Corset History

There has been an attraction to corsets by both women and men for a long time - 100's of years. The construction methods and shapes they produce have changed due to new technology similar to the changes in materials used. In order to reproduce the correct shapes, you might be better informed if you have knowledge of the variety of items used in today's corsets.

The Corset Body Shaping Story

The oldest corsets are usually those with the least amount of curves. Your breast shape tends to be significantly pressed down and deliver the appearance of a minimal breast silhouhette. To develop this shape you have to work against the curves and shape of of a woman's body.

All About Busks, Lacing, and Boning

A fabulous corset depends on two primary factors: a) the type and strength of boning used, and b) how snug the lacing can be tightened. In order to ensure a comfortable fit 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 delivers a pale color base and comes in different widths, thickness and length. When choosing a spring steel for your corset the "thickness" is more important than the width. You can tell when you have selected the proper spring steel boning because it is really flexible but it is almost impossible to bend.

You can also use busk fasteners that open and are mainly used on the front of corsets to enable you to put on and take off your corset without calling someone in for 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.