Women's Camisoles & Corsets

Everything here divides on whether a piece hangs from the shoulders or grips the body. Camisoles and slip tops fall from thin or adjustable straps in cowl, straight and V necklines, skimming rather than shaping, with bias cuts that follow the line of the hip. Corsets, bustiers and bodices work the other way, holding the ribcage and waist through boning, panelled seams and a lace, hook or zip closure that draws the body to a fixed circumference.

Between the two sit corset-detailed tops that borrow the seaming without the compression, along with lace-trim camis, tie-fronts and cropped cuts. Silk, satin and modal make a camisole sit flat under a jacket; cotton poplin, brocade, denim and leather give a corset something to hold against; lace, mesh and eyelet lighten either. Boning may be spiral steel, flat steel or plastic, which sets how much shape survives wear.