Is Netflix Banning Corsets? The Drama Over Period Drama Costumes, Explained
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Netflix would be banning corsets from costumes on its period dramas, and that BBC, ITV, and other networks would soon be following suit.
But is this "corset ban" really happening? What have stars said about corsets? Here's everything we know.
The story first broke in British tabloids.
The Sun said Netflix and BBC would be making a "controversial change" to period dramas, and no longer having their actresses wear corsets.
"The corset is famously restrictive and many actresses have complained to wardrobe departments about damage, both short-term and long, being done after a long 12, 14 hour day wearing them on set," an anonymous source told the Sun. "Essentially, there were health and safety concerns about keeping women in a pinching corset for weeks at a time. Many stars have reported bruising and even breathing problems."
The report also said that Bridgerton producers have told their cast they would no longer be wearing corsets.
Netflix and BBC denied the report of the corset ban.
Jezebel reported that Netflix denied the corset ban, and a BBC said this was "not a story we recognise and having checked with colleagues it’s not a live conversation."
Actresses have spoken about the discomfort of corsets this year.
Here's a sampling:
Vicky Krieps, who played Empress Sisi of Austria in Corsage, said: "The thing I observed as soon as I had it on—and it would happen every day—is that after two minutes I would get sad. Like a deep sadness. And I found out that your emotional center is where your solar plexus and diaphragm is, and that is exactly where it is pushing the most."
Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Sharma in Bridgerton, said: "I realised when you wear the corset, you just don’t eat. It changes your body. I had a smaller waist very momentarily. Then the minute you stop wearing it, you’re just back to how your body is. I had a lot of pain with the corset, too, I think I tore my shoulder at one point!"
Emilia Schüle, who stars in Marie Antoinette, said, "I was excited but I also knew: 'OK, you’re in trouble, you will have to wear a corset for six months and you will f***ing hate it.' It was great preparation for the character because you really suffer… they’re very, very suppressive."
The main problem: Corsets are not supposed to be uncomfortable.
The main issue, many have pointed out, is that these modern corsets are ill-fitting. "18th century corsets did not pinch. They moulded to the body. If the actresses are in pain the corset does not fit," Professor Amanda Vickery, who focuses on early modern history, tweeted.
A correctly fitted corset should be just as comfortable as a modern bra. "Actors are often wearing badly fitted, cheaply made corsets. Several changes to the garment have occurred since its historical use, but two are of importance here: a lack of personal tailoring, and a use of modern materials that are heavy on flexibility and light on structure," Dr. Rebecca Gibson, a corset scholar, wrote in iNews.
Costume dramas often don't have the support necessary for a corset. "Everyone’s ribs are in different places and [corsets] will pinch if there’s no protected panel between the lacing and the skin, which is another thing that drives me insane when historic shows don’t have a chemise underneath the corset," Dr. Alanna McKnight, a dress and labor historian, told Jezebel. “They just have the corset against bare skin, which would never [historically] happen. But when you tighten it, the cords can burn the skin."
As writer Madeline Anderson tweeted, "A well-fitted, bespoke corset should fit these actresses like a second skin. Especially during the 1810s, the most lax time period for undergarments!!"
You Might Also Like
