• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1215-1227
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• 2011

The recent craze for so-called skinny jeans is illustrative of the restraint of the body through dress. This phenomenon is noteworthy when considering the internalization of the corset in contemporary fashion. Grown out of the garments of soundly practical use, blue jeans have led the stream of fashion for about 150 years and now they serve as the new corset idealizing the female body in the form of skinny jeans. This study intends to examine the idealization of the body in contemporary fashion and focus on skinny jeans as an externalized corset. The struggle with corsets continues in that the real body is overwhelmed by fashion items. In the aspect of idealizing the body by constraining the body parts, skinny jeans externalize the control of the body as contemporary corsets. This study conducts literature research and content analysis as the method of investigation and focuses on women's fashion from the 20th century. Exerting a harmful influence on health (as corsets have done) the body in skinny jeans is regarded as a modifiable entity. The thinness of the body achieved by skinny jeans suggests the controlling power over the body. Moreover, this gives access to the power presented by the contemporary ideal of thinness. Skinny jeans are modern day glass slippers.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.17-30
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• 2018

This study discusses the ambivalence and ambiguity in the relationship between the women's body and fashion drawings in respect to post-feminism perspectives. Deconstructivist post-feminists, perceiving the body as a passive subject, asserted that women internalize the male gaze by becoming the object of male desire, then manipulate the body to conform to that ideal. In this perspective, corsets assumed the role of the tool for forcing women's body to be obedient, restraining and suppressing the body. On the other hand, in the essentialist post-feminist perspective, which regards the women's body as an active object, insists that fashion, in its essence, is not necessarily about sex, nor is it devised to attract the male gaze. In such a viewpoint, the women's body functions as a vehicle for empowerment; by wearing corset women gain power and embraces the cultural norms of dominant beauty. As investigated in this study, the corset is both a tool for oppressing the women's body, as well as a vehicle for the voluntary expression of femininity. This ambivalence in the perception of the corset in the post-feminist theory represents the double-sided perspective in fashion as being both a subordinate construction and a powerful tool for self-expression.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.58 no.7
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• pp.31-42
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• 2008

The fashion of the 19C had been through many diverse styles, i.e. Empire style, Romantic style, Crinoline style and the Bustle style. These styles had emphasized a certain figures, such as exaggerated hourglass silhouette of crinoline style or S silhouette of bustle style. Following the trends, corsets became more than underwears. Actually they supported the fashion of the 19C. Apparently, the corsets had been evolved in many aspects. Patterns, materials and trimmings were developed and refined to make torso figures desirable. The initial purpose of the research is to find out how they developed corset patterns to make such a diverse figures, so that the techniques can be adopted in contemporary pattern design. The 16 corsets and their patterns were quoted from books related the subject. The patterns were redrawn of same scale for the comparative study concerning cutting lines and measurements. Coming to the late, more curved lines and more segmented cutting were used to make body more of glamour and natural. Gussets were another key technique to make them work. Various sized and shaped gussets were used to follow the trends of ever changing.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.6 s.154
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• pp.851-858
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• 2006

The human have constantly pursued the beauty through the history. Especially, the pursuit for the beauty of the human's body means that the subject is at one with the object pursued by Ire subject, which so called as the most active behavior of searching far the beauty. However it sometimes shows that human have tried excessively to search for the beauty of the human's ideal body in the history, and to the degree of hurting the body. For example, the corset was eagerly worn by women with the hope of a satisfied silhouette because the slender waist and the busty bosom were demanded as the woman's ideal body at 18C and 19C(the age of Victorian). The purpose of this study was to investigate the corset fashion in 18C, 19C, one of the most aggressive fashions out of the unreasonable fads, using narcissism that Freud mentioned as inside energy called libido. And the reason why to use the theory of narcissism in this study was that fashion as social outcome is thought to be influenced by the environment but the wearing behavior is considered totally private, it is particularly when focused on the excess ive energy, and the scope was limited to the investigation into the source of the energy binding the own body to hurting. The analysis about this craze of a corset with the view of the theory of narcissism as follows. First, women could mold the ideal concretely in surroundings that ideal woman was constituted just to focus on the appearance, moreover, the mother reinforced the narcissism of their offsprings. Also, the society demanded women to be chaste, and did not allowed for women to reveal libido to the external. As a result of this, libido should be ended up concentrating on ego. With this process, it to be difficult for 'ideal ego' impossible for attainment to transfer to compromising product, ego ideal. That is, women did not think entirely to be out of the question to reach the ideal ego, which meant the energy to tight waists was given women.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.165-180
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• 2000

Since fashion is considered to be a cultural product and belongs to the formative art as well, the changes in fashion reflect those of society. Modern fashion has emerged from the period when people would follow the popular fashion uniformly, and moved toward the age of diversity, expressing not only the inner desires and aesthetic sensibility of individuals but also the freedom from formality and traditional restrictions. This kind of changes in expression became important motives for modern dress design following the present cultural phenomena, and, so called "outerwearization" of the undergarment or "infra apparel" exemplifies this situation. Corset especially has been playing a vital role in exaggerating and emphasizing the beauty of female body and correction of its shape. Today, one can frequently witness corset in street fashion along with brassier, Its sister concept. This "outerwearization" of the undergarment is supplanted as a syndrome, and it is defined as "supra syndrome" using "supra" as the opposite meaning to "infra". This unique phenomenon of modern fashion cannot be explained by a single social aspect, but as a mixed state of eroticism, fetishism, feminism, demonstrationists and expressionism among several current phenomena. The advent of "supra syndrome" and its cultural background were illustrated and stand-out "supra syndrome" exhibited by many world-renowned designers were analyzed in this study. As the result of study, six design pieces were developed and produced in three groups, based on different corset motifs. This study reaffirms that creativity of design is limitless and the imaginative abilities alone cannot accomplish higher level of design and development of works of fashion unless they are accompanied by the understanding of historical background, periodical circumstances and cultural phenomena. In this study, utilizing the modern apparatus such as computer and the advent of the modern technology was also found helpful in creative fashion design process.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.61 no.7
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• pp.35-50
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• 2011

In this study, repression of the body is defined as a restriction on natural developments or movements and a modification either temporarily or permanently of the human body in shape, color, texture and odor. In addition, it involves physical and (or) mental pain. Chinese foot-binding and the Western corset are extreme examples of female body's being repressed in the history of fashion. The analysis of this type of repression will be based on historical research and theoretical concepts such as Darwin's (1809-1882) survival condition, Freud's (1856-1939) renunciation of desire, Weil's (1909-1943) privilege, and Foucault's (1926-1984) L'Usage des Plaisirs(the use of pleasure). Chinese foot-binding symbolically represents ideal beauty, the distinction of an ethnic group, and a desire for improved social status in the struggle for political power. It also represents psychology and a esthetics of eroticism and fetishism that originate from a man's desire and his individual taste. Symbolically, the Western corset represents abundance and fecundity, obedience and devotion to religion, the sanctity of God and ideal beauty as defined by political power. It also represents psychology and aesthetics of eroticism and fetishism as man's desire and a fashion icon. In conclusion, Chinese foot-binding was pursuit of power in male ideology but Western corset was a power struggle between God and mankind.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.960-967
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• 2012

The study aims to design the corset type long-line bra patterns that compensate part-somatotype of women in their 20s. The corset type long-line research bra patterns consist of 4 sections: cup, front bodice, back bodice, and shoulder strap. The full cup is made up of 2 lower part pieces and 1 upper part piece, and the shoulder strap is 16 millimeters wide. The method to design the patterns is shown in figure 4 and figure 5. The result of wearing test showed that, while the wearing testers recognized some significant differences in 19 out of 26 criteria, the examiners did in 17 out of 23. The criteria more than 1 in an average value between research bras and commercial bras were 'appropriateness of breadth of shoulder strap', 'appropriateness of pressure of armhole circumference'. 'appropriateness of pressure of waist', 'suitability of side line and body curve', 'appropriateness of positional pressure of chest circumference', 'appropriateness of positional pressure of upper part line', 'appropriateness of positional pressure of bottom part line', and 'satisfaction of whole silhouette of side and back'. The research and commercial bras were evaluated 4.23 and 3.44 respectively by the testers, and 4.25 and 3.40 by the examiners. The former ones were scored higher by both parties. They were also appreciated higher in general silhouettes of fitting and appearance.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.781-789
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• 2021

To enhance the design and comfort of waist-protection corsets, this study analyzed the product characteristics of five types of posture-correction corsets that are available commercially. Additionally, subjective evaluation of the corsets was conducted on women aged 20 to 60 years, in terms of design, material preference, fit, comfort, degree of correction, freedom of movement, tightness, and convenience of front fastening. Following product analysis, the five corset types were divided into: two soft, one semi-hard, and two hard types in terms of the degree of elongation. As a result of pattern analysis, the soft type was designed to improve fit by reflecting the body curvature, whereas the semi-hard and hard types were relatively flat. Through the wearing sensation assessment, the hard type manufactured by company S was the best in terms of design, material, fit, comfort, correction degree, and freedom of movement. The soft type was average in design, material, and fit while relatively poor in the correction degree and tightness. The results indicated that soft materials, flexible bones with appropriate tension, patterns designed to snugly fit the body with large curvature at the top and bottom for better inflection, and adjustable support belts that can be double-fixed are crucial elements in improving the corset design to boost the comfort of wearing. These study results are helpful in the development of waist-protection corsets with excellent wearing comfort and design appreciated by customers.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.562-577
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• 2003

The object of my research is to inquiry into the immediate constituent and techniques of underwear after looking into basic theory of underwear, techniques by materials classified according to the matter of elasticity, and studying flat pattern and draping which are basis of corset and brassiere structure focusing on corsetry among underwears and production techniques. Various papers are referenced for theoretical study and the elements and techniques of underwear are analyzed based on photographical materials. This paper concludes as follows. To make the flat pattern of corset and brassiere fit to the body tightly, design dart two times without any space and draw smaller than the body. To support the breast sufficiently, move the side seam 1¼″ to the front panel and the seam should pass the apex in all occasions. For draping, dart should be added into short of elasticity materials in the past but dart is no use these days since the material today is extremely elastic. It is possible now to show the body line with only the seam or a pattern. In a case of elastic material, set the elastic direction to the grain line and have a draping as pulling from the center to the out side. As production technic, for an hem, put a zigzag stitch in elastic materials with a 10-20% short elastic band, pulling the band. Then make 3/16″-1/4″ short inseam.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1017-1034
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• 2021

The "Escape the corset" movement raises the question of gender norms in dressing by rejecting the socially established ideal women's clothing. The context is similar to Rational dress of the 19th century, which claimed that women could also wear pants. Cartoons and webtoons reflect the characteristics of each era, including images and stories, and express social problems of the time implicitly and satirically. Thus, this study examined women's clothes expressed in cartoons and webtoons and analyzed their characteristics. The results are as follows. As an expression to the recipient of both clothes, women tried to form their identity through a rational attitude and break away from their embellishment, which was regarded as oppression from society. On the other hand, as an expression of the attitude of others towards the recipient of both clothes, people argued the changed appearance of women as a non-ideal form which should be corrected. This study is significant for proving that the dressing contains gender norms of the time beyond the trends.