“The word corset derives from ancient French cors – a diminutive of the latin word corpus, i.e. “body”. Lesley Scott.

Corsets consist of garments whose usage is aimed at the upper part of the body. Traditionally produced in fabric, they may be made up of one or many layers and are set up with many bones (stainless steel stalks appropriate for orthopedic use) and adjusted with the aid of eyelets (holes with metal edges through which the back lacing passes), in order to provide changes in the human body’s natural silhouette.

Even though many civilizations of antiquity had the habit of marking the silhouette with bands or lacings, the corset evolved effectively from the XVI century on, during the Tudor dynasty, and in the Elizabethan period. The corsets’ silhouette up to the Georgian period, in the XVIII century, was conic, the pieces ended at the waist and did not cover the area of the flanks.

The hourglass silhouette was introduced in the Victorian period and remained up to 1900. In the Edwardian era the notion in the Victoria period of an extremely demure and fragile woman started to give way to a more mature and active version that demanded more mobility and a posture marked by an upright bust. The corset acquired then a flat front – and the hourglass shape was discontinued.

After 1914, the European lifestyle underwent a thorough change due to World War I. The garment’s mobility and objectivity became essential: the female silhouette took up a more natural shape. After the 1930s, the corset, as we know until then, started to disappear, giving place to less structured pieces (that we can associate more precisely with the girdles that are still available in the market).

In 1947, the Dior’s New Look revived the marked silhouette, and with it, the corset’s whole feminility. In 1980 the corset arose as a key item in the works of fashion designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood. Since then, this piece has always been present in the world of women’s clothing.

The materials used in the production of the corsets have also gone through the same evolution. In its very early days, many elements were used to offer the support that was deemed to be necessary at the time, such as iron, wood, ebony and even whale bones – now we only use the term “bones”.

Such materials, associated with modeling that only rarely was anatomical, originated very uncomfortable pieces. Hence the myth that wearing corset was deemed to be an ordeal and that they could never be comfortably worn.

Corsetry has evolved hand in hand with technological development and nowadays it is constituted of modern and orthopedic materials that offer safety, comfort and countless possibilities for the elaboration of its design, whose historical and aesthetical importance is matchless.

The Corset allows the valuing of the female body’s dimensions, highlighting or minimizing specific spots of the body. For this reason our corsets are customized.

Only through the assessment of each client’s measurements it is possible to identify what the real needs are and then offer the best result.

Through its customized modeling and differentiated structure, our Corsets redefine the silhouette and reduce waist circumference, keeping the central area of the abdomen completely uptight, raising and highlighting breast volume, increasing the contrast between the torso and the buttocks.

Through a reversed process, it is also possible to deal with the concept of volume reduction and offer total support to very large breasts and also conceal the hips, for instance. Everything by means of special and exclusive modelings.

That is, the modelling and structure of each Corset built in our workshop are made to highlight the best characteristics of each one of our clients.

It is essential to inform your measurements correctly so that your corset fits you perfectly and provides you with the best result for your body. Though simple, it is a work that demands attention and dedication.

In order to take the horizontal measurements, the measuring tape should not be tight nor loose.

In order to take the Vertical measurements, the measuring tape should remain stiff and straight and should not follow the body curvature.

You can take your measurements at home by yourself: you just need to have a measuring tape, a mirror, something you can employ to mark your waistline (a little ribbon or a string) and paper and pen to take notes.

With these materials at hand you just need to follow the information and guides below, item by item. Thus it is impossible to make mistakes.

For further help, we created a chart with the average relation between height and vertical measurements indicated.

This relation is not a rule: some people have a torso more or less elongated than others, and precisely because we are aware of these diferences that we believe in the process of customized corsets.

The aim of this chart, however, is to guide the glance toward ideal lenghts which are similar in people of the same height. The variations, when they occur, range slightly within these patterns:

Just in case you still need help, get in touch with us through e-mail informing us of your doubts: contato@rosesathler.com OR FORWARD (YOUR MESSAGE) TO THE CONTACT FIELD

1) Before beginning, make sure the corset lacing is completely taut. Afterwards, wrap the piece around your body and start closing the busk, fitting the center of the circular fasteners into the corresponding studs.

In case the corset contains Lacing Guard (back panel), place it correctly before starting the adjustment of the lacing.

In case you have our Smart Liner accessory, it is not necessary to worry about the placement during the adjustment of the piece. It is only necessary to put on the accessory before initiating the whole process.

2) The whole adjustment of the corset must be made from the two lacing loops located in the waist area.

3) In order to facilitate the adjustment and obtain greater controlon thelacing pressure, do not pull the loops all at once. The correct way is to pull the lower ends simultaneously and subsequently pull the upper loopends.

Start by adjusting the lower part of the corset, pulling the lower ends of both loops.

4) Do the same way to adjust the upper part of the corset, pulling just the upper ends of the loops.

This area must be moderately adjusted in order to preserve the comfort at the moment of breathing.

5) After the adjustment of the upper and lower parts of the corset is made, make the first loop with the remains of the lace and pull its ends to concentrate and intensify the pressure of the lacing on the level of the waistline.

6) Conclude the adjustment with a loop.

7) Always respect the limits of your body at the moment of the adjustment. When the corset is too tight it can be harmful to blood circulation and can affect respiratory capacity. In case of doubt, get in touch. It is always a pleasure to assist you.

Yes, the lacing in the back is the mechanism responsible for providing the corset pressure on the body by means of the adjustment. It is a paramount trait of this piece. Therefore, all models necessarily have back lacing.

Before putting your corset away, extend its lacing to the fullest, in such a way as to facilitate the process when putting it on again.

Pre-molded cups tend to crease after being pressed for very long. Thus, when storing Overbust Corsets with cup, make sure they are perfectly taut inside the box.

The usage of a Corset Liner or Smart Liner LINKunder the corset protecs the piece from the direct contact with body transpiration, avoiding thus constant washing.

Be especially careful when handling embroidered pieces or pieces produced in Satin, Silk and laces that overlap the fabric.

Bone Casings are outer channels through which the bones are inserted in the corset. Generally they are applied in colors that constrast the color of the fabric of the piece’s model. For this reason they represent a very interesting aesthetic resource.

In functional terms, the Bone Casings may contribute to enhance the corset’s durability: when they are employed, the layers involving the bones are more numerous and they make the piece’s wear and tear more difficult.

Cording is a technique that originated from quilting – a type of embroidery, widely employed in garments since the XVIII century. It consists in the insertion of a cord in a little space created when seaming fabric layers.

In quilting, the aim is to create designs with the aid of the texture offered by the cord volume.

Besides constituting an adornment in historical corsetry, the cording technique was widely employed not only for stabilizing the pressure of the corset’s panels, in that it aids its structure to offer greater support for strategic areas, but also for increasing the piece’s durability.

Flossings are a type of decorative embroidery that, in historical corsetry, performed the function of holding the edges of the bones in order to make sure they remained in the suitable position.

Widely used, the flossings presented countless shapes and styles. In contemporary corsetry they are utilized solely as a decorative element.

The so-called Edwardian Hips are a modelling trait of certain corsets whose hip area (the lower side area of the piece) is more elongated than the conventional one.

They bear this name for they are a corsetry legacy of the Edwardian Era (1901-1910), when the Corsets, like all other garments, went through a deep change in their existing style at the time.

One of the most striking traits of Edwardian corsetry was the hips’ elongated shape, which was unusual in the previous Era – the Victorian.

In contemporary Corsetry, the elongated hips are used to offer greater support for the flank area.

Panels are the fabric cuts that together make up a corset. A traditional contemporary corset contains in average 10 panels, a number that may vary for more or even for less, depending on its style.

The definition of the panels is made during the piece’s modeling process. The measurements and needs of the client, along with the style of the corset, are paramount for the elaboration.

Each panel has to be constituted of one or various layers of fabric and other materials. The number of layers depends basically on the corset’s proposal. Some pieces may contain only one layer of fabric or other material per panel. In this case, the material’s resistance and the necessity of insertion of reinforcements – that fulfill the role of making the corset durable- must be assessed.

A corset with many layers per panel is not necessarily superior to a corset with few layers per panel and vice-versa. Its support, resistance and durability depend on a series of factors.

For basic corsets produced in 100% cotton fabrics or synthetic fabrics, use the information below:

1º: Wash the corsets separately.

2º: Washing should be conducted on a very sunny day and preferably in hot weather.

3º: Fill a container with water and add half a lid  of liquid soap (preferably low-duty detergent). Completely dissolve the soap in the water.

4º: Dip the corset in soapy water and rub the piece lightly with hands open. Don’t concentrate strength on any specific part of the piece. The movements must always be very light and delicate.

5º: Rinse the corset very well in clean water until there are no soap remains.

6º: Fill a washbin with water and add ¼ of a lid of concentrated clothes softener.

7º: Dip the corset a few times into the water with softener.

8º: Rinse again in clean water in order to remove all residues.

9º:Don’t wring the corset, just press it lightly in order to remove the excess of water.Don’t press/crease the cup.

10º: Let it dry in the shade.

Leather pieces should not be washed. Use a dry cloth for sanitization.

Avoid washing pieces that contain embroidery and laces.

Some specific pieces should not be washed or demand a lot of care when doing it. In order to make sure that your piece can be safely washed, get in touch.