Corset History

There has always been a following for corsets by both women and men for quite some time going back several centuries. The shapes formed by the various construction methods have changed due to new technology similar to the changes in materials used. For you to reproduce the shape you desire, you need to have knowledge of the materials and items you can use in today's marketplace.

Shaping the Body with Corsets

The oldest created corsets are typically the ones with a moderate amount of curves or reshaping. Your breast shape appears to be in compression and their appearance changed to look minimized. To create this profile you have to constrain and work against the typical shape and inherent curves of woman's body.

Busks, Boning and Other Corset Facts

Success depends on two things: a) strength of boning used, and b) tightness of lacing. For the sake of comfort you can only lace up and tighten so much, the remainder of the support is done by the boning.

A good choice in boning material is steel covered with nylon that comes in lighter colors and is made in an assortment of widths, lengths, and thicknesses. When you select the spring steel for the best looking corset for your shape the width is of minor concern while your primary focus should be on the thickness. The steel boning characteristic makes a perfect corset because it is pliable and flexible, but it is nearly impossible to bend them.

Busk fasteners are also used, they open and are used for the front of corsets to allow you to put your corset on and off without help. The busks first appeared in the 1860's and started with the simplest busk, the complications of the spoon busk was developed around 1870. These items can be found in either our online superstore or our online auctions.