19th century corset

The corset began to evolve into its best-known form in the 1800s, though it saw many new incarnations as well, and the fashion of the century saw the rise of a practice now known as tightlacing.

1850s
This is the Scarlett O'Hara era of full hoop-supported skirts and tiny wasp waists.

Tightlacing
Tightlacing actually began in the 1840s when skirt widths were not so large but small waists were still fashionable. It carried over into the next several decades as nipped silhouettes became almost mandatory.