Corset Descendants: Modern Garments Quiz

This is called an SI-joint belt (SI = sacro-iliac). This particular belt comes with many lofty promises, including being able to help with SI-joint dysfunction, providing relief for arthritis of the spine and hips, rectifying symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD, a condition that affects pregnant women where the joints of the pelvis loosen and slip around painfully), stabilizing hairline vertebral fractures, and more.

While SI-joint belts and lumbar braces come in many forms, usually padded velcro belts, I was tickled to see one with a pulley system that closely resembles the form and function of a back-lacing corset. It's also not uncommon to find lumbar braces with vertical bones to provide the necessary perpendicular tension to hug the small of the back without collapsing on itself.

The correct answer: this shoulder harness does not reduce forward-head posture, as this is an effect of the neck and not necessarily the shoulders.

Many folks who suffer with a heavy bustline will find that a supportive overbust corset will help pull the shoulders back, open the chest, and reduce slouching much in the same way as this harness. However, one should be careful not to go overboard with a "proud" posture (looking at you, Edwardian S-curve!).

There's such thing as "too much of a good thing" so whether you use a corset or a posture-corrective shoulder harness, be sure that it's properly fitted and not too tight or forcing you into an unnatural stance.

The etymology and history of the cummerbund is one of my favorites. The name comes from two Hindi words: kamar, meaning "waist", and band meaning "belt" or "tie". So cummerbund literally means a binder for the waist.

Cummerbunds were used in the Middle East and India for over 400 years, worn by military (likely used for the same purpose as kidney belts or cavalry belts), and some modern military groups still wear a cummerbund as part of their formal dress.

Cummerbunds were also used in sporting events in the 1800s and early 1900s, whether to wick away sweat or to provide postural support, perhaps in the same way as modern lifting belts.

Lastly, cummerbunds were often worn by servicemen in "fancy buildings", e.g. ushers in opera houses, doorkeeps in galas, bellhops in high-end hotels, etc. The upward-facing pleats of the belt functioned as several tiers of shallow pockets - enabling the wearer to keep ticket stubs, cash tips/change, or other small items within easy reach.

Depending on how tightly a traditional cummerbund is fitted to the body, it can also pull in the abdomen and prevent a spreading figure from outgrowing a single-size uniform.

These days, cummerbunds usually have an elastic or velcro backing and don't provide much support, but are now only for show. They're most commonly worn during proms or weddings as an alternative to a waistcoat - so it's more lightweight and cool for someone who doesn't want too many layers.