Corset Story

Corsets have been used as a fashion item by both men and women for centuries. The shapes formed by the various construction methods have been able to be modernized and so have the basic types of items used. If you are trying to reproduce the shape you covet, you might be better informed if you have an understanding of the types of materials used in today's corsets.

Body Shaping Corsets

The corsets from earlier times have usually been those with a moderate amount of curves or reshaping. The breast flesh tends to be greatly flattened and their shape diminished. To attain this straight silhouette you are having to "fight" the natural curves of most women’s bodies.

Busks, Boning and Other Corset Facts

A quality corset depends on two factors: a) the type and material used in the boning, and b) the tightening level allowed by the lacing. To ensure you are comfortable while wearing your corset you can only tighten and lace up to a point, the remainder of the functionality is provided by the support delivered by the boning.

A good choice in boning material is steel covered with nylon that comes in lighter colors and is built in a wide variety of lengths, widths, and thicknesses. When you are deciding on the type of steel boning for the corset you choose the width is secondary to the thickness. When the correct thickness of spring steel is used it is somewhat flexible but is quite difficult to bend.

You can construct a corset with busks that open and are usually located on the front of corsets to enable you to put on your corset without assistance. The busks were created in the 1860's and began with straight busks, the elaborate and intricate spoon busk was invented a decade later. The entire collection of thse corsets can be found in our online auctions or superstore.