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Below are some points to consider when evaluating a corset, be it a mid-price model ($40-$80) or the high-priced spread ($150 and up).
TWELVE THINGS TO LOOK AT WHEN PURCHASING A CORSET:
(1) Does it actually SHAPE you, or is it just for show? We've seen a lot of things billed as "corsets" that don't reshape the body at all due to stretch panels, wimpy plastic boning/no boning, etc.
(2) Does it have a steel busk down the front, or does it have lacings, a zipper, or hook and eye tape? All of the latter three are less expensive alternatives to a busk. Any of the latter three are OK if they have 1/2" steel boning on both sides of the closure to make it rigid. [A busk has two parts: one has heavy steel loops attached to a strip of 1/2" steel boning, and the other has heavy steel pins attached to a strip of 1/2" steel boning.]
(3) Does it have steel boning, plastic featherboning, or (Ghod forbid!) no boning at all? It can't shape you if it doesn't have boning. (In some cases, even if it is not intended to shape you, the material just doesn't lay nicely on the body without boning in the seams--witness most inexpensive PVC and leather lingerie that tends to bunch up and wrinkle because it isn't properly boned. Yuck!) And no serious corset has plastic featherboning in it, especially if it is trying to reproduce heavily boned historical styles. Steel boning is the heaviest duty construction. Some people prefer spiral steel boning to flat steel boning as a comfort issue (the spirals are more flexible).
(4) Where there is lacing, does it have eyelets/eyelet tape, or does it have grommets? Eyelets are one-piece crimped construction, and they tear out very easily. They also can have rough edges which will eat through your lacings after a few wearings (see item 8). Grommets are 2-piece construction, which helps reinforce the hole for the lacing by spreading the stress over a wider area, meaning they don't tear out as easily. Grommets, when put through a three-layer back construction (outer, lining, and a "sandwich" layer of leather or heavy canvas) will take a LOT of abuse.
(5) Is it lined, especially if it is leather or a fabric type that frays (such as satin), and is the lining adequate to the task? The corset is supposed to shape YOU, not vice versa. There are a lot of corsets out there done in unlined lightweight fabric, lightweight fabric with lightweight lining, unlined leather, and leather lined in leather with no non-stretch interlining. All of the above will eventually stretch out on you or fail structurally.
(6) Does it have stretch panels anywhere? Some perfectly good styles rely on stretch panels (with the stretch going up and down, NOT around you) for a certain effect (like not flattening the breasts in a "wench" style corset), and that's OK. But if there are stretch panels anywhere with the stretch going around you, the corset will smooth and shape you, but not necessarily give you dramatic waist reduction. Again, the corset is supposed to shape YOU, not stretch to fit your current dimensions.
(7) Does it have boning or some reinforcement along the edge where there is lacing? Lacing can tear out or bunch up if there is no edge reinforcement. Eyelet tape is notorious for this.
(8) Are the lacings adequate to the task, or are they wimpy? If you're trying to torque down a corset to achieve a 4", 5", or 6" waist reduction, the lacings are the first point of failure. (What they're being laced through is the second--see item 4--and the fabric of the corset itself is third--see item 5.) Ribbon, rattail cording, and round cotton or elastic cording are pretty, but they just won't take the stress. If the laces seem more decorative than functional, they're probably not up to the task. If you're tightlacing, polypropelene is probably a better option than cotton.
(9) If it comes with garters, are the clips steel or plastic? Plastic is inexpensive and comes in great colors, but it can be brittle and snap. As with boning, steel is the way to go if you have the option.
(10) Does the waist have a reinforcing band, which adds to the strength of the garment in the area of most stress? (Particularly important for tightlacers.)
(11) If there is a pattern in the fabric, is the pattern matched across the center front and the center back, and as closely as possible across other seams? Do the motifs in the fabric match from side to side, or are they bunched up in one area, or cut off awkwardly along seam lines? Is the overall patterning on the corset aesthetically pleasing?
(12) Does the overall constuction look like it's going to hold up over time, or only make it through a few wearings? If you only intend to wear it once or twice, then don't lay out the big bucks. If you want to buy an investment piece to add to your regular wardrobe, then be prepared to pay a little more to get a higher quality item.
For the Castle Blood Haunt Couture line of corsets, click HERE .