Corset History

Corsets have been worn by both men and women for the last several hundred years. The shaping forms and construction techniques have been changing and so have the basic types of items used. If you are trying to reproduce the shape you covet, you should have an education of the types of items available in today's marketplace.

Using Corsets to Shape the Body

The oldest created corsets have usually produces figures with a minimal amount of curves or shapes. The breasts appear to be pressed down and their appearance changed to look minimized. To create this profile you have to reshape the natural shape and curves of a woman's body.

Corsets: Lacing, Boning and Busks

Any top quality corset design relys on two fundatmental factors: a) the type of material used in the boning, and b) the level of lacing tightening. If you want the corset to feel comfortable when you are wearing it you are only able to tighten the laces to a point, you should rely on the boning material to provide the rest of the structural support.

One of the most popular types of boning is steel boning covered in nylon that is usually light in color and is delivered in a variety of thicknesses, widths and lengths. When choosing a spring steel for your corset the "thickness" is more important than the width. Spring steel, when it is of the proper thickness it is pliable but it is really hard to bend.

Busk fasteners are also used, they open and are located on the front of corsets to allow you the freedom to get into your corset without requesting help from anyone. The busks made their debut around 1860 and initiated with a very simple busk, the more complicated spoon busk was developed in the 1870's. Any of these corsets can be found in our corset superstore.