important point, especially since scientific literacy is very low and people tend to apply "corset bad, women silly" logic and latch on to things like this without understanding what it really means. These studies place high emphasis on malnutrition, disease, and the malleability of children's bones as being the cause of the effects of corsets or at the very least making it impossible to say with certainty that corsets alone can cause these changes. In other words, when you combine weak bones with a bit of pressure, you get slight changes to the bones. So glad for people like Bernadette and Dr. Bendall who work hard to dispel myths and sensationalism and fight the misogyny that is at the root of a lot of these conversations.
Deformation of children's bones always reminds me of how (idr what culture it was) used straight boards and wraps to deform their babies skulls so that they would grow to be seen as more beautiful. So I can see the direct correlation from corsets to malformed ribs from childhood wear. We even see malformation of children's skeletons today with shoes, starting as early as infancy, in general you want soft sole shoes with wide toe room for proper foot growth, but many people will put their child into hard flat bottom narrow toed shoes because of fashion.
@@SnowieShiba yep! And it’s also important to note that not all deformations are harmful, which I think is an implicit assumption a lot of people make. The indigenous culture who elongate their skulls do not experience ill effects from it (or at least, it wasn’t even brought up, when I learned about them in college.) When you have seen skeletons and you can see how much variation there is from person to person, you realize that bones have more variety than you would think. Skeletons don’t have to be carbon copies of each other to support an otherwise healthy person.
my mother made a replica of the corset at 1:48 for a corsetry class at FIT in the late 90’s!! i almost choked on my lunch that image is seared into my brain. my mother even hand dyed all the silk to get that exact peach and we had to go on a wild hunt to find an ancient grommetting machine ran by a tiny lady sitting in a nyc window front. i think it had like 6 different types of boning in it my mom worked on that for months. i should see if she still has it. i have to send her this video!!❤
That is so cool!! She’s clearly crazy talented!
PLEASE see if she does and update us!
Love it!
I think we can also assume that working class women would not only wear their corsets for multiple pregnancys, but give them away for a friend or family relative, most of them wouldn't survive the time with so much use, like how people nowday give away their maternity clothes.
And, maybe, some women would just make themselves some regency era stays to be more comfortable
This is such a coincidence! I am 25 weeks pregnant and just wondered about this. Female history is so underrepresented. Thanks Bernadette, love to learn from you!
Congrats and hope you have a safe pregnancy!
Start a savings account for your childs college as soon a possible! College is expensive, your baby will need all the help they can get.
Using the photo of the xray whilst discussing deformities hits way different after learning that those xrays were faked - the "patients" were not alive, there's evidence of stuffing in the cavities (possibly with sawdust) and several vertebrae and the pelvis are literally back to front or rotated in such a way that it would be a physical impossibility whilst alive. There is no information to be gained from them. Even the boning doesn't line up with the boning channels, its just placed wherever. The "binding" at the top extends past the edges of the corset when you'd expect it to follow the edges in a 3D manner. The list goes on. And that's before mentioning the studies on deformities actually featured primarily poor and malnourished individuals so whilst corsets likely played a part, the bones are not soft enough in healthy individuals to undergo that degree of deformity.
This comment should be much, much higher.
Thank you for the debunk.
16:41 for anyone looking!
@AlexaFaie - They did mention that the rib changes occurred in those who wore stays since childhood. Yes, children were dressed a tiny adults, even to the extent of sometimes being corseted. Clothing meant expressly for children did not come about until about the 19th ---> 20th Century cusp.
w h a t
Ribs are also made for moving! When we inhale and exhale, they move. Organs shift too! When someone is pregnant, their organs shift around a bit, organs were made for moving, that's why they are all pretty much floating around in there. Our bodies are flexible for a reason, hence why we have floating ribs.
I like how bernadette is starting to look more and more like missy from dr who 😭😭
@Starstruck_. - She surely does. The influence of living in Britain?
I'm pretty sure there's a video on this channel where Bernadette cosplays Missy to talk about historical dress in Doctor Who.
No she's str8 up Nellie Bly! Right out of the series of kids' books done on her by Joan Blos. My fave one was about Nellie's accidental monkey! Amazingly illustrated books by I think another woman and I feel terrible not remembering her name 🤔
Honestly the real Nellie would prolly never permit the curl that Bernadette wisely lets fly cuz she was a full on stuck up Victorian bicho, but Bernadette all cheerful and decked the fuck out is how I always imagined Nellie when I was a little boy and I loved that book as much as Dinotopia
Bernadette Banner is Ms. Frizzle, for reference, pretty sure we all agree on that! The gaysbros' woman of extraordinary precision and execution should be voted the only human rated to drive a magical bus! Dani, pack the piggies, cuz we're going for a fuggin ride 😂
It makes sense to me that someone might have two different stomachers depending on body shape. I would. As I told someone back in 1979, if I can think of doing it, I’m pretty sure my ancestors were smart enough to do it as well.
And if not your ancestors maybe their friends! Folks like to help each other
@@TranquilityChiba and gossip! “However did you get X piece of clothing to do Y?” Oh yeah. That was a Thing.
yeah and it seems such pieces could be made themselves or a seamstress pretty easily and to fit the body of the customer. if there was such a relative easy solution to a daily problem, of course people would do it.
The blink sounds during the "women are responsible for deforming their children" moment were *chef's kiss*.
14:45 adding this for whoever would like to rewatch it one or ten times.
Also, you know, hernias must have been way more of a common problem, especially pregnancy-related ones, and corsetry was definitely used (as it is now) to manage and treat abdominal hernias. You'll find ads for specific hernia belts and corsets in old magazines, so there must have been a reasonable demand for them.
Most common causes of hernia are: muscle weakness, repetitive strain (lifting or carrying heavy items, standing for many hours, etc.), chronic constipation or cough, pregnancy (!).
This used to be the life of an average woman - multiple pregnancies, housework done by hand (including laundry and gathering/preparing food), carrying a lot, working back-breaking jobs... We do a lot less of that now, so it's quite logical that the number of hernia cases would decrease.
@@YaaLFH But an active person today could have better core / general muscle strength because they usually don't rely on a corset to do the work for them. So maybe the corsets both helped with and contributed to hernias.
@@clarasayk525 The average person today is healthier and better fed.
I got a hernia during my first pregnancy and I'm inclined to say the weak core caused by my scoliosis spinal fusion as a teenager was a major contributor 😢
The pain I felt from the rib spreading during my second pregnancy made me wish for corsetry. Lifting the bust and supporting the rib cage would have made a world of difference
Omg, right? I remember getting a little freaked out about it because nobody told me my ribs might hurt and my doctor was all, “yep, it sucks, nothing we can do about it.”
Yes!!!!! I have a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that, among other things, make me more prone to partial or full dislocations and I had a horrible time with ribs partially dislocating during pregnancy. The entire pregnancy was rough, but it was the rib pain that made me decide I could never do this again because it was just so bad. 😣 Even now I wish I had a corset to hold up my chest because that would be such a relief, physically.
@@jessicaromick1035 It's not too late to get measured and get a corset. If you think it would help, I'd say do it!
Anything that involves more Aussies on the internet being treated as Actual Knowledgeable Professionals that Know Things gets two thumbs up from me!
ikr
Try being from a developing country. Never seen a Honduran talk about fashion history, much less with any actual education on it.
@@HunterDriguez Fair. We might be treated as a place filled with strange accents an lots of animals that want to kill you by much of the internet, but we are still a Western developed nation, with a primarily white population. And on the internet? That counts for a lot.
So unused to hearing another Aussie I took me a minute to twig why I couldn't pick the access😅
@@melusine826 I know, right? And when it does happen, you need to take a moment to ask yourself it is actually an Aussie, or is it a Kiwi? But when watching Australian TV you pick the Random Kiwi straight away!
I think the difference in corset chest coverage in the modern age has a lot to do with corsets being worn as outerwear. Fascinating topic in this vid! Thank you for sharing :)
Yep, people nowadays are wearing them as outer garments or as their only top garment: so they don't want to worry about nip slips. Back in the day of course, people generally only worried about that when they tightlaced.
14:23
Translation :
"For pregnant women, it's absurd that some families consider it shameful to fulfill the first wish of nature and to carry out the function that makes us most similar to the Creator. So why strive to conceal this from the public by tightening and compressing the abdomen with the use of skirt belts and whalebone corsets? These practices strangle the intestines, obstruct and delay the passage of fecal matter, which hardens due to the reabsorption of its finest and most delicate parts. The first consequence of this is constipation, always dangerous due to the efforts required to defecate, which often exert pressure on the uterus and lead to miscarriages. Furthermore, these particles, once passed into the bloodstream, corrupt it and cause infections."
Old medicine is so ridiculous sometimes you just gotta laugh lmao
So it's taking it as obvious that the reason you would wear a corset is to HIDE a pregnancy... because people see pregnancy in general as shameful? AND that this is a practice not chosen by the women themselves but by their families. Thanks for the translation
Also, organs tend to get displeased during pregnancy as the baby grows. So suffice to say, these doctors were huffing paint.
Pregnancy stays must have been super common for married women…since without birth control or abstinence a woman spent more time pregnant than not!! One thing I don’t understand is exactly how breast support on these earlier stays worked…can you explain in greater detail? They look flattening rather than supporting (and I speak as a very small busted woman).
@jennlucky you just completely excluded age of concent, contraception, ongoing marriage traditions and 90+% of the population not being wealthy enough to really afford being properly treated etc, just fyi. And most if not all doctors would get theor medical practice "on the field" quite literally.
This reminds me of how jeans are altered for pregnancy. When I was pregnant, I hated how encumbered I felt. Constant doctors' appointments and weird symptoms (and smells! Whee!) Wearing jeans, a type of clothing I have worn for most of my life, made me feel more human. I imagine women who wore stays and corsets may have felt the same way about those items.
I want to add that in regards to breastfeeding, for high society most woman used wet-nurses and didn't breastfeed their children themselves if they could afford it. It was seen as "unfashionable" and "peasant work" to feed your own children. I can't remember exactly and I couldn't find it but there was a queen (I think queen Victoria) who breastfed her children so ladies started doing it too since the queen was.
I doubt it was Queen Victoria, she thought breastfeeding was disgusting
She also hated pregnancy, and though newborns were ugly, which is still wild to me since she had so many kids, and you do gotta start at the same place every time
Queen Elizabeth II was breastfed and breastfed her babies.
Definitely not Queen Victoria. The late Elizabeth II did breastfeed all 4 of her children, though.
I seem to remember a story about someone specific making it popular, too, though.
@@ZeldaPine Given how disappointed Victoria was about being recommened to stop having Sex, to avoid Pregnancy-related Health Risks, I doubt that she had all these Children for the sake of it, instead of them just being a Sideeffect of Things ;D
Side note - I used to admire queen Victoria until I realised how misogynistic she was.
Will people in the future be dissecting pregnancy stretch pants in such a way? "These offer very little support, but they do seem to be easy to pull off when running to pee for the hundredth time. And the ice cream stains suggest they were worn 24 hours a day. Fascinating."
I cracked a good laugh out of this 😂😂😂
@@arualziurodarrap8716 Hahaha! :D
They definitely will at some point. But the stains and their origin probably wouldn't survive
My ribs and pelvis have been deformed since birth. As a result, I ended up with an hourglass figure after puberty and my bones probably look like those seen in the 19th century bodies. So we can’t discount the possibility that some of those weren’t just from congenital deformities, and not deformities caused by corsets.
Very true
I mean, it seems obviouse to me that pregnant women would need a supportive garment as much if not more than the average women. I think it only would seen strange if you have the pirates of the Caribbean view of corsets.
Even Pirates made sense in a historical sense and in universe. The whole plot takes place in the Caribbean (surprise surprise), and it took a long time for news and fashion to get that far. So when something is new in the Caribbean, it was already old news back in England and mainland Europe. None of the ladies in the first movie, including Elizabeth, knew how to use a corset because to them it was brand new but in England it was old news by now. And because it was brand new to them, they had no clue how to properly put them on or how to wear them. And that's their version on why Elizabeth fainted, because they had no idea what they were doing
The corset Elizabeth was given was most likely made custom for her but not fitted to her (if it was shipped). If there was a tailor/corset maker present then the person fitting it would have schooled the lady and her maid.
Also, she had enough breath to last a formal ceremony but couldn't last a conversation in a sea wind. I personally consider her faint a plot convenience.
Great point there, and one that I haven't considered. May I also present my own in-universe explanation for the fainting spells: the heat. It's pretty debatable in the films whether the British population in Port Royal are bothered by it (see the naval uniforms). But as someone who lives in a subtropical climate, I can say with some confidence that an incorrectly worn (probably ill-fitting, considering Elizabeth is sixteen and her measurements would have taken a long time to get to London and the corset get made and get shipped back) corset is a stupendously bad idea in these climates, especially when you're going to be standing for a long time.
@@jaded_gerManic girl wanted to be saved by a hot pirate. i respect that.
Woman today have belly support many times during pregnatcy but they get upset if it's called corset
One thing I have learned about anatomy and my own pregnancies as well is the hips/ pelvis naturally will begin to expand as the body prepares itself for birth. Babies heads needs to to be able to clear and not be caught or trapped.
Occasionally some women’s bodies don’t open up enough which could kill both baby and mother, which is one of many reasons
C-sections became a life saving option eventually.
If youtube was rated on quality your videos would be in the top tier.
Intresting! I have always assumed that women stopped wearing a corest altogether once they reached a certain stage of their pregnancy. I have seen some VERY large pregnant bellies in my time. Its nice to know they still had options, and I image the back support as well as the one with the belly band to help support to stomach were a great relief for the women who wore them.
I always find anything to do with pregnancy, birth and lactation absolutely FASCINATING. Thank you ladies for teaching us about historical maternity wear. 🖤✨
Same!! I’m currently breastfeeding and now feeling inspired to look at historical clothing for ideas on how I can optimize my clothing for easier boob access. This video was fabulous.
…just a note on a small comment made: modern bras should not be supported by “hanging from your shoulders” -that will cause SO much pain! Just like corsets, fit from a modern bra should be almost all coming from the band (the part that goes around you) …which is why good fit is so important!!
I hope that helps anyone who is wearing their *modern* bras… 😊
What about those of us who have both the band and the straps digging in? My other alternative is to have my breasts slip under the band through normal use. Just big chested, I guess. I would try an old fashioned pair of stays, but doubt I could find a proper pair in my price range.
I find stays far, far more comfortable than modern bras. To get the support I need with those, I have permanent indents around my ribcage and on my shoulders.
@@lesliehubertus3207 yes, exactly! Where does one find stays?
@@jzahn9647 I can't afford to buy custom stays, so I found out how to draft and make mine from patterns of Fashion 5 and TH-cam. :/
@@jzahn9647Modern bras are MUCH too stretchy! Your band could support more (I speak for myself too) if it didn't just stretch and stretch. But who makes actually supportive bras? No one. ::sigh::
Holding up a pregnant belly is such a relief!
How ingenious these women were!
I absolutely had one of those belly belts and it was a lifesaver!!!
This video is making me want to design my own pair of stays to fit today's clothing (rounded, individual busts & low back) explained like this it actually seems smarter to have a really good corset than it is to have 5+ bras that I have to rebuy every 2 years.
Start with getting properly fitted and buy 2 bras that actually fit you, they will support you better and last longer.
A lot of damage to bras (like underwire poking out) is caused by them not fitting well.
Some brands to try: Panache, Freya, Fantasie, Curvy Kate, Bravissimo, Ewa Michalak, Gorsenia, Comexim, Kris Line, Gaia, Dalia, Ava
Or you could get into bra-making, which once you get the hang of it, is significantly faster than making a whole corset. I’ve made a few bras for myself and they’re fabulously comfortable. Look up LizSews here on TH-cam for a good start. :)
Yes that’s what I’d love to try too!!! I don’t have anywhere near the sewing abilities to attempt it but I often think about it. I was a 32G for quite some time and even a well fitting bra (which I only had one of due to cost and difficulty even finding them) was miserable. There’s only so much weight that a band and some shoulder straps can comfortably support!
@@EmL-kg5gn A well designed bra can easily support much more than 32G breasts.
I have a strapless bra that comfortably supports 32J breasts without any straps.
@@YaaLFH Well I’m glad you found one! But the rest of us are obviously struggling. I tried a lot of different ones, including from brands you’ve recommended and they were still awful for me. I suspect that factors other than just size come into play, the kind of structure and materials that’s often needed in bras for bigger chests is really uncomfortable for a lot of people.
"Stays were a garment that one could keep with them for significant portions of one's life." "Which is such a different mindset than what we have now."
I happened to be listening to this while shopping online for a modern bra. I have 6 bras that are not at all worn out but I gained 15 pounds since I've been fitted and I'm now visibly spilling out of 4 of them.
I'm in a size range where buying and selling used is common, so I'll probably sell the bras I have that don't fit me and try to get at least 1 used replacement once I know my new size, but still, modern clothes aren't really designed to be adjustable and durable so as to be kept a long time.
Ahhh such a fascinating deep dive into a niche topic. The blinking sound effects over Bernadette's "WTF" face absolutely took me out 😂 And the end credits are stunning! Great video and so glad to have you back!
Ok, interview was fantastic, but can we talk about the *end credits* for a moment... just... ARTISTRY.
Cheeeeeeeers to Danny for this!!!!!!!! 🙌👏🙌👏🎉🎉🎉
As someone who just gave birth to her 3rd baby 4 days ago.... thank you for this!! I've been waiting for you to finally cover this topic!
congrats!!!
Congratulations! Lots of love to you and the little one 💜
Congratulations, I hope everything keeps going well!
Congratulations!! My second son is nearly three months now; babies are just sublime.
Congratulations! My #3 just turned four months. Hope you both are doing well ♥️
this video kind of touches on a historical fashion concept i hear about all the time but rarely see illustrated: the continual deconstruction and transformation of one garment throughout fashion trends or needs. i would love to see one of these historical channels take a single gown through a few decades to show how this could be accomplished despite shifting waist heights, loose or tight sleeves, etc because it sounds like such a puzzle and so difficult to accomplish effectively and have it not look like a patchwork quilt after
oh this is my jam. i've been researching pregnancy belly supports for a few years because things like the hara obi are a big part of maternity culture in my heritage. in midwifery school, we did a segment on pelvimetry where we discussed the utility of pelvic measurements and 'textbook' shapes in predicting complications like shoulder dystocia. even with things like mri obtained pelvic measurements, there is very little correlation between what medical professionals deem 'ideal' and the actual ease of labor. the way that ligaments loosen and stretch during childbirth means that the pelvis is not a static shape (ask anyone who has experienced pubic symphesis separation). although 'pelvic insufficiency' and related diagnoses are frequently cited as the reason for ordering a c-section, i served quite a few parents who went on to have successful vbacs despite their diagnosis. to my understanding, when there is true obstructive malformation in the pelvis, usually it's caused by extremes of childhood malnutrition. i do wonder if that plays into the skeletal changes that medical anthropologists noted in corseted individuals
Fantastic comment, thanks! - I also just came here to comment on how you said you "served" the different women, and I love your attitude - it delighted my heart and I just wanted to say "thank you for your service" ❤❤❤
16:13 the discourse about the corsets causing of deformity reminds me rather of the whole argument about certain things causing autism.
The deformity/difference itself may also have not been caused by one thing over the lifetime of each person, rather a mixture of nature vs nurture. Deformity could also have been something to do with diet or other reasons of which we have no empirical evidence.
The screaming of "blame the corsets!!" Reminds me of those troglodytes who scream "blame the vaccines/MSG/[insert random thing here] - they cause autism!!", when in fact there are numerous causes/contributory factors which *are not ethically testable in a scientifically controlled environment*... Because experiments on pregnancy/unborn children is thankfully not entertained.
All we can do is have our best guess woth the caveat that we may never know if that *one thing* causes the thing we're talking about.
corsets cause autism? more like autism causes corsets .... am i right .... (fellow autists will know. we like to be squeezed.)
Yeah totally, I mean the study only shows that women in the XIXth had more deformities than in the XVIIIth, but many different things changed during that time else than corsetery. The paper is not blaming any specific thing, I believe; maybe factory work was a more important cause of such slight deformity.
That's also a question sadly not answered in the video, maybe it is in the study but does it depend on the social class and status of these women? I would guess tightlacing as done by the upper classes since childhood would probably have more chances to cause it, while if it's also the case for other classes, then maybe there was something in the shape of (late) XIXth corset that was questionable.
Hey, as for history of medical deformities.
There's a collection of deformed fetuses in formalin from early XVIII century Russia. It was done to show people it's not a result of devil's work but health problems. To prove that, mutated baby cattle was displayed as well.
Most of mothers of those were commonfolk and didn't wear any sort of corsetry at all. Many deformities would be treatable today.
As for more deformity in XIX century then XVIII century... i suppose that's better statistics and better access to healthcare.
Many of those deformities were in fact mutations the people of the past didn't know about and totally unrelated to the corsetry.
Reminds me of when my little brother got sick after eating a hot dog (he was already showing signs of the flu). For years he blamed the hot dog and nobody could tell him anything different. Even the doc was like "this is the flu, not food poisoning" and my brother was still as adamant as any six year old could get. He's a lot older now but just as opinionated.
@@lesacapatate2949yes, class matters in both directions. Bad bones and musculoskeletal trauma from work for poor, tightlacing for rich.
I wonder how much of the skeletal deformity could be related to nutrition and/or physical activity. We know now how much adequate micronutrients contribute to bone development, particularly how vitamin D facilitates the uptake and use of calcium, as well as how physical activity has positive correlation to bone density. If we're looking at middle to upper class north-eastern Europe, where people didn't expose their skin to sunlight (for the production of vitamin D), and where vigorous physical activity was discouraged in girls and women, that could contribute to how the corset was able to deform the skeleton to such a degree.
And during industrialization smog in cities could get so bad that even if you went outside, you wouldn't necessarily get enough sunlight. There are videos from the middle of the 20th century even, where children from industrial centers in Europe are treated with some sort of artificial sunlight to avoid bone deformities.
Vitamin D was my first thought with the mention of skeletal shape! Much work also moved from the field to the factory.
That is a big possibility. Not to mention in Europe you have winters so the sun is not as "shining" as in other parts of the world. Heck it's the reason people of European descent have white skin in the first place, to help absorb more sunlight. So I could see woman deliberately making sure not to expose their skin to the sun might have caused a few health issues.
I knew that Ms Banner's videography skills would get better and better. And they have! She is as talented in that sphere as she is in historical costuming. I wonder if she will ever try her hand at producing / directing a full-fledged documentary?
And let us give full props to her sibling Danny for editing! It’s nice to see them all in the credits.
@@nightfall3605 DANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I made a pair of working class side lacing maternity stays for historical reenactment. I used doubled twine as boning. I was 7-8 months pregnant and it was very comfortable. Because it was side laced I was able to wear it as normal stays for years after that.
I’m so so so happy you covered this! I’ve been so curious and I’m currently pregnant with my 3rd.
Re: breast flaps on Spanish stays - I’m theorizing it could be for women with over production of milk. When your breasts are super full you can’t really move them much, they are utter rocks. So if it was for breastfeeding I would personally think that more comfortable than lifting up and out (more feasible with older babies, not as much newborns)
Also, glad to see the breastfeeding options. Women would have needed places to stick cloth to absorb spontaneous let downs
So excited to watch this! Toward the end of a pregnancy, the old back just aches, the tummy aches, the legs ache...😂😅. I wished last pregnancy that I had a corset adaptable for pregnancy. Just for some back support, especially since I have older kids to haul around too.
Can you write to John Green because he was spreading corset misinformation on his tuberculosis video
I noticed that too.
I thought that at first but then wondered how wide spread the making yourself look sickly really was. It's possible it's the same class of women who would tight lace in order to assist with the look
Yeah I was like wtf you usually have decent info, shows how biased the source he was using was.
John Green loves doing that you only noticed this time because it was a subject you are familiar with
I did comment on that tuberculosis video asking dress historians like Bernadette and Abby Cox to please call him out for it. I know he is all about “everything is because of tuberculosis” but dude some things are not because of tuberculosis and what you think is happening is not what is really happening…just chill and listen to some ladies for a moment ok.
I truly adore the end credit of this new video.
It's so beautiful I was bout to post this myself XD 😆😆
Midwife here, the talk about pelvic deformity has got my brain going. The big advice I give my clients is to see a chiropractor in the last month to help with balancing the pelvis - modern life tends to tilt it off the level and into a forward tilt (like putting a bend in a pipe).
I know most of the silhouette came from padding but if the corset was giving any kind of angle backwards that could cause problems during labor - prolonging the pushing phase.
17:52 reminder that correlation is not causation. There is no way of knowing that those skeletons were different BECAUSE of the corsets. They may have been born with those traits or have a more sensitive body to changes.
That's what I was thinking.
Perhaps there was a correlation between diets and prevalent diseases to bone density?
I don't know though I've done zero research.
There's evidence those skeletons are fake (rearranged to fit narrative)
This is picking nits, but flex and stretch (before spandex etc) can very easily be a function of the weave structure; jeans for example (before the current iteration of additional spandex) bent and stretched quite easily around all the curves and movements of the knees, butt, and hips solely by utilizing a twill weave; it works great for that. Simply cutting on the bias also aids with stretch and give. So while lacing and modular construction work fabulously well, clothing has had stretch for a LONG time, back to the Stone Age.
I also wanted to mention that knits have probably existed for a while.
Unfortunately that makes it harder to create a supportive garment.
Modern bras are made using stretchy fabrics but their construction is very complicated for such a small item - multiple small pieces stitched together in the right way.
Stretch without support is useless
@@parryyotter as I started my statement with “this is picking nits,” please understand that I was only addressing the video’s statement about stretch being a new phenomenon. It is not. In no way was I addressing the support issue, and you are absolutely correct in saying that stretch without support (in the world of corsets) is useless.
Yep, knit fabric has horizontal stretch and has been around for thousands of years at least. But the stretch on the bias and the stretch of knits is very minimal compared to the modern "stretch" fabrics like spandex, elastane etc. I don't think stretch fabric is really that useful for supportive garments anyway!
One correction: bra straps are not meant to carry the weight of breasts. The main purpose of straps is to *help* shape and lift the breasts while holding them in one place.
In a well designed and well fitted bra, about 90% of the weight is supported by the bra band - that's why it should fit snugly and why "sports bras" that you can pull over your head are useless.
Unfortunately most women wear bras with much too wide band and much too small cups, which prevents the bra band from doing its job, digging grooves in arms, causing bad posture and damaging the bra.
FYI: I currently wear size 32J (yes, bra alphabet doesn't end at "DDD" and you shouldn't increase band size just because there are no larger cups) and have a strapless bra that supports, shapes and lifts my breasts just fine without the help of straps.
Ah yeah, the Nightmare of bra fitting, i only know one Brand where I live that even sells my size
Ah yes, living in the US my poor breasts have never been housed in an appropriately sized bra.
@@SingingSealRiana Luckily we live in the 21st century and online shopping is a thing!
Totally worth it too, you get a much better selection and superior products.
@@SingingSealRiana Where do you live? Maybe I can recommend something.
Greetings, fellow A Bra That Fits bravangelizer. 😂
Great to see you back! Wonderful video and like the new format!
This was so interesting, thank you Bernadette & Sarah.
I'm 5 months post-partum and can't imagine anyone tight lacing during pregnancy. With both my pregnancies I couldn't stand the discomfort of jeans etc past about 8 weeks of pregnancy so I agree with Sarah's point that claiming tight lacing was causing pregnancy complications was probably placing blame on something that women weren't even doing.
I used to wear a (modern, midbust) corset a lot while breastfeeding my oldest kiddos. Can confirm, the up and over method works just fine 🙃
My bras of the time however were absolutely mangled from folding the cup over 🙄
I imagine wearing a corset throughout pregnancy would help decrease the risk of abdominal injury. The abdominus rectus actually splits apart at the linea alba (the connective tissue between the two vertical muscles) during the later months, and you have to be careful not to use that muscle too much or you risk tearing. That means no crunches or sit ups, and you have to roll to get out of bed rather than sit straight up from lying down. A supportive garment like that would likely prevent excessive strain on the connective tissue and allow it to heal relatively quickly postpartum. Modern belly bands exist for the same reason but theyre just big bands of elastic that compress the whole torso, theyre not boned or structured. I imagine stays or corsets would be much more comfortable.
I love this! I’m 22 weeks pregnant wearing my belly support band and doing my dishes while learning about how women of the past wore their corsets during this season! Thank you for putting this together!
People always talk about corsets like they are oppressive but I wear a short torso corset for back pain and I have always feared how my back pain would get if I was pregnant so the concept of a garment that supports the spine while pregnant totally makes sense to me.
I'm disappointed that your video was all about fashion and there was no talk of corsets as an actual medical device for pain.
I just needed to offer praise for Danny's edits. The eyeblinks, in particular, were so perfectly subtle and well-timed. 😄
As a woman who has tried wearing wired bras while pregnant, I think this sounds so much more comfortable. Especially love the image of a baby being breastfed. Very practical.
The end credits are chef's kiss. I love how you are constantly improving the quality of your videos. I started seeing your videos in 2019, and so far, I have loved the journey!
Medical pregnancy and postpartum girdles are very common where I live. It just seems logical people on the past would find similar solutions for their every day problems
Yeah I totally remember my mom wearing those after she had my brothers, and I know in China they have a traditional wrapping technique for postpartum
your video is both so informative and interesting, thank you for being one of the content creators who are considerate of their audience ❤
I've got a video suggestion for you. Similar to your redesigning outfits on book covers for historical novels, you could redesign outfits in historical movies and shows! For example, in time for the Bridgerton season three premiere, you could redesign some of the outfits from the previous seasons, or the few we see in the trailers for the third season. I would love to see that video!
Madame Banner! The production values on this video are fantastic!
On my journey of corset (and stays/bodies etc) mythbusting is that modern people don’t understand how flexible and soft they really were. The term ‘whalebone’ for baleen has done a plethora of damage to peoples ideas of these garments, because you hear ‘bone’, you think straight and solid and inflexible. When I tell folk that the modern alternative we use are zip ties, then they get a better idea of what they were actually like. (See also: crinolines. Steel isn’t always as stiff as a bra underwire, friend. Gimme some natural fibre undergrundies over this 38GG torture device any day.)
Mind you: most of my mythbusting goes like: “who wrote your ‘source’? Oh? A man??? Ok no that’s just more good old fashioned misogyny”
A well designed and well fitting bra is not a torture device. The underwires should not be super stiff, they're supposed to sit in the crease surrounding your breast and move with your body.
@@YaaLFH I know this, I’ve been wearing one for 35 years, I just really really really dislike them. It wasn’t so bad when I was young and only a C cup, and didn’t have chronic pain disorder that turns every sensation into a pain signal, and wasn’t perimenopausal, and adverse to any synthetic fibre on the planet. But now I do, and I hate them+ and that’s when I can get one in a 38GG, that isn’t just a c-cup pattern sized-up, for less than £75.
Different bodies are different.
@@RoxanneLaWinSTABBY Where do you shop that 38GG bras are more than £75? I never in my life paid that much for a bra and I usually wear around 32J. Even my luxury silk and French lace Masquerades and Rigby&Pellers were less than £50.
The most expensive bra in your size is £54 in Bravissimo and £52 in Brastop. Most are under £40 with quite a selection available under £25! And those are proper bras designed for larger sizes.
@@YaaLFH I’ve never had a good fit from any of those guys. The Rigby & Peller I bought in store when I was last fitted by them in 2011 was £70, and that was one of the cheapest ones at the time. Last time I looked at Bravissimo, they were £65+ in my size. The bands always try moving up and/or straps are too short/in the wrong position. I’m 5’11” too, with a long torso, and even though we’re only dealing with the upper 1/3, they just never seem long enough. They ride up, and/or the cups are too close together.
You sound like you’ve been really lucky because I don’t know another person above a D cup have any luck with off the rack bras, but that’s not everybody’s experience.
And that’s before we even get to the synthetic fibres. Hate hate hate them. All bras are my enemy. Congrats to you though. You got lucky, I’ll stick with my linen stays, when it’s not a crop-top or sports bra day. I’ve been in this game to know what works for me, my disability and my income.
@@RoxanneLaWinSTABBY LOL in 2011 you could buy Freya/Fantasie/Panache in Debenhams under £30 and they had the GG+ range in stock.
I don't know when you allegedly checked Bravissimo but they never sold regular bras that were £65+ in the GG+ range. Sports bras or swimsuits yes, but not regular bras.
If the bands were moving up, you were wearing the wrong size. Claiming that the straps were always too short just confirms it - you were wearing too small cups and loosening straps to the full gave you the illusion of a good fit. A well fitted bra does not ride up.
Yes, some models have the cups close together but there is a lot of models with wider front.
I'm not lucky, I just wear bras that actually fit - just like dozens of my friends and Internet acquaintances in all sizes, their heights ranging from petite to basketball players. I'm not short either, BTW.
Also, synthetic fibres are not the enemy, no matter how much you love linen.
I'm a big fan of the credits at the end!
OMG YES I was waiting for this topic to by tackled by you (and your guest, thank you Sarah!)
Yoooo, congrats on joining Nebula! May it be a long and fruitful partnership! :)
Yay Bernadette’s back!!! We missed you!! Let the fun historical chaos begin!
Corsets seem very similar to modern weightlifting belts in function.
They are
This concept weirdly makes me want a proper corset more lol. Once I get a few simpler sewing projects under my belt...
You got it backwards.
@@YaaLFH Backwards ad in modern weightlifting belts inspired corsets and not the other way around?
@@Lutefisk445backwards as in modern weightlifting belts are similar to corsets in function and not the other way around as one precedes the other
currently writing an essay and I needed a lunch break - thank you for an interesting video!! (and for making sure I actually take a break)
EDIT: OH MY GOD OUTRO???? YESSSSSSSSSS
omg me too!
Such an interesting topic. I love seeing these garments, and I'm glad to see the 1600s getting a bit more rep, as it deserves. Fantastical Follies is also doing a bunch of 17th century stuff, as it's her favorite era. Pregnancy stays/corsets are such an interesting topic, I love seeing it get more discussed. And now I feel cool, because I've already seen some of Dr. Bendall's videos. Excellent topic to discuss.
I love FF! Her vibe speaks to me!😂
Bernadette said it, people mostly want to be comfortable, I want to be comfortable, most of us didn't wear them so tight we fainted for lack of air. In fact I suspect fainting is highly exaggerated, people not wearing Corsets can do it my little ones did it. They cried so hard they blew out all the good air and didn't get a breath until they blacked out. Adding these facts to some others I learned recently it sounds like a marketing campaign to sell something entirely different.
DR. SARAH BENDALL???!??? AMAZING
So glad you joined Nebula! Will watch you there in the future :)
This was really interesting! You manage to be super informative whilst keeping a casual and fun enough tone that it was impossible to zone out - both of you managed to do an amazing job
So excited for this! I've always wondered about this and ironically have been wondering if you'd eventually make a video on this😂 Time to get all the answers for all my questions!
EDIT: the outro?? Yes ma'am!!!❤🎉
This was a really fascinating peek at a niche in fashion history that you don't commonly see much about. Thank you for putting this together and sharing! :)
I made myself a pregnancy corset to wear during our Civil war events. It was so comfortable and it helped by lifting my belly and taking the weight off of my back. I was 8 months pregnant when I wore it.
that outro and credits scene!! gorgeous!!!
this whole video was so good, i loved every moment. and i’d love to get on nebula!…once i can afford it 😅
I have a Will from an ancestress in the late 1600s. She left her stays to her daughters. And lots of fabric
(kersey) and buttons.
That’s really cool!
I’m sure there could be an interesting project around the evidence of passing on of stays etc over time in wills; if there are enough bits of evidence it could be a really cool source of evidence for patterns of use and value over time
Loving the new end credits sequence, and the wee brave guinea pig on the title cards!
19:23 Ooohh wonder if someone has made a binder based off corset designs!
This was a very informative watch. Learning about day to day history especially focused on women is so important and there’s much to learn from our ancestors we often belittle. Thank you very much. I ordered the book by Sarah Bendall and am looking forward to reading it. @Bernadette, it’s great to see new content here. You are such an inspiration.
I am a man who is not pregnant but ngl sometimes I wish I could wear a corset for abdominal support. I have a lot of intestinal issues which are more painful from stretching forward/down but sucking in with my abs hurts even more. I have what's technically a back brace which also supports my abdomen and is heaven some days, but it's extremely thick and bulky
You can buy them! They definitely existed. A friend of mine had a neo Victorian/ goth wedding and his waistcoat was a men’s corset
@@lunarose9 Wait really? I know male corsets existed and were much more common than people thought but I figured in modern times they were seen as too feminine to still exist for men. Do you have any idea where to look?
This was such an interesting video, thanks for making it!! As someone that has been pregnant and loves learning about historical dress, this is something I wondered about a lot while I was pregnant, mostly because I knew about how textiles were so treasured. You guys are absolutely correct that you wouldn’t want any kind of pressure on the front of your body. It’s kind of hard to explain, but even before my baby was full term and my belly was huge, it can be sooo difficult to breathe. I work with food and have to wear a half apron (tied around the waist), and it was unbearable by about 20weeks. We also have full body ones that laces only in the back and that kind was 1000x more comfortable.
Related to pregnancy, I would love to see a video specifically on children and children’s wear! I’m sure hand-me-downs play a huge role in that, as they still do today, but I’m curious to know if there were any strategies for clothing to work around the growth spurts that many children go through? They can happen quickly, in a matter of weeks to months! Same for shoes?
I wish I had been able to wear a maternity corset during my first pregnancy! Especially with the belly band. My uterine ligaments and back were so painful 😥 It wasn’t as bad in later pregnancies, but the first was awful!
I love the deeper understanding of corsets that is emerging. The only thing I haven't seen is information on corsets that suit more tropical/real summer (30° plus)
I’m super pregnant atm and the corsets with the belly band that goes under would have been right up my street a couple months ago when the baby was positioned in such a way the CRIPPLED me and I had to fashion something to apply pressure to push them up and back. I think people forget how squishy a pregnant belly can be too
omg this is such good timing. I was literally thinking about maternity corsets/stays recently bc one of my historical anime ocs wears one when he's pregnant
Nutrition was better in the 19th cen. with the industrial revolution v.s. the 18th cen. whereby it was common to have lower quality food or lack of. Corsets cannot be blamed for body shape because nutrition is a much stronger factor.
Losing it over this new Downton-Abbey style outro!!!!!!! Gorgeous! Amazing! Cinematic!
Girl, finally you are back! ❤
As a midwife, thank you very much for such informative video, as everything maternity is interesting for me ❤️😊
Omg I just got the email notif for this, I was soooo excited!! So early!!
First of all:
Yay! A new video that is thoughtful and well put together, and presented by two lovely people!
Secondly:
Danny! This editing is just glorious!!!
Love the credits!
Yes! I've been using Nebula for quite awhile! I love it, and am always delighted when a YT I watch adds Nebula...thanks again!
Recently rediscovered your Channel and I am loving it!
Sarah is a delight! What a great guest, and so informative