Merit or fault of Bridgerton, the corset is back in fashion, the anti-feminist garment par excellence!

Silvia Marzucchi

After #nobras movement and the succession of lingerie collections who have tried to free the female body from armored bras and underwear that is difficult to wear, thus responding to the ever-increasing need of women to feel good and in complete comfort even in underwear , fashion seems to be changing course. It does so by welcoming the trend of corset which records, second Lyst , a double-digit increase in sales of what many consider "the ultimate anti-feminist garment." A boom in online searches that finds the great success of the TV series " Bridgerton " which aired on Netflix last Christmas as its reason for being. As he explains Morgane Le Caer , Head of Shopping Platform Content, al New York Times << clothes for going out have made a big comeback. A trend led precisely by the corset>>. And if on the one hand the inspiration for the 18th and 19th century looks is strong enough to be born, thanks also to the numerous fashionistas on TikTok who were inspired by this costume series, by the #Regencycore trend or bustiers, hats, veils and long dresses with a retro romantic mood, the today's corset it is less restrictive. Merit of models with less shaped shapes, with resignations and easier-to-wear fabrics that allow you to breathe.

It must be said that the corsetry it has never been completely abandoned, returning cyclically but without retracing the oppressive models of the past that hid other meanings. The corset, worn until the beginning of the 20th century, has in fact also told other aspects of the world and of subcultures such as the Punk who elected him leader of rupture and rebellion. <<Over time it was then cleaned of that pornographic image and of a pushed sensuality>> explained Valerie Steele, director and curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology . “So girls started wearing corsets, girdles and bras over their dresses, and this then led to the trend of underwear as outerwear .”

But there are those who believe that this return to the corset is also due to a purely styling issue. As Kristen Classi-Zummo , fashion apparel industry analyst for The NPD Group: << the return of straight wide leg pants with a loose fit it inevitably opened up the possibility of wearing crop tops and corsets>>. This is to have a more balanced and harmonious look: below oversize garments , fitted pieces above. A style lesson followed by many celebs who own the grunge aesthetics of the 90's have rediscovered the pleasure of wearing a corset.