Corset Story

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 come from a variety of backgrounds. and so have the basic types of items used. If you are trying to reproduce the correct shapes, you need to have an understanding of the materials available to you on today’s market.

Body Shaping and Corsets - The Perfect Match

The oldest corsets are typically those with a minimal amount of curves. Your breast shape looks to be flattened and their shape diminished. To attain this straight silhouette you have to constrain and work against the typical shape and inherent curves of woman's body.

Busks and Boning

A successful corset design is related to two components: a) the properties and type of boning material used. and b) the tightening level allowed by 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.

Steel boning is typically coated in nylon that is typically a light color and is found in different length, thickness, and widths. 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. When the proper thickness of steel boning is selected it is quite flexible and it is extremely hard to bend.

There are also busk fasteners that open and are used for the front of corsets to allow you to slide into and out of your corset without another person's 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. All of these corsets can be found in either our corset superstore or our corset auctions.