Corset Chronicle

Corsets have been worn by both men and women for the last several hundred years. The shaping forms and construction techniques have been changing similar to the modernization in the materials and items used. For you to develop the correct shape for you, you should have an education of the types of items available in today's marketplace.

Corsets for Shaping the Body

The ancient corsets have usually produces figures with a minimal amount of curves or shapes. The breasts appear to be in compression and their appearance changed to look minimized. To create this profile you have to contain the general shape and curves of a female's body.

Corsets: Lacing, Boning and Busks

Success depends on two things: a) strength of boning used, and b) tightness of lacing. For the sake of comfort you should only tighten and lace up so much, you can rely on the boning material to deliver the remainder of the support.

One of the most popular types of boning is steel boning covered in nylon that provides a light color base and is made in an assortment of widths, lengths, and thicknesses. When you select the spring steel 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 really flexible but it is almost impossible to bend.

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.