How I Customized My Own Corset & The Corset Trend

The “snatched waist” trend is certainly not new to fashion. Long before designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Mugler, and Vivienne Westwood had celebrities donning their iconic, haute couture corsets, women as early as the 16th century were stepping out in hourglass silhouettes thanks to the cinching undergarment.

In 2020, corsets are no longer just an undergarment, but a major trend on the rise, as seen on everyone from Kim Kardashian, to Bella Hadid, to FKA Twigs. As cited by the Zoe Report, luxury vintage outlet Vestiaire Collective has seen a major spike in top corset brands like Prada, Dior, and Vivienne Westwood over the recent years, with Vivienne Westwood rising to a whopping 182% increase in sales.

What’s a girl to do who doesn’t want to drop that kind of dough on a bomb corset? Make one herself!

It all began with a simple white $20 corset from Amazon, a collection of rich metallic Lumiere fabric paints, hundreds of Swarovski pearls, and a Swarovski hotfix tool. Inspired by the likes of Marie Antoinette, Vivienne Westwood, and Versace, I hand crafted my own corset, taking weeks to carefully paint and embellish by hand. I delicately painted intricate baroque style patterns in deep metallic gold and copper for a multi-dimensional royal look, which ultimately lead to a high end finish on what began as a basic white piece.

I turned heads in Brickell City Centre rocking my first look, shown above, in my “Styled by Svec” corset. I paired the custom corset with a flowing beige duster, cream shorts, nude pumps, and tan Givenchy bag. The look was a perfect combo of relaxed and flexible pieces with higher end ones with structure, fit for a Friday Happy Hour or date night. A nude color palette emphasized the rich sheen of the metallic colors in the corset, and ultimately gave it a dash of elegance.

For a totally different look as seen above, I juxtaposed the structure and femininity of the corset with baggy lightweight cargoes for a sporty meets glam vibe. Girly details like the oversized pearl barrette trend paired with the pearl hoops brought out the details of the delicate Swarovski pearls found in the corset. White mules and Versace shades were the perfect finishes to give this look a cool “Westside” edge and tomboy swagger.

Nowadays, the fashion forward are wearing corsets over everything from crewneck hoodies, to T-shirt dresses for a modern and playful edge. I went for a posh look with a white shirt dress with detailed ruffles, the corset over top, and sleek tan thigh high sock boots. Pairing the corset atop the shirt dress not only made the look more visually interesting and fashion forward, but gave me a sleek and flattering cinched waist silhouette. A red YSL and pearl barettes were the chic accessories needed to complete the look, fit for a brunch with girls or event on the town.

Whether you are rocking a corset with boyfriend jeans or joggers for a more laid-back air, or rocking it over a mini dress or with wide-leg trousers for a dressier one, the corset is hands down a versatile must have in 2020 and beyond. Girly girls and tomboys alike can work the trend according to occasion and preference.

Don’t be afraid to take creative vision into your own hands, try something new, and customize your own pieces like I did. Fashion is the art you wear and you never know what masterpiece you may come up with!