Bone (corsetry)

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In corsetry, a bone is one of the rigid parts of a corset that forms its frame and gives it rigidity.

[edit] Purpose, History and Materials

The purpose of the boning in a corset varies slightly from era to era. Generally, the cinching/shaping properties of corsetry puts strain onto the fabric from which the corset is made. The boning supports the desired shape and prevents wrinkling of the corset fabric. Bones, and the substances used for the purpose, are often generically called boning.

The corsets of the 16th through 18th century (called "stays", "bodies" or "corps")were intended to mold the upper torso into a rigid cone like shape. The earliest corsets had a wooden busk placed down the center fronts of the corsets. (These early busks were different from the newer, steel busks which have clasps to open and close.) Corsets of the 17th and 18th century were most often heavily boned with little or no space between the bone channels. This was necessary to force the body to conform to the desired shape of the era. At the time the most popular materials used for the boning were reeds or whalebone.

The early 19th century brought a very different style of corset (still called "stays"). A return to the natural or classical form was embraced by fashion and for the first time in history the bust was separated. To achieve and enhance the separation of the bust the "busk" was used. The busk was essentially a large rigid "Popsicle stick" shaped bone inserted into a casing down the center front of the corset. These busks were made from either wood, ivory, bone or baleen and were often elaborately carved and given as gifts. It was most often the only bone within corsets of this type as what other required shaping was provided by cut of the pattern and enhanced with cording (cotton or similar cords within casings). The cording of the early 19th century corsets (stays) was often very elaborate, and there are many beautiful corded stays to be found within museums.

The mid 19th century brought more complex corsets (no longer called stays) and tighter lacing which required more boning to create the desired shape. The modern busk was popular allowing corsets to easily open in the front. Steel and baleen (whalebone) were the dominant materials for boning and were occasionally used in unison. By the fourth quarter of the 19th century Baleen (whalebone) was growing increasingly more expensive and becoming more difficult to acquire. This encouraged experimentation into types of materials used for boning. Some of the most popular alternatives were cork strips, cording, watchspring steel, Coraline, and Featherbone. Coraline was "manufactured from natural fibers of the Mexican Ixtle plant and consisted of strait, stiff fibers bound together by two strands of thread passing in opposite directions". Featherbone was manufactured from the quills of feathers. The extremely rigid and elongated torso popular in the 1880s - early 1890s required extensive boning to support and enhance the steam molded and starched corsets of the period.

By the late 1890s a newer, lighter, shorter style of corset was becoming popular to usher in the new century. Simpler shapes and styles enhanced with much less boning than the previous decade. This style of corset quickly evolved into the beautifully complex early Edwardian style corsets. These corsets of about 1901-1908 rely heavily on the complex cut of the pattern to create and enhance the shape. Boning was used wholly for the support of the shape created by the cut of the fabric. Bones were most commonly steel at this point and often placed in pairs within casings that disregarded the placement of the corset's seams. By the 1910s the cut of corsets had become longer though less complex and boning in corsets becomes only necessary to keep the corset smooth and un-wrinkled. By the mid 1910s - 1930s the emphasis is placed on comfort and the rigid steel boning is almost completely replaced by the more flexible spiral steel boning.

Today, many corsets use plastic, nylon or Rigilene boning, although steel is still favoured for high-quality corsets. Plastic bones do not have the strength required for tightlacing and are known to warp and bend often in unflattering ways. Many modern bodices, strapless gowns and lingerie use a variety of plastic boning because it is much less expensive to use.

Modern steel bones come in two basic varieties- "flat", "enamel" or "rigid" steel boning, and "spiral" steel boning (Both varieties are actually flat, though the spiral can be a bit thicker because of the tips required on the ends). "Flat" or "enamel" steel boning bends in only one direction, while spiral steel boning bends easily in two directions. Spiral steel boning may thus be used on curved channels or where a more gentle support is aceptable. Both varieties are rigid top-to-bottom; that is, the length of the bone will remain consistent. This is necessary for the bone to fulfil its function of keeping the corset in its intended shape.

There is much debate by modern corsetmakers as to which type and size of modern steel boning is preffered. For those unable to procure steel boning, there are several options, depending on the style of the corset which you desire to make. Cable ties (found in 36, 48, and 52 inch lengths) from Home Depot work well if steel is not found.