From corset to freedom: when women's bodies reclaim power
For centuries, women have been taught to breathe shallowly.
To stand straight. To be tight. To conform.
The female body has never been neutral. It has been shaped, straightened, disciplined, then claimed, reappropriated, celebrated. On International Women's Day, we wanted to revisit this intimate and political history. Because lingerie is not just clothing: it tells the story of an era, of struggles, and of a constant quest for freedom.
THE CORSET: SYMBOL OF CONTROL
Appearing as early as the 16th century in European courts, the corset quickly became a tool for body transformation. At Catherine de Medici's court, it was used to slim the waist and impose a silhouette conforming to the aesthetic standards of the time.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the "boned bodice" stiffened posture. The bust was supported, shoulders pulled back, waist compressed. The appearance became codified, almost architectural. Clothing structured the body as much as it reflected social status.
In the 19th century, the ideal of a thin waist reached its peak. Some silhouettes had waists under 50 centimeters. Behind the sought-after elegance lay a more restrictive reality: compressed organs, shortened breath, discomfort regularly described in medical literature.
And yet, the corset was not just a symbol of oppression. For some women, it was also a marker of elegance, social power, sometimes even of assumed seduction. As often in the history of clothing, it oscillated between constraint and expression.
But bodies evolve. Lifestyles do too.
WHEN THE BODY IS FREED: THE BIRTH OF THE BRA
At the end of the 19th century, a first break began. At the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889, French dressmaker Herminie Cadolle presented a corset cut in two below the chest: the "corselet-gorge". A discreet but decisive innovation. For the first time, support was separated from extreme compression. However, it remained linked to a corset with support problems.
In 1913, in the United States, Mary Phelps Jacobs almost accidentally conceived a lighter alternative to the corset, made with handkerchiefs and ribbons. She filed a patent and laid the foundations for the modern bra.
The gesture is simple, but it changes everything:
it is no longer about transforming the body, but about accompanying it.
In the 1920s, as women worked, went out, drove, and voted, lingerie adapted to a new rhythm of life. They wanted to move, breathe, dance. Support became synonymous with freedom, not constraint.
The bra then embodies a search for balance: between comfort and allure, support and lightness, freedom and self-affirmation. Underwired or wire-free, push-up, balconette, triangle or bandeau... The form doesn't matter. The essential thing is that it accompanies movements, and that it gives rise to that discreet but powerful feeling: simply feeling good.
TODAY: CHOOSING YOUR LINGERIE, CHOOSING YOUR EXPRESSION
Women's bodies remain a political subject.
Reproductive rights, body diversity, media representations, aesthetic injunctions: debates evolve, but pressure remains.
In this context, lingerie becomes an intimate space for expression and self-confidence.
A personal choice. A feeling. A way to feel aligned with oneself.
At Maison Lejaby, we advocate a contemporary vision of lingerie: inclusive, demanding, designed for real everyday comfort.
Choosing lingerie adapted to one's body type, to one's lifestyle, to one's desires, is already a form of freedom.
The House places material innovation at the service of the body. New-generation textiles like Micro-Modal, derived from beech wood, provide exceptional softness, natural breathability, and superior absorption compared to cotton, while reducing environmental impact.
Some pieces also feature Clean Cut meshes, cut without visible seams, for an invisible second-skin effect under clothing. Because comfort should never be seen, only felt.
And because every breast deserves the same support and aesthetic standard, the House offers a wide range of sizes, up to F, G, and H cups, with varied styles. Lingerie designed to accompany every stage of life.
FROM CORSET TO CONFIDENCE
On the occasion of International Women's Day, we celebrate those who loosened the laces, invented other possibilities, and continue to write the history of women's underwear with audacity, confidence, and autonomy.
Because lingerie should never restrict.
Only reveal.