Boning is primarily used in strapless and off -the-shoulder gowns and foundation garments(bra, bustiers, corsets, corselettes). It should also be considered for fitted bodices and of course, crinolines and hooped skirts. Present day boning are narrow pieces of metal or plastic( including polyflex, plastic whalebone, featherlight, rigilene) of varying lengths & widths and can be purchased in cut or continuous lengths. Bones are inserted into narrow channels or applied bone casing tape to the foundation garment or underlining of a bodice. The main purpose of boning is to counteract gravity ( ie.For the natural tendency of a strapless gown to pull down/away from the body) and also to give structural support of the garment. Types of boning:- *Featherline/Rigilene( two common forms of boning found by the domestic sewer in Fabric/Haberdashery Stores) -> sewthru boning and provides flex of up/down movement. * Plastic whalebone -> Thicker than the above product; flexes up/down. -> It can be moulded over a pressing ham in a bodice/foundation garment to shape the bust line. -> used in high end evening wear. * Spiral steel -> Lightweight and provides flex not only up/down but sideways. -> used in couture garment creation, costuming and corset construction. -> I personally used this in any fitted garment foundation over the bustline and where the style/garment has a sideways style/movement that needs support. -> used (in conjunction with spring steel) in corsets * white plasti coated spring steel -> flexes up/down only. -> used in bustiers, bra underwire, ie. Vertical seams and wider widths used in crinolines, hoop skirts and in the centre front/centre back of corsets. Gowns with an attached but separate foundation(ie.foundation garment is often referred to as a corset/corselette/torselette) are expensive by nature due to the additional inner support - whereby the foundation garment is only attached by the neckline to the gown. However - the construction of such a garment is worth the time investment.