Designing Your Very Own Corset

Despite the corset being from the Victorian Era, women still wear the 18th Century Corset. The simple reason is the flattering allure provided by simply wearing one and being always trendy. The tight lacing and the shapely supports, although not the most convenient, makes up in being glamorous.

Corset style tops are becoming popular, as the corset undergoes a metamorphosis form being an undergarment to be an outerwear. In the days of the aristocracy, only the elite class wore corsets. With the advent of mass consumption, there being a market for corsets, cheaper corsets found their way. At times women even made their own corsets. If in those days, women could hand-make their own corsets, what stops the modern women with all kinds of aids available from making one? Everyday outfits and club wear are now demanding that a corset be worn as an accessory to get the right effect. The corset not only accentuates the natural shape of the body but lends a cheeky look too.

The list of paraphernalia required to design your very own corset top is very limited. Just a patterned Muslin Fabric, matching spools of thread, plastic boning, laces, cords or a hook and eye tape. Eyelets and eyelet punch sewing supplies and the necessary gear to do it.

Start by purchasing a good top pattern. The back fastenings may vary with the different top patterns and designs. One needs to therefore take care by adding extra boning to the panels on the back and get eyelets punched on either side of the central backline. After measuring yourself at the bust, waist and hips, depending on the desired length of the centre front and the centre back, cut the pattern closest to the measured sizes. The corset top should touch just above the bust and end either at the hips or above the hips.

To undergo a trial and error version, it would be practical to first design a corset out of cheaper muslin as per the pattern instructions. Next, all the panels need to be stitched and the casings for the boning should be taken care of. Attach next the back closures and lining. The boning then needs to be cut to size, and placed in the casing. Stitch the top and bottom edges. Try your makeshift corset to check for the fitting.

Now with more confidence, remake the corset top in the chosen fabric in the pattern and style picked by you. Better still, you can take apart the corset top made by you in the cheaper version and use the pattern pieces to get a perfect measurement. Before fitting the top and bottom edges, try your corset to check for the fit once again. If found perfect, then stitch the top and bottom. Add all your laces and bows and all the decorative paraphernalia that you desire. Add either lace or ribbon and hand stitch the lace or ribbon to the top binding. One can embellish the corset with embroidered patches, or beads, sequins, and what have you.