A Beginners Guide to Corsets.

A corset is first and foremost a garment designed to alter the shape of the body through a combination of its shape and the boning used in it to give it shape. It is usually worn by women, and variations of the corset have been around for hundreds of years.

The first corsets were designed to give a distinctive cone shape to the torso, nothing ike the curvy Victorian era corsets we usually think of when we hear the word 'corset'. They usually had reeds or rope sewn between layers of fabric to give the corset shape and generally utlised a wooden or bone 'busk' down the front to keep the sought-after flat front.These busks were sometimes highly decorated and given as gifts.

Over time the shape and construction of corsets changed until they reached the period most people associate them with: the Victorian Age. Corsets in the Victorian period often used whalebone or steel boning to give their shape, leading to a much more defined waist than previously possible. They were needed to fit into the fashionable dresses of the time and were thought to support women's supposedly weaker bodies. Corsets continued to evolve in shape and construction until around the beginning of the first world war when their use was slowly phased out, to be replaced by girdles after the war.

Today however, it is still possible to buy corsets, although in modern times they are usually used as outerwear, rather than underwear. A properly constructed modern corset will have steel boning and ideally be made specifically to your measurements. A corset is quite different from the buistiers sold in lingerie stores. For one thing, a corset generally has multiple layers of sturdy fabric to stand up to the strain of being laced tightly, while bustiers often have only one layer of flimsy satin or mesh and lace. Also, corsets will often use a steel busk down the front, which looks sort of like a set of over sized books and eyes.This busk is important because it makes getting in and out of a corset much faster and easier.

There are of course many different styles of corset. The overbust if what most people think of as the traditional style, covering and supporting the breasts and extending to the hips. Next is the underbust which finishes just under the breasts and is generally worn with a shirt or dress underneath. Finally is the waist cincher, which is much shorter than an overbust generally having a front length of about 6" to 8". Which of these designs suits you best will depends on what you'll be wearing the corset for (is it to give you a nice shape under your regular clothes, or as the centrepiece of a fantastic wedding gown?) and how much you can afford to spend. An overbust obviously uses more materials and needs more time to measure and sew than a waist cincher and is priced accordingly.

Whichever style you choose, be sure to follow any care instructions you are given for your corset to make sure it has a long and happy life with you. Remember: a corset isn't like a t-shirt, it can't just be thrown in the washing machine if it gets dirty! Different manufacturers will have different suggestions for how to care for your new garment: ask about this when you buy it.