Doing lots of sketches can really help refine an idea. You can also get a half-scale dressmaker's dummy and try out designs on that, which uses up much less fabric.

Thankyou , I always forget to add that factor in! I think I'm going to have to try a lot of different styles before I figure it out for myself though. I have a very tactile / visual way of learning so I think it will take a while for things to sink in .

I wonder if the length of the corset changes how the body looks too though - a sort of optical illusion, rather than shape just meaning the squige and bone factor. How high the neckline is...what shape it is, what shape the bottom bit is, if there are straps...their width, that sort of thing. What sorts of designs are on the corset, and where they are placed. Which colours and where (for instance I read that lighter colours made an area on the body look bigger). When experimenting on my outline I was looking at those factors a lot. I found that halter-neck straps make my shoulders look very broad, whereas a sort of shawl / triangular strap / sleeves make them look slimmer. Also the bottom edge of the 'corset' length and shape, changed how long my torso looked and the width of my hips / curve of my stomach (oddly). Trying to figure out where the cut-offs should be to make the body look balanced rather than top or bottom heavy. Unfortunately I don't have much squige to me, and a small bust, so will probably have to be very creative when trying to make it look curvier. I've read that tassles and things along the top edge can make small breasts look bigger, or to draw attention away, to have more detailing on the bottom than the top. Those are the kinds of things I'm looking at at the moment. I will need to trawl the internet for things like trinny and suzannas rules and wisdom though *sigh*, but hopefully I'll end up with a better idea of how to make / design / pick corsets that are flattering in every way possible.

If anyone is interested in my newer "paint homework" it's here, if only for a visual example of what I mean -

[img size=small]

[/img]

[img size=small]

[/img]

(p.s. I used the design of the corset called "the flirt" from popantique.com on one of them, because I love it, but I've put the website where it's from, so people can find it easily. I take absolutely no credit )

I don't know that there are hard and fast rules. A lot has to do not just with how your body looks outside of a corset but how much you can reshape it with a corset. Some people have very firm ribs, so even if their waists reduce it must spring out very quickly to cup the ribs (I remember that style being very big a few years ago). Others can get a smooth line from the bust to a very narrow waist (Sparklewren's house silhouette is in this style). Some people have a very sudden hip spring and must accommodate, others have more play there. So that's a big part of what's going to look good and feel comfortable.

I think a lot of the rest is knowing what is going to fit your body within your particular tastes. If you want a huge archive of corsets on people, the topic|eyecandy tag on the Corsetmakers LJ has everything from raw beginners trying out their first corsets to really incredible professional photoshoots. It might be worth just browsing through a bit just to see what works and what doesn't. (Any corset made from a published pattern should also be tagged with the pattern name (tags live at the bottom of the post), otherwise it's probably an original draft.)

I did the homework that was suggested in "Fitting: The Secret Skill" and found out that I have a longer torso and shorter legs than standard. I wonder if this is why the typical corset makes me look a bit weird.

I've taken my outline and started doodling on it to see which shapes / lengths suit me better, but I'm finding it quite hard.

Does anyone know of any resources that detail which corset shapes (neckline, length, pattern, boning shapes) that compliment different body types? I've been researching on the internet about clothes and body shape in general, but I was wondering if there is anything specific out there, or if anyone has any personal insight into it?

I think that this would be particularly useful for those who are making corsets for lots of people.

Thanks
Lith

p.s. here are is my homework and the first doodles to show you what I mean

[img size=small]

[/img]

[img size=small]

[/img]