I noticed a while back that most of the bodices in Alcega's book and several other period tailor's books show a slight backwards S curve at the front edge. That seemed like it would accommodate the bust and belly a little, and I was feeling like being comfortable, so I decided to give it a shot. I included a picture of what was left of the fabric after I cut the pieces, because it looked surprisingly like bodice cutting diagrams shown in period resources. The last picture is a boning diagram, just in case anyone was curious.
Results and Notes:The resulting corset was quite comfortable, and gives a very nice line. I was pretty happy with it. I didn't get that terrible sinking feeling you can sometimes get from a heavily boned corset with a straight front
Would I do it again?: Yes. In fact, I'm actually planning to repair the one I made (the boning wore through wool surprisingly quickly, much to my dismay). But, honestly, to do it right I'd have had to remake all of my bodices with a curved front, and that was like work. Not sure I'll do that. Trimming things gets complicated.
