Corset Bulletin

Corsets have been utilized by both men and women for 100's of years. The form and construction methods have changed in both type and variety similar to the changes in materials used. In order to develop the correct shapes, you need to have an understanding of the materials and items you can use in today's marketplace.

Shaping the Body with Corsets

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

Busks and Boning

Success depends on two things: a) strength of boning used, and b) the ability to tighten the lacing. In order for the corset to fit you comfortably you can only lace up and tighten so much, the remainder of the support is done by the boning.

A good boning material is spring steel coated in nylon that provides a light color base and is made in an assortment of widths, lengths, and thicknesses. When you are making a selection for the type of steel boning for a corset that will look like it was designed for you 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 flexible and pliable, but it is very hard to bend it.

There are also busk fasteners that open and are used for the front of corsets to allow you to put your corset on and off without help. The first time busks were used was near 1860 and started with a straight simple 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.