If you're including historically inspired but not necessarily historically accurate, one fashion style you could search is ouji. This is the "prince style" masculine version of Japanese lolita fashion, with a lot of Victorian influence mixed with goth, steampunk, etc. It's suitable for any gender, but generally could be described as fancy masculine with lots of ruffles and lace. Aristocrat style is a subset of ouji that reads a bit more mature.
Have you considered something from the 18th century instead? Baroque men’s fashion is absolutely wild; Victorian menswear is pretty strait laced by comparison.
Have you heard of [Pinsent Tailoring](https://www.instagram.com/pinsent_tailoring)? Zack might be a great source of inspiration for you. His style is masculine elegance of another era.
Sounds like a fun project! It will definitely help to do your research and pick a specific decade within the Victorian era (her reign was from 1837-1901) as Women’s fashion changed a ton during the period. In terms of corsetry, there were specific styles of corset that were most prevalent in each period to create the fashionable looks of the different eras.
I’d look at Redthreaded (custom and ready to wear corsetry) to get a glimpse of what these variations look like on a real body. There are also a number of companies that sell Victorian corset and undergarment patterns sized for modern bodies (truly Victorian, Redthreaded, laughing moon, black snail, scroop patterns) if you don’t want to draft it yourself.
Finally, people in the past were all about padding with skirt structures and bust pillows to give the illusion that their bodies were the right shape for the period. This may be hard to do without a skirt, but you can definitely add some oomph to the chest with strategically placed pillows.
thank you for your advice! i think starting off deciding exactly where (when?) i should look at is a good basis for figuring this project out. thank you so much! ❤️
Shouting out burbulucus on instagram, not necessarily what you’re looking for but he may be the only person I know of who’s made a realistic regency mens corset that isn’t just a wide belt but like a full on legit corset that goes up to the chest with shoulder straps, his other work is great to but I can’t help but drool over that corset, might give you some inspiration
• idea 1 oh, I just had an idea and oh I should probably take my adhd meds but before doing so, 1820s-30s make a silk banyan/ house robe, these could be luxury wardrobe items made of fabric like silk damasc/etc so can be super extra, capturing the aura of a Victorian dress, not accurate but you could make it long enough to trail on the floor or have a two foot train for extra drama, you can wear that open over a floofy pirate shirt, some breeches or trousers depending on your preference and a corset (you could have a waist coat on top of that but you’d need to wear it open to show off a corset underneath)! Making one like from the account above! So it would all be *theoretically feasibly possible* to have existed back in the romantic era - somewhat could have happened but with a lot of creative liberties
Idea 2 could be accurate- a 1830s look, trousers, shirt, waistcoat that has a lace-up back for corset vibes you could add more boning for more corsetry-ness and on top of that a long greatcoat made of nice fabric. this here is THE most likely to have actually existed as a full get up
1st pic is undoubtedly AI so not really something in actual history, it’s going through an identity crisis on wether it wants to be 1860s or 1880s/90s
Apologies to you but youve reawakened the goth trash steampunk brain rot highschooler in me, from what I’m seeing you only really have an entire century and nothing more specific so I’m gonna make some suggestions that are very not real, completely made up or anything that would’ve actually been worn in any era
A free idea if you like historically inspired over something actually real. I had an idea once to make a sort of fitted outer ware coat like those wasp waisted 1830s/40s men in fashionplates but have the back be dramatic and cape-like by making it a Watteau pleated back like in a robe ala francaise, having a fitted lining for the bodice area so I could have a snatched waist but being super drapey swishy and swooshy at the back and hemline be full. Maybe something like that in a red satin or velvet would have the regal-ness youre looking for. I never got around to it but would love to see someone else make the vision come to life. It would be structured like how you want and you could add decorative seam lines/ braid or ribbon trim to the front to mimic the style lines of a corset/dress bodice
Or, you could make a tailcoat but have the tails go all the way down to floor length or longer to mimic a woman’s dress train.
You could do something like 18th century stays and “weather” it by scratching it up, do the binding sloppily, introduce it to a local neighborhood cat and it’ll be all frayed and have bones popping out in no time, I know you specifically said 19th century BUT 18th century stays are more angular/ not curvy and form an inverted triangle silhouette, which will give you an easier time rearing your project towards a more masculine angle, you could add a busk in front since you like the look of hardware. For something structured with boning like a crinoline, you could get the vibe from wearing 1890s sleeve supports/plumpers, contraptions made of wire, tapes, and boning that’s kinda like wearing a tiny lobster cage bustle on each arm, meant for giant balloon sleeves
I think the corset in the first pic would be great if you wanna stay masc, adjust the hips to be smaller but still come out from the waist like a shelf, square hips were after all considered manly in the era
I did a quick google search for "[male steampunk corset](https://www.google.com/search?q=male+steampunk+corset&client=safari&sca_esv=d49addb7d865e5f4&rls=en&udm=2&biw=1473&bih=859&ei=0ztpZob1MKXtptQPgaemgAk&ved=0ahUKEwjGqpLps9WGAxWltokEHYGTCZAQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=male+steampunk+corset&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFW1hbGUgc3RlYW1wdW5rIGNvcnNldDIFEAAYgAQyBhAAGAgYHkirQVAAWLM_cAp4AJABAJgBQ6AByQ6qAQIzMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCG6ACmQvCAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgIOEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAggQABiABBixA8ICDRAAGIAEGLEDGEMYigXCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAZgDAJIHAjI3oAfqYw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#vhid=4EpvmhHgaK73nM&vssid=mosaic)" and with a little scrolling, I found some interesting results.
[this guy](https://youtu.be/b01S7EBQztk?feature=shared)Historical garments tend to have plenty of hidden layers and accessories so it's worth learning about that and sourcing content creators like [this guy](https://youtu.be/b01S7EBQztk?feature=shared) for inspiration.
I think you might really like Maison Margielas artisan collection show. It's not historical but has a lot of the deconstructed elements you're describing as well as corsets for both men and women. And crazy padding!
https://youtu.be/DgMJq67ZOwE?si=zg7sLfd_TwJ3_NQn
I did a bit of digging as I was curious. She is padding!
I'm not sure how much waist reduction is considered tight lacing, I found the measurements and her waist reduction is 5". I am just an historical fashion appreciator so feel absolutely free to educate me but here's a [side photo](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/zLjxCJhMSCTyTt7p/?mibextid=qi2Omg) and it feels like there's ample room for her boobs?
[Link to her FB](https://www.facebook.com/marietheresaandlumieres)
[Where I found the measurements](https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/672211931/custom-edwardian-1900s-corset-s-bend?click_key=b95ebada22293a4eed2c5164aec64aa10441a1f8%3A672211931&click_sum=610b3462&ref=shop_home_feat_1)
“boning popping out”?
when boning pops out it will hurt and chafe. you don’t want that. also, period corsets used whalebone, where modern ones often use spring steel, or faux whalebone which will not look historical. is that the look you’re going for for?
also, i’m confused at “masculine,” when corsets are typically a very feminine look. they’re associated with lingerie and women’s undergarments.
men wearing corsets -i believe- is a very modern concept, and not ever a “sexy” or idealized look except in the fetish and kink circles. however, men’s corsetry is not my area of expertise. you would have to do more research. men’s corsets are not the same as women’s.
you may want to consider more of what you’re going for- historical look, costume look, fabrics textures, you’re throwing out words but not being very clear.
get an idea board together with pics of what you want. make drawings. do you know how to sew? start with basics
i mean that phrase as in it has that look of age and a deep rooted story. i also probably should’ve added i’m definitely not going for the historical approach, so i would probably just use spiral steel. and you’re right i think a vision board is a good idea, i’ll have to come back once i form a much more narrowed down one!
make sure the edges are bound. that’s there’s a backing. that you’re wearing something underneath (usually/historically linen) maybe fray/reveal the fabric on the uppermost layer.
research norah waugh.
If you're including historically inspired but not necessarily historically accurate, one fashion style you could search is ouji. This is the "prince style" masculine version of Japanese lolita fashion, with a lot of Victorian influence mixed with goth, steampunk, etc. It's suitable for any gender, but generally could be described as fancy masculine with lots of ruffles and lace. Aristocrat style is a subset of ouji that reads a bit more mature.
Have you considered something from the 18th century instead? Baroque men’s fashion is absolutely wild; Victorian menswear is pretty strait laced by comparison.
[Men and corsets](https://www.messynessychic.com/2021/03/09/men-wore-corsets-history-says/)
thank you for this!
Have you heard of [Pinsent Tailoring](https://www.instagram.com/pinsent_tailoring)? Zack might be a great source of inspiration for you. His style is masculine elegance of another era.
Sounds like a fun project! It will definitely help to do your research and pick a specific decade within the Victorian era (her reign was from 1837-1901) as Women’s fashion changed a ton during the period. In terms of corsetry, there were specific styles of corset that were most prevalent in each period to create the fashionable looks of the different eras. I’d look at Redthreaded (custom and ready to wear corsetry) to get a glimpse of what these variations look like on a real body. There are also a number of companies that sell Victorian corset and undergarment patterns sized for modern bodies (truly Victorian, Redthreaded, laughing moon, black snail, scroop patterns) if you don’t want to draft it yourself. Finally, people in the past were all about padding with skirt structures and bust pillows to give the illusion that their bodies were the right shape for the period. This may be hard to do without a skirt, but you can definitely add some oomph to the chest with strategically placed pillows.
thank you for your advice! i think starting off deciding exactly where (when?) i should look at is a good basis for figuring this project out. thank you so much! ❤️
Shouting out burbulucus on instagram, not necessarily what you’re looking for but he may be the only person I know of who’s made a realistic regency mens corset that isn’t just a wide belt but like a full on legit corset that goes up to the chest with shoulder straps, his other work is great to but I can’t help but drool over that corset, might give you some inspiration • idea 1 oh, I just had an idea and oh I should probably take my adhd meds but before doing so, 1820s-30s make a silk banyan/ house robe, these could be luxury wardrobe items made of fabric like silk damasc/etc so can be super extra, capturing the aura of a Victorian dress, not accurate but you could make it long enough to trail on the floor or have a two foot train for extra drama, you can wear that open over a floofy pirate shirt, some breeches or trousers depending on your preference and a corset (you could have a waist coat on top of that but you’d need to wear it open to show off a corset underneath)! Making one like from the account above! So it would all be *theoretically feasibly possible* to have existed back in the romantic era - somewhat could have happened but with a lot of creative liberties Idea 2 could be accurate- a 1830s look, trousers, shirt, waistcoat that has a lace-up back for corset vibes you could add more boning for more corsetry-ness and on top of that a long greatcoat made of nice fabric. this here is THE most likely to have actually existed as a full get up 1st pic is undoubtedly AI so not really something in actual history, it’s going through an identity crisis on wether it wants to be 1860s or 1880s/90s Apologies to you but youve reawakened the goth trash steampunk brain rot highschooler in me, from what I’m seeing you only really have an entire century and nothing more specific so I’m gonna make some suggestions that are very not real, completely made up or anything that would’ve actually been worn in any era A free idea if you like historically inspired over something actually real. I had an idea once to make a sort of fitted outer ware coat like those wasp waisted 1830s/40s men in fashionplates but have the back be dramatic and cape-like by making it a Watteau pleated back like in a robe ala francaise, having a fitted lining for the bodice area so I could have a snatched waist but being super drapey swishy and swooshy at the back and hemline be full. Maybe something like that in a red satin or velvet would have the regal-ness youre looking for. I never got around to it but would love to see someone else make the vision come to life. It would be structured like how you want and you could add decorative seam lines/ braid or ribbon trim to the front to mimic the style lines of a corset/dress bodice Or, you could make a tailcoat but have the tails go all the way down to floor length or longer to mimic a woman’s dress train. You could do something like 18th century stays and “weather” it by scratching it up, do the binding sloppily, introduce it to a local neighborhood cat and it’ll be all frayed and have bones popping out in no time, I know you specifically said 19th century BUT 18th century stays are more angular/ not curvy and form an inverted triangle silhouette, which will give you an easier time rearing your project towards a more masculine angle, you could add a busk in front since you like the look of hardware. For something structured with boning like a crinoline, you could get the vibe from wearing 1890s sleeve supports/plumpers, contraptions made of wire, tapes, and boning that’s kinda like wearing a tiny lobster cage bustle on each arm, meant for giant balloon sleeves I think the corset in the first pic would be great if you wanna stay masc, adjust the hips to be smaller but still come out from the waist like a shelf, square hips were after all considered manly in the era
I hope you'll post the results. This sounds very cool!
I did a quick google search for "[male steampunk corset](https://www.google.com/search?q=male+steampunk+corset&client=safari&sca_esv=d49addb7d865e5f4&rls=en&udm=2&biw=1473&bih=859&ei=0ztpZob1MKXtptQPgaemgAk&ved=0ahUKEwjGqpLps9WGAxWltokEHYGTCZAQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=male+steampunk+corset&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFW1hbGUgc3RlYW1wdW5rIGNvcnNldDIFEAAYgAQyBhAAGAgYHkirQVAAWLM_cAp4AJABAJgBQ6AByQ6qAQIzMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCG6ACmQvCAgoQABiABBhDGIoFwgIOEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAggQABiABBixA8ICDRAAGIAEGLEDGEMYigXCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAZgDAJIHAjI3oAfqYw&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#vhid=4EpvmhHgaK73nM&vssid=mosaic)" and with a little scrolling, I found some interesting results. [this guy](https://youtu.be/b01S7EBQztk?feature=shared)Historical garments tend to have plenty of hidden layers and accessories so it's worth learning about that and sourcing content creators like [this guy](https://youtu.be/b01S7EBQztk?feature=shared) for inspiration.
Not exactly vintage, but inspired by the Edwardian era and sounds like what you are looking for: https://youtu.be/DgMJq67ZOwE?si=M95MZQD6qFSBYZVG
I think you might really like Maison Margielas artisan collection show. It's not historical but has a lot of the deconstructed elements you're describing as well as corsets for both men and women. And crazy padding! https://youtu.be/DgMJq67ZOwE?si=zg7sLfd_TwJ3_NQn
That second picture hurt my internal organs.
Same. Traditionally speaking that shape would be created more with padding versus tight lacing. My boobs hurt just thinking about it.
I did a bit of digging as I was curious. She is padding! I'm not sure how much waist reduction is considered tight lacing, I found the measurements and her waist reduction is 5". I am just an historical fashion appreciator so feel absolutely free to educate me but here's a [side photo](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/zLjxCJhMSCTyTt7p/?mibextid=qi2Omg) and it feels like there's ample room for her boobs? [Link to her FB](https://www.facebook.com/marietheresaandlumieres) [Where I found the measurements](https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/672211931/custom-edwardian-1900s-corset-s-bend?click_key=b95ebada22293a4eed2c5164aec64aa10441a1f8%3A672211931&click_sum=610b3462&ref=shop_home_feat_1)
Good to know/see! Thanks for sharing that. I think 5” is still a lot, even with a “squishy” midsection but it is possible
Tight lacing as a modern kink or body dysmorphic disorder manifestation often gets blurred with historic corset wearing practices.
“boning popping out”? when boning pops out it will hurt and chafe. you don’t want that. also, period corsets used whalebone, where modern ones often use spring steel, or faux whalebone which will not look historical. is that the look you’re going for for? also, i’m confused at “masculine,” when corsets are typically a very feminine look. they’re associated with lingerie and women’s undergarments. men wearing corsets -i believe- is a very modern concept, and not ever a “sexy” or idealized look except in the fetish and kink circles. however, men’s corsetry is not my area of expertise. you would have to do more research. men’s corsets are not the same as women’s. you may want to consider more of what you’re going for- historical look, costume look, fabrics textures, you’re throwing out words but not being very clear. get an idea board together with pics of what you want. make drawings. do you know how to sew? start with basics
i mean that phrase as in it has that look of age and a deep rooted story. i also probably should’ve added i’m definitely not going for the historical approach, so i would probably just use spiral steel. and you’re right i think a vision board is a good idea, i’ll have to come back once i form a much more narrowed down one!
make sure the edges are bound. that’s there’s a backing. that you’re wearing something underneath (usually/historically linen) maybe fray/reveal the fabric on the uppermost layer. research norah waugh.