Vivienne Westwood showed her first corset in the Autumn-Winter 1987 Harris Tweed collection and called it the Statue of Liberty, because of what it did to the way the wearer stood. That is still the best argument for wearing one. A corset is about posture and shape, not about how much you show. Three years later Jean Paul Gaultier put Madonna in a corset with conical cups for the Blond Ambition tour, and the piece has moved back and forth between underwear and outerwear ever since.

 

I wear corset tops and dresses for the shape, and I want the rest of the outfit to stay easy, so this edit leans toward pieces that work with jeans, a blazer or flat shoes. It opens with four everyday picks: the strapless Brianna, the Arya poplin top, the Azra twill corset top and Steve Madden's Roselia. Then it moves through denim, cotton and linen, satin and silk, the more sculpted designer pieces, and finally corset dresses.

 

My test for every one of them is to sit down in it. A good corset holds its line when you sit, and a bad one rides up or digs in under the ribs within ten minutes.

Jonathan Simkhai started his label in New York in 2010, and his corsetry is the reason I take a cotton corset seriously. The Surie bustier in cotton lace has real structure inside, which is why it holds its shape over jeans instead of collapsing at the waist. A denim, cotton or linen corset is the version I actually wear on a Tuesday, because the fabric is matte and forgiving and it never reads as eveningwear.

 

Carolina Herrera's denim bustier crop top is the polished one, and it looks best with a long full skirt. AGOLDE's Lara is the easiest pairing with your own jeans, and Understated Leather's Chevy bustier gives you the same shape with more edge. Mara Hoffman's organic cotton jacquard, Cara Cara's Wes floral jacquard and For Love & Lemons' Spring Blossom bring the pattern. Alfie's stretch-cotton bustier and ROAME's strapless Hazel peplum are the cleanest shapes here. Onia's linen underwire top, Bardot's linen bustier and Agua by Agua Bendita's printed linen Abelia are the summer-weight end.

 

The test: wear it with the trousers you own most. If you need to buy new trousers to make it work, it is the wrong corset.

 

What I would skip: a stiff denim corset for a long day at a desk or a long flight.

Satin is where a corset starts to feel like the Gaultier version: a little theatrical and made to be seen. The way I keep it wearable is to put it under something plain, an oversized blazer or a man's shirt left open, so the shine is the only thing happening in the outfit.

 

BALYKINA's Eva in tan satin has the most grown-up feel. La Fuori's Red Siren in silk is the one for a dinner where you want to be remembered. Ulla Johnson's Heleen sweetheart bustier and LoveShackFancy's Yeva are the softer, prettier side, and Stella McCartney's lace-trimmed satin bustier sits right between lingerie and a top. Alex Perry's HART satin bustier is the sharpest cut, GUIZIO's satin corset top is the easy one with black trousers, and Bardot's Ellie in lace completes the group.

 

The test: look at it under a harsh bathroom light. Thin satin may show every seam in that light, while a well-finished weave looks smooth.

 

What I would skip: pale satin with new dark denim, because the dye transfers.

Miaou is where a lot of people's interest in corsets as clothing started. Alexia Elkaim began the label in 2016 with a single pair of jeans cut to fit her and her friends, and corsets became the other half of the brand. The Christina corset top is the one I would point to first, because it looks like a top before it looks like a corset.

 

The rest of this group is about construction. L'AGENCE's Anna has a structured peplum that makes it feel almost like a jacket. LPA's Pietra and GUIZIO's pintuck corset are close-fitting and clean. Alex Perry's wool corset top is the one for colder months, and Paris Georgia's structured bodice top is the most minimal of the lot. Ulla Johnson's Sylvette in fil coupé organza and Halpern's draped asymmetric bustier are the two real statements, and both look best with nothing else competing.

 

The test: lift your arms over your head. A well-made sculpted corset stays where it is, and one that slides down needs a size down.

 

What I would skip: a statement corset with a statement skirt. Let one piece do the talking.

A corset dress solves the hardest part of getting dressed for an event, which is deciding what the outfit is about. The bodice decides for you. I look for the ones where the corset is built into the dress rather than stitched on top, because they sit flatter and move better.

 

SIMKHAI's Adalys bustier dress is the most considered of the group. NICHOLAS has two midis, the Makenna with a dropped waist and the Cory with a corset waist, and both are easy for a wedding. L'AGENCE's Jaxyn zips up the front, which makes it the most practical to get into. Bardot's Carmen, Lilah and Nisa cover lace, midi and mini. GUIZIO's satin corset dress and corset shirt dress are the evening and daytime versions of the same idea, and Alice + Olivia's Kim and Edie are the playful minis. The Tara from The New Arrivals Ilkyaz Ozel is the silk-satin maxi for something formal.

 

The test: sit, stand and reach for a glass. If the bodice gapes at the top when you lean forward, it is too big.

 

What I would skip: a corset dress for a long lunch. Save it for an evening when you are on your feet.

I treat a corset like a good blazer: one strong piece with everything around it kept simple. Flat shoes, plain trousers and very little jewellery let the shape do its job. If I were starting from nothing, I would buy a denim or cotton corset for the day and one satin piece for the evening, and only then look at the dresses.

 

Whatever you choose, buy for your ribcage, not your waist. A corset that fits the ribs still feels fine at the end of the night, and one that only fits the waist will not. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The Corset Dress and Zimmermann Dress Dupe.