Corset History

There has been an attraction to corsets by both men and women for 100's of years. The construction methods and shapes they produce have changed due to new technology and so have the materials used. In order to reproduce the correct shapes, you might be better informed if you have knowledge of the materials and items you can choose from.

Corsets for Shaping the Body

The ancient corsets are usually those with minimal amounts of reshaping. The breast flesh appears to be contained and give the look of a minimized profile. To develop this profile you have to contain and fight the usual shape and typical curves of a woman's body.

Boning, Busks and Other Corset Techniques

A successful corset design is related to two components: a) the type and strength of boning used, and b) how snug the lacing can be tightened. If you want the corset to feel comfortable when you are wearing it you are only able to tighten the laces to a point, the rest of the support is delivered by the function of the boning.

A useful boning material is nylon cased spring steel that is white in color and comes in different widths, thickness and length. When choosing a spring steel 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 pliable and flexible, but it is nearly impossible to bend them.

You are able to also find busks that open and are mainly used on 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, today's spoon busk was created more than a decade later. All of these corsets can be found in either our corset superstore or our corset auctions.