Front or Back Lacing?

[PrincessSara]

I'm in the early stages of a corset and I'm wondering whether to make it front or back lacing.  Front lacing would make it a lot easier for me to dress myself, which would be good because I won't have my tiring-Daddy with me this year at Casa Loma and my mother can't pull corset laces.

But I wanted to know the pros and cons of each style - which gives best shape, bust support, comfort, etc.

[Betty Munro]

BOTH!
My favorote bodice / corset pattern has both front and back laces.  I am grommetts away from finishing mine. 
The con of front laces is that if it doesn't fit perfect I have belly pooching out (gross), but back laces require a lacing savvy partner.
pros of front lacing - if you are making it yourself you can make it to fit perfect, (at least until you lose or gain 10 lbs - LOL) 
pros of back lacing ... if you have a partner to lace them ... well, he also gets to UNlace you. 
Then again, you could also make one of each and wear whatever matches your company for the day.

[sealion]

I like my backlacing corset because I've added a busk pocket to it (get rid of that curve you see in my avi) and you can't put a busk in a front laced corset. It's not easy but I am able to lace myself into it if I have to.

[FortuneRose]

I, personally, have both and love both...  just depending on the day.  And it is 100% possible to lace yourself into a back lacing bodice if you need to...  its easiest if you can make the lacing cords longer than you would normally.

[Lady Rebecca]

Just a tip - don't do side lacing! On the gown I recently made, I wanted to try side lacing, and it is sooo difficult to do. I needed help, and even then, we had to redo each side twice to get them to fit evenly.

I'm currently in the process of doing a front and back lacing corset, and though it's still in its early stages, I'm looking forward to the size flexibility that should hopefully have.

[FortuneRose]

Just a tip - don't do side lacing! On the gown I recently made, I wanted to try side lacing, and it is sooo difficult to do. I needed help, and even then, we had to redo each side twice to get them to fit evenly.

I'm currently in the process of doing a front and back lacing corset, and though it's still in its early stages, I'm looking forward to the size flexibility that should hopefully have.

I think I agree on the side lacing.  I have 1 gown that side laces under the arms and I feel it pulls the girls under my armpits...which isn't so cute.   

[operafantomet]

Just a tip - don't do side lacing! On the gown I recently made, I wanted to try side lacing, and it is sooo difficult to do. I needed help, and even then, we had to redo each side twice to get them to fit evenly.

I'm rather fond of dresses with side-lacing, I must admit... I have that on two dresses, the green Unicorn one and the blue Florentine one. The beauty of side-lacing is that you can lace up one side and secure it before you put the dress on, and then do the other one yourself fairly easy. Two tricks, though:

1. Do spiral-lacing, with just one lace. Start at the top, and work your way downwards (so you don't have to struggle with the last bit high up under your armpit)

2. Use an extremely long lace, so the dress is already laced on both sides when you put it on - but one of the sides has a big gap*. All you have to do, is to tighten it and secure the end  with a knot, pin or similar.


*I know this picture is rather crap, as it shows a half-finished bodice in process, but imagine this kind of lacing, only with a much bigger gap: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/unicorn/unicorn5.jpg

[PrincessSara]

I wasn't particularly planning on side-lacing for this corset, although I do plan on using it for some gowns later.

If I made the corset front-lacing, could I put a piece of really really really really stiff boning on either side of the opening to give the same effect as a busk?  Like something as stiff as the busk would be?

[DonaCatalina]

Especially with front lacing do you need to re-inforce with heavy boning behind the grommets. This prevents the lacing from making the front buckle under stress.
The better endowed you are, the more solid layer of boning you need in the front.