Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Historical Clothing, Home, and Lifestyle Guild

Back to Guilds

 

 

Reply Historical Fashions
what is the best type of corset to wear?

Quick Reply

Enter both words below, separated by a space:

Can't read the text? Click here

Submit

snooky_munster

PostPosted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:17 am


what is the best style of a corset to wear, bone?
cause i can never get a corset tight enough with out bulching up
any ideas? gonk
PostPosted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 10:37 am


If you want a corset to lie completely flat, boning is a must. Furthermore steel boning does this job better than plastic boning, which can still bend in unpredictable ways. Almost all corsets have boning in them, however some styles from different time periods have more boning than others. Choosing a specific style is really based on personal preference, they all do different things.

So if your corset is bunching up when you tighten it, it is because it does not have any/enough boning to support the shape. For Victorian corsets I've heard it recommended that there be one bone for approximately every 1.5 inches.

Dice Lees


BluJayWay

PostPosted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:48 pm


I agree; good quality boning in a corset is a necessity for it to fit properly. Also, the modern hook & eye closures are overrated. If you can find a classic ribbon lace-up style, by all means buy it.
PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:28 am


One last thing: If you're just learning to corset, don't tighten it as far as it will possibly go. Instead, tighten it just till it makes your waist TWO INCHES more narrow than it naturally is. Just two. Do that until it feels natural and comfortable -- a couple months if you're doing it every day, longer if it's weekly or less. Then tighten it by two more inches (total of FOUR INCHES more narrow than your natural waist). This works FAR better with a corset that closes via laces instead of hooks, because you can just loosen or tighten the laces as needed.

You should only ever go, at most, two inches tighter than your last level, when increasing your tightness.

Also keep in mind that corseting can be pretty, but when taken to extremes, it can also be dangerous. Excess corseting can cause your organs to become constricted and/or to have to shift within the body to places they wouldn't normally go. At autopsy, many Victorian corset wearers were found to have organs misplaced by several inches, and often this was a factor in early death.

Divash

Eloquent Conversationalist

3,700 Points
  • Elocutionist 200
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300

snooky_munster

PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:55 pm


thanks for the info, i am in the beginning stages of corseting so thanks again
PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 1:10 pm


Please please do not try Waist training... it could be extreamly DEADLY

some other things you may want to think about...

i have a corset that laces in front... and different one that laces in back,

if it is just you with no one to help, the front lacing is the better bet, ... how you do that is simple build yourself a corset with 1 size smaller in waist...

when you lace the back together leave about 1 or 2 inches between the panels...

then you can just string up the front like normal...

if you lace the back, make sure there is 1 or 2 inches left...
i use Metal boning because the plastic just sucks....

Phoenix_soarys

Romantic Hunter

10,275 Points
  • Noble Shade 100
  • Brandisher 100
  • The Wolf Within 100

Mamaba

PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:51 pm


you have to remember that it what time period. The Victorian had to types of corsets. They had strong stays in them. They made it with whale "teeth" and had them spaced every 2 inches apart.

They are tight and uncomfortable to move around.
PostPosted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:41 pm


It depends on what you like best or what kind of era you are going for.
To keep it from bunching up boning is a must, steel works best. Also try lacing it with only one lace. What you do is start with the top holes (on one side) to be slightly close, same with the bottom two holes. And you don't criss-cross on the outside.
 

Little Miss Nofty


Dunedien

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:31 pm


toadies_soarys
Please please do not try Waist training... it could be extreamly DEADLY

some other things you may want to think about...

i have a corset that laces in front... and different one that laces in back,

if it is just you with no one to help, the front lacing is the better bet, ... how you do that is simple build yourself a corset with 1 size smaller in waist...

when you lace the back together leave about 1 or 2 inches between the panels...

then you can just string up the front like normal...

if you lace the back, make sure there is 1 or 2 inches left...
i use Metal boning because the plastic just sucks....

I second the not doing waiste training. You can quickly get so bad that youn need to wear a corset at all times not to collapse, and it can look bad. Be careful with how tight you are lacing it aswell. A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot skip or run around your house breathing normally once with the corset on it is too tight. BE CAREFUL.
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 2:14 pm


Dunedien
toadies_soarys
Please please do not try Waist training... it could be extreamly DEADLY

some other things you may want to think about...

i have a corset that laces in front... and different one that laces in back,

if it is just you with no one to help, the front lacing is the better bet, ... how you do that is simple build yourself a corset with 1 size smaller in waist...

when you lace the back together leave about 1 or 2 inches between the panels...

then you can just string up the front like normal...

if you lace the back, make sure there is 1 or 2 inches left...
i use Metal boning because the plastic just sucks....

I second the not doing waiste training. You can quickly get so bad that youn need to wear a corset at all times not to collapse, and it can look bad. Be careful with how tight you are lacing it aswell. A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot skip or run around your house breathing normally once with the corset on it is too tight. BE CAREFUL.


Thirding this.

When I was young and stupid in High-school, I got a corset custom-made to fit me, with steel bones and authentic lacing. I decided it would be 'cool' if I corset-trained myself for 2 years.
Fortunately, it was a modern corset, with only a bit of a waist tuck/shape that was nowhere as extreme as antique ones. Long story short, the lower half of my ribcage is now tapered inwards and it affects my lung capacity. And I still get backaches a lot ;_;
My corset is now reserved for fancy parties, only.

On a side note...
If you DO decide to get a nice, authentic corset with steel boning:
1) get it custom-fitted, in person, from a proffessional corset-maker (incorrect corsets mean nasty, nasty blisters on your torso)
2) wear it for a total of 12 hours to break it in, like a new pair of shoes, not exceeding 6 hours a day until it is broken in.
3) DO NOT eat breads or pasta while wearing your corset; these expand in your stomach. Your corset is compressing your stomach. It will come right back up, almost instantly @_@
4) if it costs less than $200, it's not made right. (The base cost of the materials needed is around $150-$175 alone)

Owari

Dapper Codger

5,800 Points
  • Money Never Sleeps 200
  • Tycoon 200
  • Gender Swap 100

Ayame-Yukari
Crew

PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:46 pm


This helps me out so much... I was actually about to buy a waist cincher for 75 dollars until I read the last post...
PostPosted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 8:16 pm


I've heard that some women will wear a corset under the one they want to look nice. The one underneath cinches you and the outer one then lies flat. When I was heavier, I had trouble getting a corset to lie flat. It always bunched at my curves.

A Fitting End

Thirteenth Prophet

11,850 Points
  • Prayer Circle 200
  • Invisibility 100
  • Citizen 200

o8Orobouros8o

6,400 Points
  • Money Never Sleeps 200
  • Hygienic 200
  • Citizen 200
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:30 pm


Mamaba
you have to remember that it what time period. The Victorian had to types of corsets. They had strong stays in them. They made it with whale "teeth" and had them spaced every 2 inches apart.

They are tight and uncomfortable to move around.


The Victorian era had over twenty-three different styles of corset actually. Each dependent on a persons age and status. I think you should do a little more research.

Likewise, it wasn't called whale teeth, it was whalebone. Yes it was made from baleen, but you need to get your terminology correct.

On to the subject at hand, there are many different cuts and styles suited to different body types. Laughing moon has a cut called the Silverado which is more suited to ladies with busts and hips while the Dore cut is better suited to slimmer, willowy women. This is the easiest brand to construct if making one yourself. If you intend to move about at all, I would suggest using Spiral steel boning as it is more flexible than folded steel boning.
Reply
Historical Fashions

 
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum