Meryl Smith Lawton

Showtime! | Kim Rackel and Amelia Shultz-McPherson, dancers from Capital City Burlesque, show off their sexy outfits.

Think Moulin Rouge, can-can dancers, underwear as outerwear, sexy ruffled skirts, and saucy pouts on girls with hair that’s too red or too black (or these days, too pink) to be natural. And you’ve got the burlesque look.

Burlesque started out as a new world theatre style that delighted in mocking the establishment. Burlesque performers in the 1860s sang opera, danced ballet, and performed Shakespeare, just like their more respectable theatrical colleagues, but did it all in states of undress. For Victorians, though, glimpses of corsets and stockings did more to captivate audiences than a Shakespearean soliloquy or a Verdi top note.

And now, according to Lianne Ens of Nightshade Corsets, the burlesque look is all the rage in the local club scene. “You can start building it around a corset,” she says, as she picks out a black and red ruffled corset straight out of the can-can days. “Go with a colour scheme, maybe two main colours to focus on, and then pick your ruffled panties, thigh-high stockings or garters, and a frilly petticoat. And of course you need a feather boa or feather fan. If you’re especially daring,” she says with a smile, “wear a waist cincher [instead of a full corset] and wear pasties under your shirt,” Or, depending on where you’re going, just wear pasties.

Burlesque is about that sense of vampy fun, so go with bold choices for hair and makeup, says Ens: “Smoky eye, strong lips, whatever makes you feel really sexy.” Definitely use accessories in your hair, feathers, flowers and lots of volume and deep colour and shine. And of course, wear your highest, pointiest, and sexiest shoes.

Tips for corset comfort? You get what you pay for, says Ens. “Definitely go for good quality. You’re going to get better shape and support and it’s going to be way more comfortable to wear.” Good corsets run anywhere from $99 to $300 and up.

And to get more bang for your burlesque, pick a corset that you can wear elsewhere. “From bridalwear to jeans and cowboy boots, corsets go everywhere these days,” Ens says.