… the same shape and fashion as their mothers. Motherhood was the expected profession of all young women, so regardless of class or occupation, young women learned the basics of running a household and caring for children from an early age – all done in a corset of course. They started wearing a corset between 6 and 10 years old, and they would wear them even at night for the rest of their lives (the night corset was a bit looser).
(Photos: two teens of the mid 1840’s)