| Historically, corsets were made of different material | | | | remaining fabric. |
| depending on your wealth and status. There are a | | | | Depending on the style of corset and the desired |
| few different parts to a corset. The fabric was | | | | shape and curves of the body, the lacing in the back |
| made out of silk or satin for the wealthy, starched | | | | and strength of the boning used determine how |
| linen for the middle class, and cotton for the lower | | | | much the natural body shape in diminished. Since the |
| class. No matter what they were made out of, | | | | back lacing can only be laced so tight, still producing |
| however, the general pattern remained the same | | | | perhaps rolls of fat between the laces, the boning in |
| depending on the time period. The contents of the | | | | the front is the more important part, as its thickness |
| corset, however, slowly developed over time. | | | | can determine how much you are able to move |
| There are front and back plates to a corset, around | | | | when wearing the corset, and how much smaller or |
| which the fabric goes. While many people believe that | | | | larger your respective body parts are. |
| whale bone was the stiff center pieces, it was | | | | No longer using bone, corset makers today use |
| actually baleen. Baleen is actually hair that is | | | | nylon-coated steel that is more flexible than bone but |
| surrounded by enamel and hardened to a specific | | | | still provides you with the support that you need to |
| shape. Once the Baleen whale was destroyed, steel | | | | look your best. The time required to make such a |
| became the next item to hold together the front and | | | | piece has been greatly reduced thanks to modern |
| back of the corset. Sometimes wood or horn was | | | | day technologies such as the sewing machine and |
| used as a substitute. | | | | patterns that you can follow, but it is still a process |
| Elastic is now generally used only for the gussets. | | | | that requires meticulous detail and concentration. |
| The outside of the corset is decorated with laces or | | | | When you order your corset now, be sure that the |
| embroidery. Putting the pieces together was done | | | | measurements are taken by a professional and that |
| with silk thread. This brought together the harder | | | | a pattern is selected which will best emphasize your |
| front and back pieces, the sides, and all of the | | | | shape and stature. |