The straight-front corset of the early 1900s was invented by a doctor for health purposes and quickly swept up into the tides of fashion. It is often anachronistically called the “S-bend.” The corset and silhouette predominant in fashion during the years 1900-1915 are now nearly without fail called the “S-bend” or “S-curve” in the popular press and academic publications alike.

At the start of the decade, the structured silhouette of the Gibson Girl was popular and it was the idealized look of Edwardian era style. This fashionable silhouette was achieved by the S-shaped corset which thrust the bosom forward and the hips back. Dresses were distinctively long with flowing skirts that draped smartly over the hips, with fullness in the back and a ruffle or small train at the bottom. Bodices typically had a high neckline, full and blousy in front (usually with ruffles or lace), and a waistline that dropped forward at the front.

For a large part of the decade, the fashionable silhouette continued to be dominated by the S-shape created by a new “health” corset. ... Instead, starched shirt-fronts with high collars were worn with the three-piece suit.

The woman of 1901 presented a new, flowing silhouette unlike that of any of her Victorian predecessors. Her skirt curved outwards over her full behind, downwards and apparently slightly inwards towards knee-level and then sharply outwards again at the hem. This gave the appearance of a concave skirt. It often extended into a sweeping train, even during the day. The whole effect was curved, flowing and extremely feminine.

Edwardian style begins in 1902 with the introduction of the straight front corset, and the S-bend or pigeon-breasted figure. The emphasis was placed on an overall slimness of the female form, and corsets were designed to compress the waist and lower abdomen, but no longer support the bosom. The addition of a rump pad under the back hip of the corset finished the illusion of the arched back and rounded hips.

From the protruding bustle of the 1880s and the aggressive, slightly masculine leg-o’mutton sleeves of the 1890s, to the S-bend, swan-like shape of the 1900s and the ultra-slim line of the hobble-skirt in 1910, each reflected the shift of the roles women played in society. For a brief period at the turn of the century, fashions reverted to the overly feminine: pastel colors and the languid silhouette of the “S”-bend corset.

The Edwardian era took a step away from the overly tight hourglass corsets of the Victorian era and changed to a S-curve or S-Bend shape, tilting the torso forward and pushing the hips back.

S-bend corsets, also called straight-front corsets or “health” corsets, were invented in the early 1900s during the Edwardian era. At the time, the S-bend was thought to be healthier for the wearer as it placed less direct pressure on the front of the abdomen. It also promoted a “proud” posture where the pelvis tilted forward, causing the bum to be pushed back while the shoulders and bust were thrust forward.

The gallery describes a 1906 S-bend corset as producing the iconic early Edwardian silhouette, with a "pouter-pigeon bosom, small waist, and ample derrière." It also says that as fashions changed around 1909-10, the S-bend corset was replaced by a straighter style.

Edwardian fashion built volume and rigidity; Edwardian era fashion softened lines with the S-bend silhouette, lighter fabrics, and practical details. Edwardian: pigeon-front blouses, high lace collars, gored skirts, walking length. Check collar height, blouse front, skirt flare, hat width, and posture. High collar + pigeon-front + gored skirt + wide hat + S-bend = Edwardian.

The silhouette moved gradually along a decreasing S-curve from 1901 to the Empire line by 1910. ... Common colors for Edwardian women’s day-wear were combination two-tone affairs of pale tops and dark skirts. ... The combination was the matching of a high necked white or pale cotton blouse with a dark tight fitting A-line gored skirt, reaching from the ankle to just below the bust.

The curvaceous S-Bend silhouette dominated fashion up until around 1908. The S-Bend corset thrust the chest forward into the mono-bosom, and, with the aid of padding, judicious placement of trim in clothing, and, most especially, a particular posture entirely independent of the corset, created the illusion of an “S” silhouette.

The early Edwardian period is in essence a continuation of the Belle Epoque that is marked by what clothing historians call the “S-Curve” Silhouette. This rather unnatural silhouette is characterized by a tiny waist with a skirt that is smooth over the hips and gently flares into a trumpet shape–puddling on the floor. Bodices and blouses generally have high collars and pouter pigeon (pouched) fronts.

The tea gown's cut was relatively loose compared to the more formal evening gown, and was worn without a corset. The silhouette was flowing, and was usually decorated with lace or with the cheaper Irish crochet. In 1905, skirts fell in soft folds that curved in, then flared out near the hemlines.

This corset ... is typical of the corsets of ca. 1903-09. It is the corset that produced the iconic, fashionable early Edwardian silhouette, with its pouter-pigeon bosom, small waist, and ample derrière. The “S-Bend” designation refers to the fact that the corset’s seaming and boning structure pushed the bosom forward ... flattening the stomach, and allowing the derrière to be prominent.

This corset was a defining feature of Edwardian style, reflecting not just the aesthetics of the time but also the societal norms and health perceptions surrounding women's fashion. This corset was popular in the United Kingdom from around 1900 to 1907. It was also referred to as the straight front or health corset. This resulted in what was known as the powder pigeon effect.

Edwardian fashion was characterized by the new S-bend corset, the pouter pigeon shape, high collars and hats. While high collars and hats remained popular throughout the era, the pouter pigeon shape decreased over the years.

Edwardian fashion refers to the clothing that was in style between the late 1890s and 1914 or the beginning of the Great War (World War I). In the Sixth Reign, as in Britain, the tight-fitting blouses and corsets of the previous generation were banished. High-class ladies opted for free-flowing blouses with loose sleeves, bras and shorter skirts, and wore their hair long.

While in the Edwardian era, this type of corset was known as “straight-front corset” or “erect-form corset”, today it’s usually called “S-bend corset.”

The fashionable silhouette in the early 1900s was that of a mature woman, with full low bust and curvy hips. The "health corset" of this period removed pressure from the abdomen and created an S-curve silhouette.

Edwardian style clothing embraces elements of the 1890s, 1900s and 1910s fashion decades. Popular Edwardian style clothes are long skirts, lace up granny boots, lace and ruffle blouses, straw hats, dress gloves, homespun knit cardigans, and long wool coats.

At the beginning of the decade, skirts were fitted at the waistline and flared at the hemline. Gradually, the curvy bell shape relaxed. Her silhouette was an S-curve. The shape came from a corset that put less pressure at the waistline by pushing a woman’s chest forward and her hips back.

This style was known as tulip skirt or trumpet skirt in the Edwardian era, and today it’s also called a fishtail or mermaid skirt. I especially reduced the fullness around the knees which created a curvier silhouette which was fashionable in the early Edwardian era.

This page describes the Edwardian corset as a long-line garment that emphasizes the curve of the back and bosom rather than a streamlined column. It says the design pushes out the rump and creates the characteristic Edwardian rear silhouette.

The video narration says the S-shaped Edwardian corset was developed in the early 1900s, was sold as a "Health corset," and was intended to create an S shape by pushing the breasts and backside outward. This is lower-authority evidence but still directly relevant.

Women’s clothing emphasized a graceful silhouette, often referred to as the “S-curve,” created by corsets that pushed the chest forward and the hips back, resulting in a flowing, swan-like posture. Daywear typically included high-necked blouses with lace or embroidery, paired with long, flowing skirts that flared at the hem.

The Most Impractical Era in Fashion History (Edwardian Era ...) ... creation of a new type of corset and then with its demise first women's Styles shifted to a preference for the bloused bodies as seen above and skirts that emphasize the backside the S silhouette is best demonstrated in the exaggerated portrayal of the era's ideal woman the Gibson Girl