Basque and Corsets Guide by Sex Expert Katie Lasson

Basques and corsets are support garments worn around the torso to train and hold it into the desired shape and can be used to support the breast. While the two are often mistaken for each other, they possess structural or constructive differences. A corset, for example, comes with boning and has laces at the back. Basques lack boning and lacing and hug your natural shape. For more about these support garments, herein is a buying guide to basques and corsets, including; types, factors to consider, and how to use them.

What Are Basques And Corsets?

Some people often wonder what the difference is between corsets and basques because structurally, they bear numerous similarities. This post will outline the pros of each to help you select the style that will best work for you.

Basques and corsets are women's garments worn around the torso to support the breast or train the torso into a desired shape, usually resembling the hourglass figure, as Bendall (2022) described. Both cover up the abdomen and stomach areas, which concerns most women. However, the key difference between the two is that a basque has more cups than a corset and is likely to offer more support. A basque cup will help retain the chest in its place, especially when lying down. A corset has fewer cups and leaves a lot of room for sitting, standing, and changing positions.

Other differences between the two pieces of garments include:

• Basques have more straps than corsets.
• Structurally, corsets have boning and lacing at the back, so they are likely to cinch your waist into the desired shape.
• Corsets come with necklines that help define a woman's chest. However, if your chest is huge and you don't want to expose it, opt for a basque because it doesn't have a neckline.

Why Do People Use Corsets And Basques?

The corsets and the basques enhance the body shape by making the waist seem smaller. The corset, however, goes beyond making the waist seem smaller. The corset is worn to train the torso until the wearer achieves the desired shape. Sometimes the intention is to make the butt bigger or the waist smaller. It is possible to make the butt and the hips bigger with a corset by making the waist smaller. There are two types of corsets:

Types of Corsets

The overbust corset

The overbust corset is worn from under the arms, over the bust, and ends at the hips.

The underbust corset

The corset starts from under the bust and ends at the hips.

Corsets and basques are popular among women who want 'curves in the right places without dieting and going to the gym. Beauty standards are not always set on the face. Some cultures expect a beautiful woman to have a slim waist and a huge bottom. The reality is that not every woman can have that small waist naturally. You must keep the corset on for hours to get the desired shape if you want the waist and bottoms permanently. Any restrictive wear can change your body.

The basque can give you a temporary body shape. Martijn et al. (2013) revealed that Somebasques are worn over the clothes as if they were a coat. They hug you and give you a waist you never thought you'd have. In the past, the basques were as restrictive as the corsets, but they would not give you an exaggerated look. The basque may be made of lighter material, but it also skims and hugs the waist like the corset, but it is not as restrictive as a corset. The basque comes with an underwire bra and is a long fit that stops at the waist. You can wear it as sexy bedroom wear. They are known as the merry widow when the basques come with garters to hold your stockings.

Types of Corsets and Basques

Special types of corsets and basques can be modified with other pieces of clothing such as underwear to become outwear. The main part of such modifications is to incorporate boning. Nonetheless, people have rounded up some of the common types of corsets and basques.

Hourglass Basques And Corsets

According to Christie-Robbin et al. (2012), an hourglass basque corset is crucial to women seeking to attain an hourglass body figure. The typical corset design has been around for centuries and helps train or hold the torso to achieve a thin waist. This garment style has unconstrained low ribs that help tuck your waist inwards. Often, it comes with a sweet-heart design from the neckline inwards and is ideal for flexibility and comfort.

Bondage Corsets

In bondage fetishes, restricting movement is key; hence, a corset dress can produce similar restrictive movements as a hobble skirt. A bondage corset resembles the ordinary one and can cover the torso and legs partially or completely. A sub wearing this type of corset will experience difficulty walking or sitting because the boning will make it too stiff.

Neck Corsets

A neck corset is a diversion from what a true corset is thought to be. However, a neck corset is a type of neck collar designed to improve the wearer's posture, as Koda (2004) stated. Its design does not guarantee long-term results, but it is worn to help adjust and pull the neck towards the head. Its main purpose is to allow minimal neck movements.

Curve Corset

This corset makes your body's chest protrude, with the hips slightly pushed backward. The result is that the torso adopts an elongated S shape. This corset is thought to be among the most restrictive ones because of the restrictive busk at the front.

Factors to Consider When Purchasing Basques And Corsets

Size of The Garment

Corsets come in various shapes and sizes to suit waists and body types. Also, like any other piece of garment, there is no one-size-fits-all option forbasques and corsets. That said, you should aim to choose a corset that fits your torso to achieve the desired effect. For instance, a small corset may cause injuries, making uncomfortable wearing it.

Price Point

The price of basques and corsets varies from one manufacturer to the other. Certain factors like size, brand, and type ultimately determine what price to put down. Therefore, conduct your due diligence by comparing prices before entering your preferred brand store.

The Material Used

According to Shin (2009), traditionally, corsets and basques were made from leather and incorporated with boning to offer support. Others were crafted from rigid clothing to hold the torso. However, today's basques and corsets are made from different lightweight materials and reinforced with leather. The material you select determines comfort, the price, and how easily you achieve the desired results.

How to Use Basques and Corsets

Corsets are made from a stiff material and reinforced with ribs or boning to offer support. Traditional corsets were often made using 100% leather. Plastics reinforce modern corsets and basques, with others using spiral steel and artificial whalebone material. The most commonly known uses of basques and corsets are in fashion and the world of fetishism.

• Fashion: Corsets are used to train or hold the torso into a slim figure that conforms to a  fashionable silhouette. Women are obsessed with achieving a reduced waist that exaggerates the bottoms and hips.
• Fetish: Basques and corsets are used in fetishism, most notably in BDSM sex play. The submissive partner may pot on a corset and have it laced tightly to expose the breast and the vulva when conducting bondage sex activities.

Safety Tips

• Listen to your body when strapping or lacing yourself.
• Start slow when training your waist.
• Use the right size to avoid discomfort.

Frequently Asked Questions about Basques and Corsets

What is the Difference Between Basques and Corsets?

Some people think you can use corset and basque interchangeably, but that is incorrect. Some people also think every wear meant to shape the torso is called a corset.While both the corset and the basque do the same role, like giving the wearer a better body shape by slimming down the waist. The following are more differences between the corset and the basque;

• The corset has laces at its back, while the basque has hooks and eyes for fastening.
• The corset is made of rigid material, while the basque is a flexible material. The corset is, therefore, firmer and sturdier than the basque.
• The corset clinches the waist while the basque fits closely on the natural body. The basque does not clinch the waist.

Will Corsets Modify My Waist?

A  good corset with a proper steel frame helps a woman get that hourglass figure they desire. You may wear a corset when attending the gym. The process of modifying the waist is known as waist training. You can waist-train while your gym and diet if you want quicker results. The corset makes the waist smaller by squeezing the waist until it submits. The wearer should wear the corset for at least 8 hours daily but not more than 12 hours. There is a marketing gimmick about how corsets reduce waste weight, but you cannot spot-reduce weight, and the corset will not help you lose weight unless you work out or diet, or your diet and work out. The corsets squeeze the organs within the space that the corsets have allowed them to 'live'. The organs must change and adjust to their new unnatural 'home'.

Does Wearing Corsets Too Much Cause Organ Damage

Wearing the corsets too much causes the organs to re-organize. The new arrangement may not be life-threatening and cannot cause any harm because the organs remain as they are, although in a different position. The squeezed organs do not worry anyone because the body is meant to be flexible, and if the body were meant to be rigid, women would not be able to carry pregnancies. The organs have to shift during pregnancy as the bump grows, which happens when you wear corsets excessively. Coupled with acid reflux, that's likely to happen when you excessively wear the corset-like the pregnant woman getting digestion issues as the pregnancy advances. You will have digestion issues because the corset will squeeze the intestines, leading to serious heartburn, as Tatyana, O., &Berezovskaya (2019) suggested. Some people have reported feeling faint, but nothing alarming can come from wearing corsets.

Will Corsets Show Under an Outfit?

Like any other undergarment, everyone will know if it does not fit right. It depends on the fabric of what you have worn. The corset is ill-fitting if you are in a woolen garment, and the corset shows. The weight of the fabric matters. That is expected if the fabric is a sheer fabric showing. You must invest in better-fitting corsets if you do not want people to know about your corset secret.

Are There plus size Basques and Corsets

The fashion world and manufacturers ignored the plus-sized woman. The plus-sized woman yearning for weight in the right places was advised to hit the gym and diet. The plus-sized lingerie has grown with time, and what the medium-sized and the petite women have in their wardrobe, the plus-sized woman can have too.

The Bottom Line

Women's empowerment is not only in the level of education but also in fashion. Wear corsets and basques to stand out in a nice figure. Consider corsets like overbust and underbust corsets to show breasts and boost confidence. Consider safety tips and use when wearing corsets and basques. Wear a bondage corset if you like bondage sex plays with your partner. Plus-size women are not forgotten, for there's a corset for their curvy shape. 

References

Bendall, S. A. (2022). Whalebone And The Wardrobe Of Elizabeth I. Whaling And The Making Of Aristocratic Fashions In Sixteenth-Century Europe. Appearance (S).

Christie-Robin, J., Orzada, B. T., &López-Gydosh, D. (2012). From Bustles To Bloomers: Exploring The Bicycle's Influence On American Women's Fashion, 1880–1914. The Journal Of American Culture, 35(4), 315-331.

Koda, H. (2004). Extreme Beauty: The Body Transformed. Metropolitan Museum Of Art.

Martijn, C., Barkham, S., &Barkham, M. (2003). Basques? Beothuk? Inuit? Innu? Or St. Lawrence Iroquoians? The Whalers On The 1546 Desceliers Map, Seen Through The Eyes Of Different Beholders. Newfoundland Studies, 19(1), 187-206.

Shin, K. W. K. (2009). The Origins And Evolution Of The Bra. The University Of Northumbria At Newcastle (United Kingdom).

Tatyana, O., &Berezovskaya, E. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-What Is It, Symptoms And Treatment Of Herb, Proper Diet. Gastroesophageal Reflux: Symptoms, Treatment, And Diet What Is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Treatment.