Vintage Corset

Some vintage and designer lingerie includes garments and accessories that are soft to the touch, including nightgowns and slips, while other items are hard, such as structured bras and corsets. Owing partly to bingeable TV dramas and celebrity influencers, the latter is seeing a renaissance — one of many — and if you’re in the market for vintage corsets, you aren’t alone.

In the 18th century, European women commonly wore whalebone corsets to create the look of an hourglass figure. Corsets were a standard part of women’s fashion into the 19th century. In 1914, Caresse Crosby filed a patent for the first modern bra, made by sewing two handkerchiefs together with ribbon ties. By the 1920s, the corset fell out of fashion in North America and Europe, and loose silhouettes and silky slips became mainstream.

As fashion returned to feminine forms in the 1930s, so did lingerie, with girdles and minimal bras. During World War II, bras were adapted to the rationing of materials like nylon and metal. In the postwar era, women had more lingerie choices than ever before, with inventions including the strapless bra.

In the late 1980s, performers like Madonna and Selena wore bustiers as outerwear, a trend that continued through the 1990s and early 2000s. With the broadcasting of the Victoria's Secret fashion show beginning in 1995, everyday style also changed. Lingerie was no longer expected to be hidden away.

“Vivienne Westwood is credited as the first designer of the 20th century to reintroduce the corset after it had been dismissed by Paul Poiret at the start of the century,” says Cameron Silver, founder of Decades.

Adds fashion historian Rachel Elspeth Gross, “Westwood’s 1995 Vive La Cocotte show was revolutionary. There was nothing to suggest the heroin-chic, skinny-girl models the world was used to seeing walking down high-fashion runways.” In fact, she continues, “the designer wrote in the program that her ‘return to formality in dress is a reaction against the sloppy mediocrity of our age.’”

Vintage Vivienne Westwood corsets “have become extremely desirable,” says Silver. Furthermore, suggests stylist Nick Collins, they look great paired with classic Levi’s 501s.

On 1stDibs, find a range of alluring vintage and designer corsets and other lingerie today.

From museum-worthy vintage Oscar de la Renta evening dresses and jackets to audacious T-shirts and trousers from provocative punk designer Vivienne Westwood, one thing is abundantly clear: If the clothing available on 1stDibs could talk, it would certainly make a statement. 

For fashion lovers, the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers — think Galliano and Cavalli — but maybe ‘80s accessories are among your (guilty?) pleasures. Playful, boldly colored coats and outerwear from Moschino and other titans of the era can take a simpler ensemble to the next level, while chic and practical suits from the likes of Christian Dior and Chanel remain classic for haute couture advocates and beyond. By exploring the vast array of vintage collections on these pages, you can transform your closet into a retreat that is as retro as it is royal. 

Velvet cocktail dresses and silk evening gowns designed by French-born American couturiere Pauline Trigère — who dressed Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor — have proven timeless since their mid-century debut, while an overcoat by Alexander McQueen is the perfect finishing touch. In fact, an emerald one stays in rotation for Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.

Those seeking modern high-fashion brands are also in luck. Turn your day-to-day into a runway with selections from Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent and Versace or complete that fresh look with stunning footwear classics from the likes of Gucci and Christian Louboutin. The future — and glamorous past — of fashion is yours for the wearing. 

Build your collection of covetable and iconic vintage garments by shopping on 1stDibs. No matter where you roam, our diverse apparel and accessories will keep you covered in the hottest styles and comfiest black hoodie imaginable.