How I Wear a Corset and Continue to Call Myself a Feminist

Alright! Listen up, my fellow humans! I am here to tell you that corsets can be feminist too! I know, I know. Shocking! But it's true.

Before I begin my rantings, I'd like to get something nice and clear: a feminist is someone who believes in complete equality for all genders. Don't believe me? Check it out (thank you Merriam-Webster).

Now that that's out of the way, let's use some logic! So feminists are all about letting everyone go about their own way (within reason), yes? Social equality, so that means not judging? I may have this wrong but that's how I understand it all. So if I want to wear a corset, what's the problem?

I have to say I understand, within its origins, the corset was used to belittle and practically step on women. It was used because men liked a certain body type so women (literally) conformed to these ideals and changed their body shape. The title picture I have shows just how fickle that shape could be. (Can I take a moment to ask what happened in 1818 that women said "f--k it" and wore cloth bra-like-things? Why did the bra-like-thing trend die?)

So why did women conform? They had to! If they didn't, they wouldn't have been able to marry and have much of lives. Your husband was what made your life, so much so that there were points fathers paid men to marry their daughters! Now that we are independent, why would anyone wear a corset?

I'm going to keep it nice and simple: cause they want to!! See that double exclaim? Yup, that's how serious I am.

But I'm not quite as stubborn as I seem. There are a handful of other reasons I wear a corset, reasons I'll happily share with y'all:

• My back is a total jerk-face!: My upper and lower back are very unhappy beings with minds of their own. I am a busty girl so from the start my back has not been my friend. Then you add in playing a bass drum for three years (imagine an extra 13-25 pounds on your front and having to hold the entire thing parallel to the ground using only your lower back while still having boobs). In case you need an extra moment to do that calculation, my back hates me! If this cute little combination of fabric and steel bones helps, why not?
• Sensory issues aren't very fun either: I have general and social anxiety disorders so there are times I struggle with my senses. I am hard of hearing so there are times I get underwhelmed with the lack of sounds around me. Things sometimes go the other way (especially in crowds) and I can get overwhelmed with noise and any contact I have. Often too much information comes at me to process and I just can't think straight. The pressure from the corset helps me focus in these moments. Even when I'm overwhelmed, oddly enough. It is one constant instance of sensory input I can understand and control. You may even know about deep pressure vests that are often used for children with autism and other sensory processing disorders. Similar thought process there.
• Helps me feel more comfortable: Self acceptance is so important, especially to a feminist who encourages everyone to love themselves how they are! I am told I am not a big girl, I have an athletic and hourglass figure naturally and I am proudly the survivor of an eating disorder and some body dysmorphia. My corset helps me feel like my body is what I want it to be. My corset is a size that does not crush me or hurt me, it simply holds me in. If it takes a piece of cloth to make me feel comfortable, so be it. At least that's my view.

So what's the problem with corsets? If you do them safely and in a healthy manner, why not? I do not think anyone needs a corset and corsets are just something I enjoy. So go forth and be all about gender equality and supporting each other while my corset supports me.