Which has a stronger sexual connotation: "corset" or "bustier"?

Our fashion content writers are trying to choose the word that describes a fashion triend, but has the least sexual connotation. (Corset and bustier seem to be used interchangeably when it comes to fashion trends.)

Is there any evidence for one having a stronger sexual connotation over the other?

Solution 1:

I thought this was an interesting question, so I decided to do a GBT (Google blush test).

I ran three searches each, on the terms bustier and corset.

• The first search was on Google Images.
• The second search was on Google Images, with Safe Search off.
• The third search was on Google Shopping.

The results were rather interesting. When I checked Google Images, the bustier pictures seemed a little bit racier, although the difference was only slight.

However, when I switched the search from Images to Shopping, the results were reversed. The sites from the corset search were packed with racy and tacky costumes (Wonder Woman, anyone?), while the bustier results revealed much more understated undergarments.

Hence, bustier might indeed be the "sexier" word, but that may not be the end of the story, particularly if an e-commerce site is trying to determine how to get keyword hits.

Solution 2:

This is a beautifully subjective question, because everyone's answer is equally valid.

I think that bustier is a more sexually-charged word, because it includes "bust" and therefore draws attention to that area of the body. Corset doesn't have that; in fact the usual spelling of corset is almost a positive turn-off.

Solution 3:

Corset is often used in a metaphorical sense to mean that something has been bound up so tight that it is difficult for it to move (or breathe). So of the two, I'd take that one out of the running. Bustier wins.