TLDR; there's too many misconceptions around corsets and it annoys me especially how they are portrayed in media. They were not historically always worn tightly to the point of being unable to breathe and why is no one wearing undergarments underneath their corset
I cringe a little whenever I see people wearing corsets in a way that doesnt reflect how historical corsetry worked. I am no fashion historian but I have watched plenty of fashion historians to the point where it has now become a genuine pet peeve of mine when I see the inaccuracies
The two main things that bother me the most or when they are worn directly against the skin and are tightened to the point where you cannot breathe
From what I have learned one of the biggest misconceptions about corsets is that they were normally worn very tight. Now extreme waste reduction and tightening did exist it was called tight lacing. But tight leasing was not a common occurrence it was not how the everyday woman wore a corset. Because how else would she harvest potatoes if she couldn't breathe. A properly fitted corset was a foundation piece of an outfit. It gave structure and gave the intended shape of the torso but it wasn't the only piece that gave the shape. It was also the multiple layers of petticoats and other parts that go into the dress
And honestly it feels like the practical side has been forgotten. We've all been shown basically because of Hollywood that Victorian women held on to their bedpost while they're maid tightened the corset to the point where they couldn't breathe. But that was not practical in day to day life. You can't harvest the garden you can't cook you can't do much if you can't breathe.
Another thing that people seem to forget is that tiny waste was not always formed by the corset. Oftentimes it was either layers upon layers to create the illusion, certain posing and photographs or even photo retouching. Tiny waste in photographs weren't always a representation of what things were like back then. Photographers could dramatically alter a photo and alter the proportions of a woman's waist or body by manipulating photographic negatives. So a lot of photos of women with tiny waists may not even be at the correct representation because it was likely altered
And then there's the undergarment issue. Historically women wore layers underneath the corset oftentimes a chemise. This layer helped protect skin from rubbing against the corset and causing chafing. It also helped absorb sweat. Modern corsets can obviously be designed differently but putting a heavily boned and structured garment straight on your skin is not a good idea. Because it will likely be a recipe for misery
I think what bothers me most is just the amount of misconceptions around corsetry and Victorian fashion in general. Because nowadays media and nowadays fashion has linked core sets to the image of a painfully tight waist where you cannot breathe. And Hollywood especially loves to paint that portrait by having scenes in dramas where a woman is holding on to her bed post while she is being laced into a corset to the point where she cannot breathe. Infamous seeing that I can think of is that one scene in pirates of the Caribbean where Elizabeth fell into the water because she couldn't breathe. That wouldn't have happened if the corset was laced correctly and wasn't laced to the point of struggle.
Extreme tight leasing did exist but it was not a common occurrence it is not what normal corsetry looked like and I believe that is where the misconceptions have come from
If I got any of this wrong please do correct me as I am not claiming to be an expert I am just venting a pet peeve of mine. And I have watched enough fashion historians to now go THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS when I see corsets being worn wrong