Corset Story

Corsets have been attractive to both men and women for centuries. The form and construction techniques have been on a continual pattern of change and so have the components that are used. If you are trying to reproduce the shape you covet, you need to have an education of the types of materials used in today's corsets.

Corsets and Body Shaping

The corsets from earlier times have usually been those with the least amount of reshaping. The breasts look to be constrained and their appearance reshaped. To attain this straight silhouette you are having to "fight" the natural curves of most women’s bodies.

Boning, Busks and Other Corset Techniques

A corset really depends on two rudimentary factors to be successful: a) the type of boning material used, and b) the ability to pull together 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.

One of the best boning materials is nylon covered steel that is pale white in color and is found in different length, thickness, and widths. When you select a spring steel for the corset you choose the thickness, and not the width, should be of primary importance. You can tell when you have selected the proper spring steel boning because it is really flexible but it is almost impossible to bend.

You can construct a corset with busks that open and are usually located on the front of corsets to enable you to slip into and out of your corset unassisted. The busks were created in the 1860's and began with straight busks, the spoon busk appeared shortly afterward in about 1870. Both items can be found in our online shop.