From the Rococo era to the Edwardian period, corsets evolved dramatically in both form and function. In the 18th century, Rococo stays created a rigid, conical torso to support wide pannier skirts, often crafted from whalebone and silk. As fashion shifted in the early 19th century, Empire styles favored shorter, softer corsets that lifted the bust without cinching the waist. By the Victorian era, corsets returned to tightly laced hourglass shapes, reinforced with steel boning. Edwardian corsets then introduced the iconic S-curve silhouette, pushing the bust forward and hips back - an elegant yet restrictive symbol of the era’s ideals of femininity.