History of Shapewear: How Shaping Garments Evolved The way we dress and define the silhouette has continually changed throughout history. Different cultures and periods have used garments, belts, structured pieces, and later corsets and girdles to complement the clothing styles and aesthetic ideals of their time. However, discussing the history of shapewear requires an important distinction: garments from the past cannot necessarily be considered shapewear in the modern sense. Rather than...