Making Corsets by Julie Collins Brealey (The Crowood Press, 2021)

Making Corsets by Julie Collins Brealey (The Crowood Press, 2021) is a practical, illustrated guide to designing and constructing modern corsets. It focuses on creating well-fitting, supportive garments for personal wear, historical reenactment, stage, costume, or other purposes, while acknowledging historical techniques.

Overview and Approach

The book treats corset-making as a personal and rewarding craft. The introduction emphasizes that motivations vary widely: the satisfaction of transforming flat pattern pieces into a three-dimensional, body-shaping garment; the flattering fit and support it provides; historical accuracy or reenactment using authentic methods and materials; stage, costume drama, burlesque, or fetish use. A well-fitting corset should not cause undue pain or damage—contrary to popular myths—and can even benefit posture and minor back issues. Extreme tight-lacing should be approached gradually.

Brealey guides readers from inspiration and design through to a finished piece, covering tools, materials, measuring, patterning (both self-drafted and commercial patterns with adjustments), making and fitting a toile (mock-up), construction techniques, and personalization/embellishment. Information on fitting and construction is presented as adaptable to male figures as well. The projects are based on a traditional Victorian hourglass silhouette (typically 10–12 panels).

Structure (from the Contents)

1. A Brief History of the Corset
2. Tools and Equipment
3. Materials for Your Corset (including corset hardware, fabrics/textiles, and haberdashery)
4. Measuring the Body
5. The Corset Pattern
6. The Toile (making, fitting, and further fitting solutions)
7. Creating Your Corset
8. Corset Construction 9–11. Three projects: Grey Coutil Overbust Corset; Floral Silk Underbust Corset; Green Taffeta Overbust Corset
9. Alternative Corset-Making Techniques
10. Personalizing Your Corset

The book includes clear step-by-step instructions, photographs, and methods for correcting common fitting issues.

Overall, this is a hands-on instructional resource aimed at intermediate sewists and aspiring corsetieres who want to produce structurally sound, figure-flattering corsets rather than purely historical reconstructions.