Corset

CORSET POWER
The corset has a long history of being a controversial piece of clothing. A significant portion of the debate centres on the corset's reputation as a symbol of female subjugation and conformity. As a result, both middle-class and working-class women were eager to wear corsets frequently during the Victorian era. One of the reasons for their desire to wear a corset is thought to be related to self-regulation, or the control of desire and excess. A corset is said to have helped a woman achieve her ideal figure, particularly the small waist that is tightly correlated to both wealth and social standing.

Is it possible for a piece of clothes to make such a claim regarding both the wearer and an uninformed spectator?