Difference between Body shapers, corsets and girdle

Before we know the difference between Body shapers, corsets and girdle we will first learn what these 3 things are and what they do?

Body shapers

Have you ever considered a body shaper to make you look better, you’re not alone. Body shapers have been rising in popularity in recent years, and should only get more and more popular as the baby boomer population ages, and needs more support holding everything together. It’s also a popular choice for those that are only slightly overweight, as it’s meant to reduce the appearance of things like the waistline by a few inches instantly.

What Do Body Shapers Do?

Body shapers can do a lot of different things depending on what you’re after. If you have a specific body part or region in mind, they can help improve its appearance, either by making it look more slimmer or trimmer. For example, if you have a problem with back fat, there are body shapers that can work to smooth out your back and make it look less noticeable.

If your midsection is your Achilles heel, the way it is for most of us, you can get a body shaper that will help hold everything in, thus giving the appearance of being a few inches trimmer – instantly. There are even body shapers that work on things like keeping your butt in the right place, and also hiking up the breasts so they appear fuller and perkier.

Corsets

 Corset is a garment worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effect). Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though women more commonly do.

In recent years, the fashion industry has also borrowed the term "corset" to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without actually acting as them. While these modern corsets and corset tops often feature lacing or boning and generally imitate a historical style of corsets, they have very little, if any, effect on the shape of the wearer's body. Genuine corsets are usually made by a corset maker and are frequently fitted to the individual wearer.

Girdle

Since the 20th century, the word "girdle" also has been used to define an undergarment made of elasticized fabric that was worn by women. It is a form-fitting foundation garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often to shape or for support. It may be worn for aesthetic or medical reasons. In sports or medical treatment, a girdle may be worn as a compression garment. This form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity, and which was in turn to a large extent surpassed by the pantyhose in the 1960s.

Constructed of elasticized fabric and sometimes fastened with hook and eye closures, the modern girdle is designed to enhance a woman's figure. Most open-bottom girdles extend from the waist to the upper thighs.Girdles were considered essential garments by many women from about 1920 to the late 1960s. They created a rigid, controlled figure that was seen as eminently respectable and modest. Girdle is a kind of "body shaper"  which is still worn by women to shape their figure with a garment..

Like its predecessor garment, the corset, a girdle may attract a degree of sexual fetishism and eroticism. Some people like to wear girdles or may be attracted to people wearing them. Australian feminist writer, Beatrice Faust, in her book Women, Sex and Pornography, refers to a "slight but sustained feeling of arousal" when wearing a "moderately tight" girdle.[9]

It’s indisputable that corsets compress the body – that’s inherent to their function.  A corset that doesn’t compress will chafe, so even a lightweight corset has a waist reduction of, say, one to two inches.  Stretch shapewear, such as Spanx and girdles, is intended to sleek the line of the body under clothing more so than actually changing its dimensions.  How the two classes of shape wear feel while performing their function is very, very different.

The contrast was startling and stark.  Stretch-based shape wear (made with power net or other modern fabrics) creates an all over feeling of not just compression but pressure, because it is squeezing you pretty much from all angles.  Synthetic fibers may be less breathable even though there are fewer layers.  A corset compresses only on the waistline – its ribs are often slightly larger than the body’s natural measurement to allow room for the displaced flesh (and organs).  A well-made corset has a carefully balanced, engineered fit, which can be fine-tuned by way of the lacing gap.  The front busk closure and lacing gap also help ease your body into the compression, whereas stretch shapewear often has no closures, or only a non-adjustable hook and eye or zipper which require you to suck in, stretch out, and contort ever so slightly to actually get them.  A lycra blend can feel more confining than being encased in steel

But these kind of Shape wears Corset and Girdle declined in popularity during the free wheeling 1970's but has come back strong and is better than ever. Gone are the iron and whalebone corsets that crushed ribs and internal organs, interfered with breathing, and caused women to faint. Also gone are the latex girdles and cone-shaped bras of earlier generations. Today’s body shapers are comfortable, effective, and give a natural-looking shape. There is much to be said about choosing and wearing modern shapewear, but the easiest way to process all of the information is by considering a list of do’s and don’ts.

Shapewear Do’s

The following points list all of the "do’s" when it comes to buying and wearing shapewear, along with the reasons for doing so.

Do Learn How to Put On Shapewear Correctly

One of the primary reasons that women avoid shape wear is that they find it too difficult to get on. Many funny stories have been told about having one’s arms trapped or falling over in the struggle to pull on a spandex garment. Most of these women have not been educated in how to put a body shaper on in the right way and end up forfeiting benefits of these garments.

Always step into shapewear, even camisoles, and pull the garment up over the hips to avoid trapping the head and arms in the shaper. Also, bunch up the shaper like pantyhose and pull it on while gradually releasing the fabric. Do not try to put it on like a regular piece of clothing. Leave crotches hooked or snapped, as it can be difficult to get these fastened once the shaper is on. More complicated pieces should come with instructions. The trick is to go slowly and be patient. Wearing a shaper takes a bit more effort than throwing on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but the effort is worth it.

Do Know How Often the Garment Will Be Worn

Many different styles, designs, and levels of control are offered for each type of body shaping garment. If tummy support is desired for a special occasion under a slinky dress, a woman may be able to tolerate a much higher level of support for a few hours than if she were looking for an everyday, all-day shaper.

Do Know Which Shapers Help Which Body Parts

All shapewear is not created equal. Each type of garment serves specific functions, and most do not provide all-over slimming. The following table briefly outlines the major categories of body shapers and how they help with certain figure concerns.

Today's Body shapers are much advanced than their predecessors Corsets and Girdles, these body shaper are scientifically made in such a way as to make the person look more fitter and at the same time make him feel very comfortable as well. We can say these are engineered garments.