A corsage is a small bouquet of flowers worn on a woman's dress or around her wrist for a formal occasion. They are typically given to her by her date. Today, corsages are most commonly seen at homecomings, proms, and similar formal events.
In some countries, similar ornaments are worn by the mothers and grandmothers of the bride and groom at a wedding ceremony.
Flowers worn by men are generally called buttonholes or boutonnières. At school events such as homecoming or prom, male-female couples generally coordinate the corsage and boutonnière, signifying their connection, and distinguishing them from others. In some cases, young girls may wear a corsage to a father-daughter dance, and the father may also wear a boutonnière.
History
thumb|A traditional pin-on corsage
Wearing flowers pinned to clothing dates as far back as Ancient Greece, when small bunches of fragrant flowers and herbs were worn at weddings to ward off evil spirits. During the 16th and 17th centuries, corsages and boutonnières may have been a part of daily life to prevent disease and to ward off evil spirits, but over time, they became special-occasion pieces.
The word corsage comes from the French term bouquet de corsage, meaning a bouquet of flowers worn on upper part of the body ("corsage" meaning girdle, bodice in French), which was traditionally worn by women to weddings and funerals. Eventually, the term shortened to corsage in American English. Corsages are usually worn around a prom date's wrist; alternatively, they may be pinned on her dress or a modified nosegay can be carried in her hand. The colors of the flowers are usually chosen to complement the dress or to add color to the couple, creating a unifying look. Prom couples may wish to go together to choose the flowers for a custom-made corsage or boutonnière. Traditionally, the male presents a corsage or nosegay to the female as a gift, while the female would provide the boutonnière and pin it on the male's shirt or jacket.
Homecoming
Given to a student by a date or parent to wear on homecoming day, homecoming chrysanthemums ("mums") are an over-100-year-old tradition in the U.S. associated with the emergence of homecoming football games at universities and colleges, especially in the South and Midwest. After World War II, it became popular for homecoming mum corsages to be adorned with ribbons in school colors to signify school spirit. and Baylor University as the first universities to host homecoming festivities. In these early years, the chrysanthemum was typically used as the homecoming corsage flower because of its heartiness, popularity, and seasonal availability.
Homecoming mums are primarily a high school tradition seen in Texas and adjacent states such as Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana. In Texas, they are described as rite of passage and are gifted by family, a date, or a friend. Starting in the late 1950s-early 1960s, Texas homecoming mums started evolving into more elaborate designs than those seen in the rest of the country. Ribbons got longer, trinkets (small plastic decorations) were added, and differentiation by class year slowly became the norm. Silk flowers eventually replaced live chrysanthemums once demand overcame florists' ability to supply real flowers; also, artificial flowers are able to hold up better as more decorative accoutrements are added. Meanwhile, in the rest of the country, homecoming mum design remained essentially the same but popularity slowly diminished.
Texas-style homecoming mums are considerably larger today than in past generations and typically feature numerous ribbons and additional adornments, including loops, braids, whips (basket-style woven ribbons), feather boas, personalized teddy bears, die-cuts, and various trinkets and baubles. Some creations weigh up to ten pounds, take days to fabricate, and cost from $45-$700, depending on how elaborate they are. In many high school districts, students wear their homecoming mums and garters up to 12 hours to classes, pep rallies, and to the homecoming football game.
Types
Corsages can be made from a single flower or a small bunch of flowers, and a variety of flowers can be used. The following table shows some of the main flowers and accents used to create a custom-made corsage and that can be included in a nosegay and boutonnière.
{| class="wikitable"
!Main flowers
!Fillers and accents
!Extras
|-
|Spray roses (sweetheart roses)
|Gypsophilia (baby's breath)
|Artificial leaves
|-
|Standard roses
|Solidago
|Gems
|-
|Orchids
|Wax flower
|Beads
|-
|Carnations
|Seeded eucalyptus
|Ribbon
|-
|Mini calla lilies
|Asters
|Pearl wristband
|-
|Succulents
|Hypericum
|Bracelet
|-
|Freesia
|Chamomile
|Glitter
|-
|Daisies
|
|
|-
|Homecoming Mums
|Ribbons and boas
|Trinkets, bells, and die cuts
|}
Tools
The style and design of a corsage may vary depending on the event. Younger generations tend to use wrist corsages, which may vary in style and size depending on the wearer.
{| class="wikitable"
!Wrist corsage
!Pin-on corsage
|-
|Flowers
|Flowers
|-
|Floral glue
|Floral wire
|-
|Floral tape
|Floral tape
|-
|Floral wire
|
|}
See also
- Floristry