A woman’s dressing style that included a tightly laced corset was popular from the late 1700s throughout the late 1800s in Germany, England, and the United States. It was brought into question by an...

A woman’s dressing style that included a tightly laced corset was popular from the late 1700s throughout the late 1800s in Germany, England, and the United States. It was brought into question by an anatomist, S. T. von Soemmerring in 1793. He identified compression of rib cages and internal organs as contributing to digestive problems, fainting, and shortness of breath. For the next century, dress reformers advocated looser lacing and clothes that allowed for a more natural movement. However, these reformers belonged to the “radical fringe” of the feminist movement, and the tiniest waists, regardless of their impact on health, continued to be in vogue as the “hourglass” figure was sought by middle class and upper class women. More recently, hiatal hernias caused by overly tight girdles and corsets have been termed “Soemmerring’s syndrome” in tribute to the first physician to warn of the dangers, more than 200 years ago.