Corsets, which are commonly seen in period dramas such as Bridgerton, may be phased out due to concerns that they injure performers.
The garment, which was worn to hold and mould the body to make it appear smaller, dates back to Ancient Greece but became a fashion staple during the Victorian era, which began in the 1830s.
In recent decades, they’ve appeared in a slew of historical dramas, including Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, and Pride and Prejudice adaptations.
Yet, numerous networks and streaming platforms are reportedly blocking them.
To please young performers, they will now be permitted to wear their own underwear rather than the restricting undergarment.
‘The corset is famously restrictive, and many actresses have complained to wardrobe departments about damage, both short-term and long, being done after a long 12 to 14 hour day wearing them on set,’ a source told The Sun.
‘Essentially, there were health and safety concerns about keeping women in a pinching corset for weeks at a time.’
‘Many stars have reported bruising and even breathing problems.’
They added: ‘In today’s increasingly woke world, it’s also not great optics to be encouraging women to have thinner waists.’
‘It may well have been reflective of the time, but broadcasters and streamers want to be seen as progressive.’
The source said this marked a ‘big moment in the history of the period drama.’
Bridgerton producers apparently just notified the actors that corsets would no longer be necessary, although Netflix would not confirm this to Metro.co.uk.
It is also alleged that ITV has already joined the boycott, with the BBC’set to join’.
Bridgerton actor Simone Ashley, who portrayed Kate Sharma in the second season, stated last year that wearing a corset was a painful experience.
‘I realised when you wear the corset, you just don’t eat. It changes your body,’ she told Glamour.
‘I had a smaller waist very momentarily.
‘Then the minute you stop wearing it, you’re just back to how your body is. I had a lot of pain with the corset, too, I think I tore my shoulder at one point.’
She’s not the only actress to speak about the anguish that the costume item provides, with Emma Stone noting in 2018 that donning a corset felt ‘awful’.
The actor also said she ‘couldn’t f***ing breathe’ while wearing one.
‘Women existed in that for such a long time, which does give you a lot of sympathy for that time period and what they were going through. For the first month, I couldn’t breathe.’
Kiera Knightley, who had previously worn corsets for productions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Anna Karenina, described them as “positively horrible” after starring in 2008’s The Duchess.
Source My Celebrity Life.