Bodice vs. Corset

Main Difference

The main difference between Bodice and Corset is that the Bodice is a type of clothing for women and girls, traditional tight-fitting sleeveless garment for the torso and bust; later, the portion of a dress that covers the upper body and Corset is a garment, reinforced with stays, that supports the waistline, hips and bust.

• Bodice

  A bodice ( ) is an article of clothing for women and girls, covering the body from the neck to the waist. In modern usage it typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the upper portion of a modern dress to distinguish it from the skirt and sleeves. The term comes from pair of bodies (because the garment was originally made in two pieces that fastened together, frequently by lacing).

• Corset

  A corset is a garment worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effect), to improve posture, or support the breasts. Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though this item was for many years an integral part of women’s wardrobes.

  Since the late 20th century, the fashion industry has borrowed the term “corset” to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without acting as them. While these modern corsets and corset tops often feature lacing or boning, and generally imitate an historical style of corsets, they have very little, if any, effect on the shape of the wearer’s body. Genuine corsets are usually made by a corsetmaker and are frequently fitted to the individual wearer.