Corset History

There has been an attraction to corsets by both women and men for a long time - 100's of years. The construction methods and shapes they produce have changed due to new technology similar to the changes in materials used. In order to reproduce the correct shapes, you need to have an understanding of the assortment of materials and items you can choose from.

Shaping the Body with Corsets

The oldest corsets are typically those the a minimal amount of reshaping. Your breast shape appears to be in compression and deliver the appearance of a minimal breast silhouhette. To develop this shape you have to constrain and work against the typical shape and inherent curves of woman's body.

Boning and Busks

A fabulous corset depends on two primary factors: a) the strength and other factors of the boning material, and b) the ability to tighten the lacing. In order to ensure a comfortable fit you can only tighten the lacing so much, the rest of the support is provided by the boning.

A fine choice in boning is the use of spring steel cased in nylon that typically is rendered in a lighter color pallette and comes in a group of thicknesses, widths, and lengths. When you are making a selection for the type of steel boning for the best corset for your body type the width takes precedence over thickness. You know when you have selected a corset with the correct steel boning because it is flexible but it is very hard to bend.

You can use busks that open and are sometimes used on the front of corsets to allow you to dress yourself in the corset without assistance. The first appearance of a busk on a corset was near 1860 and initiated with the straight busk, the more intricate spoon busk followed. The entire collection of thse corsets can be found in our online auctions or superstore.