Volume Creation in Corsets

Students of LISAA School of Design  had a creative class on volume creation in corsets. The class focused on building three dimensional volumes on the body to act as an inner structure of a garment to in turn change the total volume of the exterior outfit.

Corsets were made of a variety of materials, depending on the time period and the fineness of the article. The main fabric for the body of the corset might have been linen,

stiffened with paste or starch.

Corsets

Corsets were also made of decorative fabrics like satin or silk.

Corsets were designed to fit exactly to an individual wearer, otherwise the effect was lost or the garment would be even more uncomfortable. Though a corset maker might follow a standard design, each had to be modified for the individual customer’s height, weight, and figure. For a fine corset, the wearer would be fitted twice. First, the corset maker made basic measurements of the customer’s torso, then cut the material to measure. The garment was roughly sewn, using long stitches called tacking. The customer was then fitted again and any adjustments noted. The tacking was undone and the corset sewn back together, using fine, short stitches.

Corsets

3D garments are created by assembling 2D patterns on human models in current mainstream garment modeling methods, which usually calls for professional design skills. The high coupling between the 2D pattern making and 3D garment design blocks the designers’ creations.

First, a three-dimensional (3D) garment, using an extracted outline from a garment flat or figure, is modeled in a gravitational virtual environment. The modeled garment is then adjusted until it meets design requirements. Next, the adjusted 3D garment model is expanded by smoothing out the folds and wrinkles.

Students were encouraged to respond in adventurous 3 dimensional ways that were dynamic and unrestricted, that were quick and did not necessarily involve precision,a prototype could be seen whilst design decisions were evolving.  

If you care to learn further about how workshops are structured at LISAA School of Design, please click below to get in touch with our team.