What is the difference between "corset" and "stays" when we talk about historical costume?

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My initial thought was that 'corset' meant the entire garment and 'stays' meant the rigid pieces of steel, whalebone or whatever was used to stiffen the garment.  But I am not sure this is true. You should research this farther.  I believe in fashion history they have been used interchangeably.

Answer

A corset is a clothing item.
I don’t know what ‘stays’ means in this context.

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