Corset History

There has been an attraction to corsets by both sexes for a long time - 100's of years. The construction techniques and the shapes they form have been upgraded with newer technology similar to the changes in materials used. In order to develop the best shape for you, you need to have an understanding of the materials available to you on today’s market.

Shaping the Body with Corsets

The older corsets are typically those with a minimal amount of curves. Your breast shape looks to be contained and the subsequent reshaping of the breast mass gives a minimized appearance. To attain this profile you have to contain the typical shape and inherent curves of woman's body.

Busks and Boning

A successful corset design is related to two components: a) the type and strength of boning used, and b) how much you can tighten the lacing. To feel comfortable in your corset you should only tighten and lace up 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 selecting the spring steel boning for the best corset for you 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 pliable and flexible, but it is nearly impossible to bend them.

You can sometimes find busk fasteners that open and are often used on the front of corsets to enable you to slip into and out of your corset unassisted. These did not appear until around 1860 and began with the straight busk, the spoon busk appeared shortly afterward in about 1870. Both items can be found in our online shop.