If there was one silhouette that has appeared repeatedly during London Fashion Week FW26, it was the corset. Before visions of fainting couches and maidens running across windswept moors take over, it’s worth noting that this season’s corsetry bore little resemblance to the rigid stays of Jane Austen’s era. While Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” may have reignited a taste for romantic excess, what stormed London’s runways this season felt playful and knowingly exaggerated. These were corsets dialed up for display, with sculpted waists styled with slouchy tailoring, boned bodices layered under coats, and structures woven into dramatic bridal looks.
The corset is, understandably, contentious. In an era shaped by wellness culture, weight-loss discourse, and endless scrutiny of women’s bodies, the idea of reviving a waist-cinching silhouette can feel, to some, regressive.
Yet on London’s runways, designers reframed it as expression. At Dreaming Eli, corsetry was pushed to sculptural extremes, hips heightened and waists cinched into almost surreal proportions. Annie’s Ibiza reveled in romance, sending fitted bodices down the runway with frothy, fluid skirts.
Meanwhile, Sinead Gorey demonstrated that the corset need not be confined to occasionwear, styling it with sharp tailoring to anchor it in everyday dressing. Patrick McDowell focused on corsetry craftsmanship, closing his show with a laced-up bridal gown. Harris Reed, never one to shy away from drama, approached the silhouette as adornment, sending pieces down the runway with embellishments that arched upwards like wings – expanding the frame rather than constricting it.
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Pop culture has certainly played a role in our desire to sculpt the female form, and more recently, it has rekindled interest in sculpted silhouettes. Period dressing continues to set the tone, from the romanticism of Fennell’s“Wuthering Heights” to the enduring appeal of regal silhouettes in Bridgerton and Downton Abbey.
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On London Fashion Week runways, corsets were exaggerated and theatrical, but off the catwalk, they can be worn with subtlety. For evenings, a structured corset top with fluid, wide-leg trousers will balance a defined waist against relaxed tailoring. For something more directional, layer a corset-style bodice under an oversized blazer. This works particularly well in monochrome – all black, white or navy – where the focus is on silhouette rather than detail.
If you’re corset-curious but wary of boning, knitwear with built-in shaping seams offers the easiest entry point. Designers are cleverly crafting waist definition into ribbed dresses and fitted jumpers, offering a daytime-friendly way to reference the trend.
When it comes to occasionwear, the corset is almost impossible to ignore, and for good reason: it enhances posture, photographs beautifully, and creates a clean, sculpted line. Keep accessories refined and let the silhouette do the talking.
