5 Ways to style your corset just like how Billie Eilish aced it

Billie Eilish’s vintage pastel corset ensemble. Pic/Instagram

After her dramatic switch to a straw blonde mane, Billie Eilish made headlines for another stylish turn on the cover of a fashion magazine clad in custom-made corsets. A far cry from her signature neons and oversized silhouettes, Eilish's corsets are a designer take on an increasingly popular trend. From belts to tees with tie-up elements, corsets are making their presence felt across the fashion spectrum. "Corsets are an easy way to mimic an hourglass silhouette. Besides, modern corsets are not as restrictive as their Victorian counterparts and can easily be incorporated into a variety of aesthetics," shares Thea Mehta, a marketing consultant.

Dress them down

Thea Mehta wears relaxed trousers with a corset top

Celebrities such as Rihanna and Bella Hadid have been wearing corsets with distressed, baggy jeans for a while now. This, stylist Aakruti Sejpal says, makes corsets seem less fussy and much more contemporary. Further, the combination of a cinched-in waist with loose or flared bottoms can be very flattering for a variety of body types. You could also add an oversized blazer to make the look more versatile.

Layer them

Aakruti Sejpal pairs a corset top with loose jeans

If wearing a boned lace corset is simply too vintage for your sensibilities, you could choose a corset belt and layer it with an oversized shirt or a t-shirt, suggests Sejpal. Round off your look with delicate heels or switch it up with laced knee-high combat boots for an edgier spin.

With athleisure

Deepika Padukone. Pic/Instagram

For those reluctant to give up the comfort of their sweatpants, actor and influencer Saachi Bindra recommends elevating them with a satin corset. "Pastel colours immediately look more elegant, while the sweats keep your look from becoming too stifling. Wear simple accessories and stick to a monotone palette," she recommends.

The right material

Saachi Bindra recommends combining corsets with athleisure pieces

Corset blouses can be worn over relaxed trousers or ruffled skirts for a refined day look. "Avoid pieces with excess lace or too many rivets, or very visible boning to make your look more contemporary," Mehta says. Corset-style dresses can be very flattering if you keep the other elements of your look simple - avoid mixing and matching too many colours or contrasting textures, advises Bindra.

Corset-inspired pieces
T-shirts and dresses with corset-style lacing are a great way to ease into this trend. These are not as restrictive as corsets and can still cinch in your waist, Mehta says.

Retail Therapy
A quality corset can be expensive and not easy to come across. We recommend turning to online thrift stores that offer a variety of styles at pocket-friendly prices.

>> Principle Of Parsimony for corset-style dresses.
Log on to: @principleofparsimony on Instagram

>> Thrift Isle for lacy corsets and bustiers.
Log on to: @bag.it.all.now on Instagram

>> Drift Towards Thrift for vintage boned corsets.
Log on to: @drift.to.thrift on Instagram