Figure 1

Introduction

As discussed in part 1, the front hip (right beneath the waist in particular) is a danger hot spot for bias ripples in many corsets (figure 1). It is one of those patterning/fit problems that arise again and again for many corsetieres, but is an issue that we can certainly tackle.

The problem is typically associated with corsets that have vaguely diagonal sloping seams to the front (a very popular contemporary shape) and especially those with vertical side-seams. We observed that it is generally caused by the width and shaping of panel 3, which creates tensions along its side-front seam (encouraging bias pull, figure 2). By releasing the imbalance of tension we can improve the smoothness of the corset at this point.

Figure 2

In part 1, I outlined a few options for altering the patterning to reduce those bias ripples.

The first, and simplest, “fix” is to add a thin crescent moon shape to the front edge of panel 3. Where the low hip is too large, instead slice a triangular section from the bottom to create a similar line (figure 3-4).

Figure 3-4

We then discussed more substantial alterations to the patterning:

1) Change the placement of the seam (making the side-front panel less wide). Figure 3-4.

2) Add another seam, giving a 7 panel/side pattern (4 panels on the front half, 3 on the back). Figure 5.	Figure 5
3) Retain your diagonal seam placement and relieve the created tension over the front hip by adding a gore. Figure 6.	Figure 6
4) Forget about diagonally sloping seams and move towards a more contemporary and sharp vertical seaming. Figure 7.	Figure 7
5) Stick fast to your diagonal seams and provide support with applied vertical boning channels. Figure 8.	Figure 8

With these approaches explored, you may have solved the problem. Hurrah!

But some of you may now wish to refine your choices even further. Once you have a handle on these patterning, you might be left wondering, “but what happens if...?”

Not every beautiful pattern works well with every construction technique... What happens if you use a very slippery fabric? What if you change the grain placement? What if you know that a certain fabric best suits a certain patterning, but your client desperately wants something else?

What other issues should you consider when attempting to smooth out that front hip?

Steels to Influence Smoothness

Figure 9Steels, when used well, are more than just a “silver lining” enhancing the shape that the fabric and cut create... Steels can in fact be paramount to creating and encouraging the desired shape, contrary to a lot of popular opinion, and I believe that steels should be considered equally as important as good patterning. It seems obvious enough to say that a beautiful pattern, supported in two wildly different ways, will behave differently. As an example, the two corset-bodies in figure 9 show how different support choices create different structures and rigidity, even before the garments are on the body.

It therefore follows, that one should not consider patterns, toiles and fitting sessions in isolation of the final steel/support choices.

Say for example, your client desperately wants silk satin with diagonal seams, and you know that it will ripple... Or you have created a beautifully fitting toile with exquisitely placed seams, and cannot eliminate one last little bias ripple without compromising those beautiful lines... You are presented with a choice. The patterning is fixed, so what else can you do?

Well, one option is to consider this: the simplest way to reduce those last bias ripples in a corset is to add more vertical support.

Figure 10

Whilst creating a refined pattern should be the starting point for any corsetiere, the use of steels to help create shape and smoothness should not be ignored as it is a very interesting option. This can be as simple as adding one additional steel down the centre of your panel so that it helps pull the bias ripple taut; as brief as adding a few short diagonal steels at the side-bust to help maintain a forward thrust; or as elaborate as creating a fully-boned corset, inspired by Victorian pieces and/or older stays.

Be mindful of the purpose of your steels when you choose their placement and number. A common option is to double-bone each seam for support and strength, but it is sometimes viewed as a “cure all” option... whilst double-boning does have its uses, if your corset is rippling across the panels adding an extra steel at the seams won't do much to help.

For another example of refined boning placement, look to Victorian and Edwardian corsets. Their elaborate cuts are often reinforced by vertical steels running over seams, gussets and gores. Clever placement of steels can support gussets/gores, in particular, in two main ways.

1) The steels run either side of the gussets, providing structure to that seam.
2) The steels run over seams and through the gussets, focussing on maintaining vertical support.

So if you were to smooth out and shape your front hip by way of gores (as per figure 6), you may find that supporting the gore on either side works better than with a steel running straight through it, or vice versa. Figure 11 shows a 2009 corset adapted from a popular pattern in which the steels run through the hip gores, diagonally through the side-bust across the gore seam, and either side of the bust gores (though not as close to the gores as they could have been, for better support). Experiment at the toile stage, to see what steel placement gives you the best results.

Figure 11You will also want to consider the type of steel you use (ie: flat or spiral) and its qualities (width, thickness, etc.). For example, if you are attempting a boxy and dramatic hip shaping (as shown in the corset-dress in figure 7), you may create a 7 piece panel, refining each seam for clever curves over the front hip... if you then place a very strong flat steel down the seam, you may well have undone all your good work.

Whether you have many steels or few, think carefully about their type and placement.

I, of course, love to use many steels. Figure 12 shows an underbust toile for my friend V. The fit was perfectly as we wanted, all that was needed was to smooth out and refine the top and bottom edges as desired. But you can see a few ripples around the side waist and over the top of the front hip. We did not want any extra seams and so the panels are reasonably wide, contributing to these issues. How did we eliminate those ripples?

The answer is tied up in the overall design. Knowing that this corset was to be a fully-boned Victorian-inspired piece, no changes were required in order to obtain a good, smooth fit. Practice and observation had taught me that our intended construction choice would iron out the toile's kinks and that no alterations were therefore required. Carefully consider your final corset's construction when making toiles.

Figure 12

Figures 13 and 14 show how the completed corset, with spirals in place, has smoothed out nicely.

Figure 13Figure 14

Figure 15

ADVANCED NOTE: It must also be noted that your steels must fit well. Steels that are much too short will have the effect, over time, of allowing the fabric to collapse slightly. As it collapses, you may find bias ripples or stress wrinkles returning.This lilac/cream overbust (figure 15) gives another example of the effective use of refined patterning and numerous vertical supports. You may notice that whilst the upper half of the front seams have a diagonal slope, the lower half are much closer to vertical. This is an example of our first “quick fix” meeting a fully-boned construction, for good overall results. The two approaches (improved patterning and clear support choices) work hand-in-hand.

In this Cranberry satin corset (figures 16 and 17), you can see that I have taken my steel placement and number even further. This exceptionally curvy sample corset has refined seam placement. As in figure 15, the lower half of the seams are almost vertical, whilst the upper half slope in order to echo the “V” lace placement and visually narrow the waist.

The cranberry corset is a great example of how patterning, fabrication, and construction must all work hand-in-hand.

Improved patterning gives that tricky front-hip section of the corset smoothness. But if it weren't for the sturdy construction and wealth of steels, this corset would still feature a few of the same bias ripples as my earlier examples. Why? Satin ripples. It just does. The thinner/finer your satin and the more delicate your interlining/interfacing, the more this is likely to happen. If you want to use satins well, you need to do something differently to when using other fabrics. Heavier boning, heavier interfacing, fusing to a strength layer... these are just a couple of the options available for exploration and as you study you will choose your favourites.

Figure 16Figure 17

A wealth of steels can also be applied in external casings, to great effect. I find, however, that the small amount of distance between each steel generally adds up to the width of perhaps one extra steel per panel. Ie: it actually isn't as heavily boned as it could be. The result being that you don't perhaps get as much vertical support as you may have wanted. Depending on your aims, this may or may not matter to you, but it is certainly something to be aware of.

Figure 18

You can see in figure 18 (beneath the exterior casings) that our annoying diagonal bias ripple at the front hip has once again emerged! This is due to the following factors:

1)    The corset is a standard size (ie: not made to fit the mannequin smoothly).
2)    The corset is made of satin coutil. As mentioned above satin ripples, it just does, even satin coutil.

Remember that your fabrication choices should also influence your patterning and construction choices.

Vertical Rigidity through Other Means

“Extra vertical support” doesn't only have to be the added support of steels... If your beloved pattern retains a couple of bias ripples that you cannot shift and the fully-boned technique is not for you, then consider other methods of adding support.

You will be aware of cording, quilting, and the like for adding rigidity and support, and know that these are options. The level of rigidity you get will depend upon a variety of factors. For example, corded panels backed with card may hold a flatter shape than panels corded with only string. Quilted gussets with 2 layers of soft coutil may not be as firm as gussets with one layer coutil and one layer thick canvas.

This brings us back to the idea, again, that an identical pattern will function differently if constructed/boned differently. Figure 19 shows two of my own corsets. I lace quite tightly, but only as occasional wear, and have a soft plus-size physique. These two corsets are cut from the one toile, so essentially they are cut to give an almost identical shape and fit. But when worn, they behave differently, and this difference becomes more pronounced with increased wear. Can you guess where the differences occurred and what I learnt about structure and support?

Figure 19

Let's start at the bust.

You may imagine that the corded bust gussets of the grey piece would add extra support. Well yes, they added extra rigidity to the bust itself... but immediately beneath those gussets, the corset relied only on a couple of soft spiral steels for its structure. Light steel support combined with the placement of a seam directly beneath the bust equates (over time) to a weakening at this area as the weight of the bust pushes down. The bust area itself may be more sturdy, but the vertical strength required to hold the bust up from below is not sufficient. This, of course, is not an issue on smaller or firmer individuals, and the patterning can be used on larger figures, it simply requires modification and/or additional steel support. The blue corset, by comparison, had many steels running full-length, and so the bust remains secure and supportive.

Patterning, fabrication, and support from steels, etc. do not work in isolation. Even when the overall fit and shaping are identical, different constructions will give different results. The construction and type of support affects the fit.

Now let's look to the waist and hips.

The corded gusset of the grey piece gave a waist-to-hip area that was pretty sturdy and which, predictably, had no bias ripples having been cut as a separate piece. The blue corset, however, only has one extra steel down the centre of panel 3, our danger panel! As I like a pretty dramatic waist reduction, this was not enough support and the panel developed creases on our danger hotspot. It also indicates that if I want to keep my 6 panel pattern, I will need to add much more support to the area (either by fully-boning the corset or cording the whole panel). Alternatively, I could alter the pattern entirely, following one of the 5 options discussed in part 1 (most probably, adding extra seams).

What does this teach us overall? I'll reiterate it again, as I feel it's so important:

Everything must be considered together for a balanced and refined effect.

The client's physique, the desired aesthetic and resultant construction, the fabrication, the end use of the garment, the vertical support, any other types of rigidity... These things need to be in balance, which means making the appropriate choices or compromises for each corset. As I have mentioned many times before, I love both fully-boned and sheer minimally-boned corsetry (and not much in-between, oddly). But loving them both doesn't make them both suitable for me as a wearer. So it follows, that we will all have our own preferences and experiences unique to us as makers and/or wearers that inform our work, and influence who we get as clients.

How Fabric Affects Vertical Rigidity

Along with steels, cording, quilting, etc., I would class using a firmer fabric, such as spot broche or super-fine German herringbone coutil, as adding extra vertical support. If you refer back to figure 7 and my article The Six Rules of Good Corsetry: a simple example you will recall that spot broche coutil holds a lovely smooth shape with a minimum of fuss. I believe it to be one of the most functional and effective corsetry fabrics. What can we observe at the other end of the scale?

I have already hinted at the issues surrounding satin, so let's look at a direct comparison from toile to corset.

Figure 20 shows a 7 panel pattern made up into a canvas toile and pinned around an appropriately curvy mannequin. The effect is rather smooth and lovely at this stage. We've added a seam giving more points for shaping and narrower panels (as discussed in option 2). We've taken the seams below the waist closer to vertical (as discussed in option 4), whilst still maintaining some pretty sloping lines. The sizing is standard for a gentle and easy cinch, and the tummy is flattened for modern tastes. In short, we have done everything right to improve this pattern.

Figure 20Figure 21

But make this corset in satin without proper reinforcement (figure 21), and the nature of the fabric will spoil the clean lines you worked so hard to create.

I'm all about experimentation, remember, and this satin was sold as being corsetry-specific. It was, however, not at all crisp enough to be used without another coutil backing in my opinion. Not all satin coutils are created equal, and even the best satin coutils can ripple.

Were this design re-made in plain coutil or broche, those ripples would disappear. These two fabrics have their own particular stiffness and firmness that help create a smoother sturdier shape. If a satin finish was desired and complete smoothness was important, additional features such as extra boning, cording, quilting, or heavy interfacing would perhaps be required.

A NOTE ON FABRIC GRAIN: I have always had best results keeping the grain parallel or perpendicular to the waistline of the corset. I have seen others, however, make good use of grain by having it run down the length of each panel instead. If you have a pattern that is not to be altered and don't wish to add additional boning, try shifting the grainline in this way and see if it helps reduce bias rippling. Don't forget that you will need your waist support (eg: waist tape) more than ever if your panels are cut on the bias at the waist-line.

Specificity to the Wearer/Client

Figure 22As touched upon in my own example, the firmness of the individual wearing the corset also makes a difference.

If we look to another couple of early bespoke-fit samples, you will see how much of an effect the relative firmness of a torso can have...

The green corset in figure 22 was one of my earliest bespoke-fit practice pieces. Goodness, how I hate these corsets now! I choice to make it alongside the red corset in figure 23 as the two ladies in question had identical measurements. The red corset has a couple more steels and its fashion layer is interfaced, but otherwise they are identically constructed. On the green corset, you can see quite bad bias ripples on the front hip.

In the red corset, these ripples are almost gone. The extra couple of steels and use of an interfacing for the fashion fabric certainly helped, but the biggest perceivable difference (when comparing them in person) was the relative firmness of the wearers' torsos. A firmer torso gives for a smoother line in lightly boned corsets.

So, we can see that the softness/firmness of a figure can potentially make a particular client best suited to a particular type of corsetry. For new businesses, this may be something to consider as you outline your target client and dream about the sort of work you want to create. Here are some ideas/examples to think through:

 

Figure 23

• If your target client-type is going to want super-modern tightlaced shaping with a sharp, dramatic hipspring, then you might be able to assume that vertical seaming/patterning will give you great results with the least difficulty.
• If your client-type is going to want very mild reduction and shaping, perhaps for bridal, then seam placement can be pretty much however you wish it to be. Perhaps your brand's key aesthetic will be unusually seamed corsetry.
• If your client-type is plus-size and female, then you might be able to establish that sturdy bust support is absolutely key to your business. Perhaps you will focus on details such as flat steels at the side-bust, panels that are corded along the full-length, or layered fabrication to strengthen the area.

Summary

The purpose of these two articles is not to explain the best way to get smooth shaping over the front hip... The purpose is to encourage you to find the techniques and materials which work best for your corsetry.

I know which effects (and therefore which methods) I love best, but which will become your favourites? Which of the styles of patterning that we've discussed will give the shaping you adore? Which methods of vertical support will work best with that patterning, and does it correspond aesthetically to the sort of garments you hope to create?

By tackling a relatively small detail (the smoothness of the front hip) we have been able to look at lots of wider issues. Explore your patterning to find the details signature to your work and to learn which approaches work best with different fabrics, constructions, and body types.  

I hope these articles have been of some help in demonstrating various approaches to patterning and their potential benefits and pitfalls. If you are having difficulty with any other danger areas on your corsets, please do let us know at Foundations Revealed and we will try to address them in future articles.

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