How did norms of clothing reflect the status of women?

(i) From childhood, girls were tightly laced up and dressed in stays.
(ii) The effort was to restrict the growth of their bodies and contain them within small moulds.
(iii) When slightly, older, girls had to wear tight-fitting corsets.
(iv) Tightly laced, small-waisted women were admired as attractive, elegant and graceful.