Editing Corset (section)

==== 16th and 17th centuries ====
[[File:A pair of stays.JPG|thumb|262x262px|Pair of stays, c.1780s. [[Fashion Museum, Bath]], England. ]]
In the [[Tudor period]], corsets, known then as "bodies", were worn to achieve a tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involved minimizing the bust. These bodies, worn by women and men, were common into the 16th and 17th centuries and achieved their stiffened shaping with materials including steel, wood, or whalebone. They were constructed of two parts and fastened at the sides.<ref name="Cummings-2017">{{Cite book |last1=Cummings |first1=Valerie |title=The Dictionary of Fashion History |last2=Cunnington |first2=C. W. |last3=Cunnington |first3=P. E. |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |year=2017 |edition=2nd |location=London |pages=33, 71}}</ref> Bodies evolved into the stays of the 17th century.<ref name="V&A-2023" /> Stays shaped the body to fit the desired silhouette, which, for example, in the 1780s resembled an inverted cone shape. They an also ensured good posture and the appearance of smooth contours – the central aim of such undergarments of this period, rather than exaggerating the bust and waist.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Stays |date=1780s |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O10456/stays-unknown/ |access-date=2023-07-30}}</ref>