corset fashions
1800s
The neoclassical, or Empire, style dominated the clothing fashions of the early 19th century. It gradually evolved into what became known as the romantic style and by the 1820s, waistlines began to drop, skirts became wider, and sleeves, hats, and hairstyles became increasingly elaborate. The corset once more became an integral component of dress, to emphasize a narrow waist and full bust.
In the 1840s, however, reformers wanted to abolish the corset in the belief that this would make women healthier, more modest, and more likely to gain equality with men. Most women did not follow these suggested reforms. There was more success in the 1870s and 1880s with the aesthetic movement. This was because the Aesthetes had no political agenda, only that they thought that corsets made women's bodies look ugly. Most women, however, still continued to wear corsets.
Women increasingly began to enter the worlds of sports and business in the late 1800s, but at first few adjustments were made in their dress. They went to the office wearing tailored suits over corsets.