The great corset all be down to the
IN THESE straitened financial times, we are all having to tighten our belts – but millions of British women seem to be taking that metaphor literally.
As the economy is being squeezed, sales of corsets are soaring and – unlikely as it may seem – the two facts could be related.
One-pieces such as corsets, basques and babydolls are seen as better value for money than separate bras and panties – and as going out becomes too expensive for cashstrapped couples, women want to look their best for intimate nights in.
‘Lingerie buying habits tend to change during a recession,’ says Lotte Debell, editor of Lingerie Buyer magazine. ‘Women buy fewer pieces and want to get more wear out of them, but at the same time they may look for sexier products to spice up evenings at home.’
The boutique What Katie Did has recorded a 35 per cent rise in corset sales over the past year, eBay has reported a massive 826 per cent rise in its trade in basques, while Marks & Spencer sells one item from its new corset-inspired Waist Sculpt lingerie line every three minutes. The boom is also linked to the success of the Mad Men TV series, set in the Fifties when the ‘hourglass’ figure was the height of fashion, as well as to the raunchy stage outfits of today’s pop stars.
‘We have seen an increase in the popularity of corsets,’ says Nicky Clayton of Rigby & Peller, the Queen’s brassiere-maker. ‘This is due to fashion trends such as “underwear as outwear” and celebrities such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Jessie J making them popular again.’
Rowan Pelling, former editor of