A short history of the underbust corset!

The underbust we know today has endured since 1554, right back when Catherine de’ Medici, wife of King Henry II of France, enforced a ban on “thick waists” at the Royal Courts. From their humble “whalebone” beginnings, Underbust corsets flourished a beautiful rainbow of varieties we see today, from the simple waist shapers that we wear as our “little confidence boosting secret”, to velvety, lacy and just downright racy! Remember, it doesn’t matter if you are plus sized with love, or pert and petite, with underbust corsets it’s as simple as this: Corsets equals curves.

Shopping for the Right Underbust Corest

Shopping for Corsets at your mall or high street can be a challenge; not that many stores actually stock corsets, and usually a store will only have a very specific range, depending on the occasion.  For sheer variety, you’ll be spoiled for choice online, and when armed with our handy guide which one of our helpful bloggers is putting together soon, you’ll be confident that that lovely little underbust corset you just went and bought (because why not?) will exactly the right size for you when it arrives.

Of course there is more to humble underbust corsets than just bringing out those curves.  Why else would we wear them?  Well let’s be fun and imaginative, just maybe we’ll bring out that sultry vixen, gothic chic, or cosplay curiosity that you never knew you had inside of you.  Let’s begin with me, I initially looked at buying one just to add a bit more variety to my lingerie, and looking back, it was a pretty dull and, well, plain old unimaginative way to think about it.  Realising the sheer variety, I out there, I spent hours and hours looking at elaborate designs with different materials and patterns.  Eventually, I called a close friend of mine, who thankfully was already a bit of an expert. She helped measure me, explained some useful good to know tips, and then left me to pick something random and funky.  Hunting around all the weird and wonderful options from the comfort of my sofa was actually quite fun, and of course the reward of finding my gorgeous green velvet underbust corset was worth the effort.

When the lovely little box arrived in the mail, I called the same friend, thankfully she was free and came straight over to help put it on me. After some coffee, I tied up my hair and giggly we went upstairs to the bedroom to put it on me.  Initially the feel of the velvet, luxe appearance combined with the very sexy laces at the rear felt very overwhelming to look at.  With a little bit of awkwardness and deep breathes and it was on.  Before letting me look at myself in the mirror, my friend insisted on brushing my hair, and letting it fall, assuring me it would be worth the extra little wait.  Eventually I looked at my full length mirror, and an elven queen looked back at me.  My slight ‘pear’ shape, which I was so conscious of, was now a perfect hourglass and not only was my back was nice and straight, but it felt awesome too.

You will seriously be in danger of becoming a fan. Better still, you do not have to worry about the cost, it is not the expensive hobby it sounds, by combing saving some pennies with some savy online shopping and knowing your exact sizing in advance, you can easily achieve that luxe look and feel without having to spend all day wandering through the town, while also avoiding that all expensive highstreet tax.  And because this time of year it’s cold outside, instead curl up with some nice warm coffee and give yourself some with by choosing the underbust corset you never knew you needed.