There’s a Victorian couple living
in Washington state. Yes, they wear
clothes that bring to mind reenactors, but no, they’re not part of some
religious group or strange community.
They simply like that turn-of-the-century era and find a lot of good sense
and aesthetic appeal in that period’s practices.
After reading an article by Sarah
Chrisman and learning that she wears a corset daily, uses an icebox, and enjoys
the way her long skirts function like ‘cat’s whiskers’ in keeping her aware of
her surroundings, I downloaded her first book to listen to, Victorian Secrets, which focuses on her early
experience with wearing a corset. She
has another, more comprehensive book about Victorian living that I am even more
excited about, but that one isn’t slated to be released until December.
Mind you, I am a person who
prioritizes comfort above most things, but as my historical novel protagonists
are often bedecked in corsets, I was extremely curious to hear from someone who
appreciates the experience. Like Sarah,
I have always heard the corset upheld as one of the horrors of the age, an an oppression
of women that we are well rid of. Yet Sarah
points out the the great feminists of the age argued against the men who wanted
to rid them of corsets. Sarah herself
tried out her corset only begrudgingly (it had been a birthday present), but
she found value in it very quickly.
I was amazed to hear that within
months, Sarah’s waist shrank from 32 inches to 22 inches (and even
smaller). The corset helps her posture
and supports her while restricting portion sizes. She has an elegant hourglass figure that she
never had before, and she appreciates it tremendously.
I have to admit, I’m tempted to order a corset just to try it out, but I can’t quite imagine myself wearing one for more than a couple of hours. I can’t even stand an underwire bra, for goodness sakes, and I question a few of her assumptions. For one, she asserts that corsets did not break bones, but given that even coughing fits will occasionally break ribs in the frail, I have my doubts; osteoporosis undoubtedly occurred then as it does now, and old women do not lose all vanity as they age—besides, their clothing was designed for wear with a corset. For another, she scoffs at the notion that restrictive pressures could lead to cancers—as with underwire bras, for instance. Given that lymph flow is critical for maintaining health and that Sarah is trained as a massage therapist, I’m disappointed that she would so off-handedly dismiss such concerns.
Nevertheless, I am intrigued by
her story and am not arguing against the corset. Sarah is undoubtedly at a healthier weight
now, and she has a posture that will reduce spinal degeneration. She is protecting her skin from toxic
chemicals with her Victorian clothing, which protects all of her from the
sun. She even wears thin gloves and bought
sheer silk veil material for her hats in the summertime, and I am impressed
that this fair blonde can go outside in the midday sun without any need to
slather herself with toxic sunscreens.
There’s something to be said for common sense, isn’t there? Except…many people don’t see it that
way. Poor Sarah has had to deal with a
venomous backlash that leaves one stunned.
I can’t quite fathom what is so threatening to others about someone who
is unique in a way not protected by ‘PC’ concerns. How is being old-fashioned in a classy way
antagonizing? How is appreciating the
values and common sense of our forbears such fodder for attack?
I applaud Sarah for doing what
inspires her. She has become living
history, a treasure to be valued. She
provides consultation for others on the Victorian era—on both the nitty-gritty
and the ideals of the period. What an
intellect, and what an example for others.
Not necessarily to wear a corset—although I won’t rule that out—but to draw
on the past.
Complex, sophisticated civilizations
have existed for thousands of years, but we are inundated with propaganda
condemning them as backwards and superstitious.
We swallow ridiculous tales about them as fact, and the myths about the oppression
of the corset are only one example. Who hasn’t
heard the very strange assertion that by the age of 35 one was considered old
in Medieval times? That is sheer
nonsense—many thrived into their 80’s, as I’ve found out only with research. Why are we so very willing to believe that
our culture and our time must be the most correct, the most ‘advanced’? We lose our discretion because of pride and
blind faith in the propaganda that we are fed—and then so eagerly, so
unwittingly pass it on ourselves.
We’ve been flippantly tossing out
deeply-rooted beliefs and traditions while embracing an increasingly
consumeristic, polluting, throw-away society that jeopardizes our very
futures. Not only our distant futures,
but our current health and even our IQs (reported to be much lower on average
than in Victorian times). Given that we’ve
become a little slower than the Victorians were, isn’t it a little presumptuous
to assume that they didn’t know what they were doing when they clothed
themselves? I’m not arguing in favor of
the corset, in particular—I’m still a little hesitant about that—but I have
tremendous interest and respect for the values, cultures, and traditions of the
past, and I would love to present Sarah Chrisman with a medal for her
contribution to this understanding.
