Boning, the rigid components that form the frame of a corset and provide its structure, has undergone a significant evolution throughout history. While the term "boning" itself likely originates from the early use of whalebone, the materials and their application have changed considerably, reflecting shifts in fashion, technology, and societal preferences. The primary purpose of boning has consistently been to support the desired shape of the corset and prevent
the fabric from wrinkling under the strain of cinching and shaping the body.
Early Corsetry and Natural Materials
In the 16th through 18th centuries, corsets, then often called "stays," "bodies," or "corps," aimed to mold the upper torso into a rigid, cone-like form. The earliest versions featured a wooden busk, a rigid piece placed down the center front. These early busks differed from later steel versions, which included clasps for easier opening. Corsets of the 17th and 18th centuries were frequently heavily boned, with minimal space between the bone channels. This extensive boning was crucial for forcing the body into the era's fashionable silhouette. During this period, the most common materials for boning were giant reeds or whalebone, with whalebone being the most popular and expensive option.
The early 19th century introduced a different style of corset, still referred to as "stays," which embraced a more natural or "classical" form. For the first time, the bust was separated, a feature enhanced by the use of a busk. These busks, resembling large, rigid "popsicle sticks," were inserted into a casing down the center front of the corset. They were crafted from materials such as wood, ivory, bone, or baleen, and were often intricately carved and given as gifts. In these corsets, the busk was frequently the only bone, with other shaping achieved through the pattern's cut and reinforced by cording—cotton or similar cords placed within casings. The cording in early 19th-century stays was often quite elaborate, and many examples can be found in museum collections.
The Rise of Steel and Alternative Materials
By the mid-19th century, corsets became more complex, and the practice of tighter lacing necessitated more boning to achieve the desired shape. The modern split busk gained popularity, allowing corsets to open easily from the front. Steel and baleen (whalebone) became the dominant boning materials, sometimes used in combination. However, by the last quarter of the 19th century, baleen grew increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain. This scarcity spurred experimentation with alternative boning materials. Popular substitutes included cork strips, cording, watchspring steel, Coraline, and Featherbone. Coraline was made from the straight, stiff fibers of the Mexican ixtle plant, bound together by two strands of thread wrapped in opposite directions. Featherbone was manufactured from the quills of feathers. The extremely rigid and elongated torso fashionable from the 1880s to the early 1890s demanded extensive boning to support and enhance the steam-molded and starched corsets of that period.
Modern Boning: Steel and Advanced Synthetics
By the late 1890s, a lighter, shorter corset style emerged, featuring simpler shapes and less boning than in the preceding decade. This style quickly evolved into the intricate early Edwardian corsets (1901–1908), which relied heavily on complex pattern cutting to create and accentuate the desired silhouette. Boning in this era primarily served to support the shape established by the fabric's cut. Steel became the most common boning material, often placed in pairs within casings that did not necessarily align with the corset's seams. By the 1910s, corset cuts became longer but less complex, and boning's role was reduced to simply keeping the corset fabric taut. From the mid-1910s to the 1930s, comfort became a priority, and rigid steel boning was largely replaced by the more flexible spiral steel boning.
Modern corset boning is available in two main qualities: durable metal and less durable plastic. Steel boning has been the standard for high-quality corsets since the turn of the 20th century, coming in two types: flat spring steel and spiral steel. Flat spring steel is preferred for its thinness and flexibility, though it only bends in one direction. Spiral steel, while not as stable and less supportive for larger figures, can bend both horizontally and vertically. Traditionally, plastic boning like Rigilene was considered low quality, but recent advancements have led to synthetic whalebone. This new plastic boning is widely used in historical reconstruction due to its resemblance to traditional whalebone, offering lightweight yet supportive properties and molding better to the body for curvier shapes. Modern steel bones, both flat and spiral, are rigid lengthwise, and their use varies among contemporary corset makers. For those unable to acquire steel boning, alternatives like cable ties from hardware stores have been utilized by costumers.
