The corset has been an important article of clothing for several centuries in Europe, evolving as fashion trends have changed. Women, as well as some men, have used it to change the appearance of their bodies.
The Victorian corset first became popular in sixteenth-century Europe, reaching the zenith of its popularity in the Victorian era. While the corset has typically been worn as an undergarment, it has occasionally been used as an outer-garment; corsets as outer-garments can be seen in the national dress of many European countries.
The word corset is derived from the Old French word corps and the diminutive of body, which itself derives from corpus—Latin for body. The term "corset" is attested from 1300, coming from the French "corset" which meant "a kcind of laced bodice." The term "stays" was frequently used in English from c. 1600 until the early twentieth century.