Corsets, or bustier as they are now called, are not what they used to be. It is claimed that women and some men wore corsets for aesthetic and orthopedic purposes since the sixteenth century. It is believed that they were invented by Mary Brush who patented them in the United States in 1815. Feminists traditionally viewed corsets as a symbol of repression against women. They were tight, stiff and close fitting undergarments that gave shape to the torso from the breast to the hips, giving the appearance of an hourglass figure. They had no straps or sleeves and were used for both temporary purposes (day or evening wear) or as a permanent method of body modification to achieve a slimmer waist. Ironically, the same corsets that were regarded as a symbol of oppression against women are now part of every fashion conscious woman