Underbust Corset: The Right Garment to ‘Support’ Your Renaissance Look!

Here at PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com, we are frequently approached by women who are looking for appropriate attire for Renaissance faires, Medieval Live Action Role Playing games (LARPs) or for theatrical productions. When people think of the Renaissance era, there are always some standard costumes that come to mind: A knight in shining armor, a swashbuckling pirate, a sagely wizard, or even a royal Queen. But what if you just want to dress up to better enjoy the event you’re attending without having to worry about fulfilling a role? What if you would like to just be a part of the overall look and feel? What if the part you are playing in your theatrical production is someone who requires standard Renaissance garb? Pearson's has all of the women's costumes you need to find the right Renaissance look for every scenario!

The Underbust Corset: Standard Attire

During the Renaissance era, large dresses were what most middle-class women would wear for their everyday attire. Dresses were worn for both work and as a show of fashion when attending social events. Because the design of dresses during this time period involved a lot of fabric, dresses could sometimes become very heavy, which required the wearer to have some sort of support to take the weight of the dress off of the shoulders. This is where an underbust corset would come into play. An underbust corset is the garment that women would wear to help relieve the weight of the Renaissance dress. This is why when looking at pictures of costumes or people who are at Renaissance faires, you will see that most of the individuals are wearing corsets.

Additionally, an underbust corset also helps the wearer achieve a distinctive shape, which was another reason they would be worn by women to social functions. Social events usually had a number of eligible upper-class suitors who always had their eyes open for beautiful ladies. The “hour-glass” shape was considered extremely desirable, and the corset was fashioned to help the wearer achieve that specific appearance by cinching the waist and supporting the bust.

It was these two basic principles that made the underbust corset such a popular item in Renaissance attire. If you are looking for a basic Renaissance costume that is period appropriate, be sure to browse through our selection of underbust corset sets to find an ensemble that best suits your tastes. We have everything from royal gowns to everyday wear so that you can adapt to the atmosphere of the Renaissance era with ease!