waist belt and cording placement

I still haven't decided whether or not to put the belt around the waist. I'm concerned that it won't add to the corset, but be too much. In case I do decide to add it I thought I should figure out the placement by putting the mock-up on and drawing where I wanted the waist belt to be.

I also realized I forgot to mark where the cording under the bust will fall. I’ve marked mine in at a sharper angle than the cording on Norah Waugh’s pattern. A few reasons; I’ve changed the angle of the top edge and I want the cording to follow that angle. I also think the stronger angle is more pleasing to the eye, directing it upward, rather than across, as a shallower angle will do. And last, the cording is there to support to the bust. It seems structurally that an angle will provide more support that something straight across, which is how the cording often is on this style of corset. There is a pale blue one in the Kyoto Costume Institute’s digital archive that has the same cording (This could be quilting instead of cording, it’s hard to tell on this picture, but the general design is the same.) and the angle is almost nonexistent.

Both the waist belt and the cording fabric will be separate pieces so I have room to change them before I sew them on. The cording will be done on a piece of fabric that is parallel top and bottom, it will be easy to add. I'm not sure about the waist belt though. I may be in over my head with this piece.