My old corsetry tutor told me it’s a question of layers –
A bustier is a single layer garment, whereas a corset has a minimum of two layers. This made sense until we took a look at one of my old antique Victorian corsets that appeared to have only one layer. It was indeed single layer with extra material attached in places to hold the bones. Since then I’ve never really held to the layer rule. I’ve seen lots of sturdy single layer corsets, (not a good choice for corset training but still) surely they can’t be lumped in with underwear bustiers and those dreadful stretch fabric things you can pick up in regular women’s clothing stores.
Recently however I’ve come across a new rule of thumb that feels right and makes much more sense; the real difference between a corset and a bustier seems to be all in the sizing! Anyone familiar with dressmaking will know all about ‘ease’, you add ease to your measurements; more for a shirt, less for a dress etc. This allows you to move freely without restriction. Otherwise a shirt would rip as you lifted your arm to hail a cab, pants would rip when you bent over to pick something up etc etc. Well a bustier is made exactly to the wearer’s measurements, no ease. Where you go in, it goes in; where you go out, it goes out.
A corset on the other hand has minus ease; it is designed to change and constrict the body, not mirror it. The waist of a corset will be smaller then that of the wearer and will curve in different, more aesthetically pleasing places. A corset will normally have more boning too, in order to support the constriction. This is the major difference between a corset and a bustier and why you need to make a corset for corset training, nothing less will do.
