Crinolines, Crinolettes, busltes and corsets from 1860-80

There was heavy criticism against the wearing of the corset. Journals such as the English Woman's Domestic Magazine wrote untrustworthy letters on the subject of tight lacing that claimed  that waist were being reuced to 38 centimetres and that young girls were being forced to wear corsets at night as well as during the day. Doctors, medical writers claimed that corsets caused diseases such as cinsumption, curvature of the spine, rib replacement, cancer, hysteria, hunchback, abortion, melancholy and epilepsy. Although the wearing of corsets has been considered to be uncomfortable, there is no real evidence to suggest that corsets could cause these diseases. The worst side effects that a person who wears corsets could suffer from include discomfort, muscle weakness, breathing, circulatory, respiratory and digestive problems ( V & A, 2015:8).


http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/crinolines-crinolettes-bustles-corsets-1860-1880/