The origin of the corsage

By Medicine Hat News on March 24, 2018.

Metro Editorial

It is commonplace for female guests of honor and those attending special events to wear floral corsages. Corsages are a popular feature at proms, graduations, weddings, and big birthday bashes and generally coordinate with gentlemen’s boutonnieres.

The corsage has French origins and actually means “bodice.” “Corsage” was the common term for the top part of a woman’s dress or jacket. Eventually the word “corsage” was used as part of the term bouquet de corsage and represented the flowers women would wear to special events.

Although corsages are now typically placed about the wrist or pinned to the lapel or shoulder of a dress, corsages originally were worn on the hip or at the decolletage. They gradually shifted to other locations, but today requests can be made for wrist, ankle, waist, and even hair corsages.

The corsage is generally designed to not only match the attire, but also the personality of the wearer. Favourite flowers are often chosen.

In certain circumstances, groups of people will all wear the same type of flower or corsage to symbolize awareness of convictions to a cause, patriotism or another group effort.

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