
A corset is a garment worn to mold and shape the torso into a desired shape. The most common and well known use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette. For women this means emphasizing a curvy figure, by reducing the waist, and thereby exaggerating the bust and hips. The word corset is derived from the old french word "cors", the diminutive of body, which itself derives from corpus, Latin for body. The word corset came into general use in the English language in 1785 and remains.
There are basically two types of modern corsets. An overbust corset encloses the torso, extending from just under the arms to the hips. An underbust corset begins just under the breasts and extends down to the hips. Some corsets extend over the hips. A shorter kind of corset, which covers the waist area is called a waist cincher. A corset may also include garters to hold up stockings or alternatively a separate garter belt may be worn for that.
So what is the difference between a bustier and a corset? Well a bustier is shorter than a corset and does not attempt to shape the waist at all. Remember a bustier is designed to shape the bust. That's pretty much it. But the corset is more about the hips and waist. Another way to make sense of it is to remember that a bustier shows off the tummy and the corset hides it.