Girdles, Corsets, and Underpinnings

[Lady Day]

Anyone else for corsets?

This is one of my dream corsets. But I havent done any waist training so Id prolly get a 'beginner' corset.

www.absolutecorsets.com
This site has some real great ones.

LD

 

[mysterygal]

:eusa_clap great taste Lady Day! I LOVE the look of that one!

 

[Tourbillion]

So, is corsets just for tucking in the tummy then? I saw a couple of sites online that sell them..they look great, but since I have my girdles..with nothing to tuck, wondering if it would just be a waste then?

Judging from your avatar, you probably could go without corsets or girdles. Today's corsets if they do anything, just suck your waist in. Some also support the bust and smooth the hips, but the latter is kinda rare. Most modern girdles don't do much, just smooth out some of the fat and make you uncomfortable. I prefer vintage girdles, or waist-cincher garter belts (but only because regular garter belts always try to migrate down my hips).

I am seriously considering making my own girdles though, my mom has the patterns and there are suppliers in Los Angeles for all the materials. Plus I could custom make them so they actually fit me, and not some industrial average.

My dad used to talk about women in corsets, and I always thought that they were all gone in the 1920's, not so!


Here's my girdle rundown:

1920's there were corsets for the hips, and chest and the waist too (if large). They had girdles too.

1930's: Corset girdles are still going strong (i.e. lace up, no stretch), they can suck in an inch or two off of hips for a smooth line in those straight gowns. There were regular stretchy girdles too for the lithe.

1940's: Mostly just stretchy girdles, unless you needed one for your back. In the late 40's Dior's new look brought back corsets paired with hip pads! I've seen photos. Didn't last too long.

In the 1950's there were all kinds of girdles, and no proper lady did not wear one, even in the 1960's.

My mom didn't wear one in the 60's, and my dad's first wife found out and was suitably aghast. My mom also wore colored underwear (which dad's ex found out about too). You would think my mom was a streetwalker by the way she reacted.

Despite her lack of "proper undergarments" She did wear hats, gloves and carried handkerchiefs in her purses (she had a purse and shoes for each outfit), at least until the 1970's...

 

[Rosie]

waist training corsets:

http://www.romantasy.com/index.html?BodyURL=ZXQ/cyboutique/Workshops/WaistTraining.shtml

 

[decodoll]

I adore corsets and have made a few. The top half of my wedding dress was a corset from Dark Garden. However, for daily wear I stick to my girdles. It's usually difficult to wear most clothes from the 1930's on over a corset without the lines of the corset being visable through your outfit. The exception being the New Look styles of the 1950's.

Mysterygal, corsets are meant to shape the body into whatever the fashion of the time was. Different time periods give different types of shape. For example Renaissance corsets create a cone shape with very little waist reduction, Edwardian an "S" shape and then the type you are thinking of and the most popular as fashion corsets today is the Victorian, which is intended to compress the waist.

 

[Lady Day]

So, is corsets just for tucking in the tummy then? I saw a couple of sites online that sell them..they look great, but since I have my girdles..with nothing to tuck, wondering if it would just be a waste then?

Real corsets have boning, weather it metal (mostly used now) or real whale bones (that were use back in the day). Most of real corsets were not only used for support, but are the actual garments themselves.

What passes for 'corsets' in general lingerie stores today are really some kind of camisole. They generaly have no boning support at all and are 5 to 7 times LESS in price than real corsets.

You can buy the materials to make real corsets (something I want to investigate) but that can run you pretty close to the real price of a pro made one.

Ive wanted a real corset for years, but havent been brave enough to shell out the cash. Maybe Santa will help me out this Christmas. Ive been good!
[angel]


LD

 

[mysterygal]

Thanks for the info! lady day..that's what I've been mostly seeing , camisoles basically being called corsets.

 

[Etienne]

Sometimes I get really confused with all these different styles. I would like an undergarment that is an underwired bra, waist-nipper, hip-smoother, with garters, that is open-bottomed and comes down LONG on the leg--at least 5 inches or so at the inseam with a long torso (I am long-waisted) in a 36 DD. Does such an item exist??

 

[Lady Day]

They are nice! They sure stay in place more than a regular slip (which ride up a lot). If you do a search for "pettipants" as they are sometimes called you can find more sellers. The Vermontcountrystore.com has a "set" (camisole + the pants) in either cotton or nylon, with lace trim:
http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/...DUCT&iMainCat=55&iSubCat=250&iProductID=10035


But they do look like something even I could try to make myself!

Those are pretty cute, and they do look makeable, but at only $15 they are a great bargin AND in cotton! Thanks


LD

 

[Rosie]

OOOO Etienne, that may be hard to find. I've found that most of the shapers/girdles that are long or open bottom don't have an underwire which is a bit frustrating when you have a bigger cup size, I'm a DD also and was looking for one. The best I've found is this, for the length http://www.lbcatalog.com/lbcatalog/product/product.asp?pf_id=76518&dept_id=847&parent_id=&

or this: http://www.jms.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/ProductDisplay?prnbr=12960&cgnbr=40B1000000

Truthfully, these things give my breasts a conish shape which works or doesn't depending on my style for the day, for '50s dressing, this works well.

When I need to wear an underwire, I wear my bra of choice with a high waisted, long legged girdle
and I will wear a girdelette http://girdlebound.safeshopper.com/24/437.htm?826

it's a lot, but I get the desired effect.

 

[Lady Day]

Sometimes I get really confused with all these different styles. I would like an undergarment that is an underwired bra, waist-nipper, hip-smoother, with garters, that is open-bottomed and comes down LONG on the leg--at least 5 inches or so at the inseam with a long torso (I am long-waisted) in a 36 DD. Does such an item exist??

http://www.secretsinlace.com/sil/sh...l=1&CATID=14&ObjectGroup_ID=62&Product_ID=296

Try this (2 pieces). It may come up short in a couple of your requests, but it might be a good all over compromise. Im a 38DD, so I feel what your looking for

LD

 

[Rosie]

http://www.secretsinlace.com/sil/sh...l=1&CATID=14&ObjectGroup_ID=62&Product_ID=296

Try this (2 pieces). It may come up short in a couple of your requests, but it might be a good all over compromise. Im a 38DD, so I feel what your looking for

LD

Great site. Someplace new for me to spend my money. Thanks LD.

 

[Tourbillion]

Sometimes I get really confused with all these different styles. I would like an undergarment that is an underwired bra, waist-nipper, hip-smoother, with garters, that is open-bottomed and comes down LONG on the leg--at least 5 inches or so at the inseam with a long torso (I am long-waisted) in a 36 DD. Does such an item exist??

Yup, but it is a custom item. Also the gentleman (Mr. Garrod) from True Grace Corsets who made them died of cancer a few years ago. You can still custom order them from others, but I don't know if they'll be the same.

http://www.jrice.com/page/cyboutique/corset/true_grace.shtml

Also they'll set you back a few bills. Romantasy Corsets doesn't seem to list prices on their website anymore. But I think the tgc corselette is around $800.

Since I've made a few corsets myself, I've been meaning to make that type of corset myself. I want fan lacing, so I'm going to have to canabalize an old Camp corset to get the proper fan hardware.

My "to do" projects list is getting out of control.

 

[Dragonia]

Dragonia, I love your avatar.

Thanks Rosie!

Sometimes I get really confused with all these different styles. I would like an undergarment that is an underwired bra, waist-nipper, hip-smoother, with garters, that is open-bottomed and comes down LONG on the leg--at least 5 inches or so at the inseam with a long torso (I am long-waisted) in a 36 DD. Does such an item exist??

You can find the old "vintage" pieces like this still made. If you have ever looked at the Vermont Country Store catalog they have quite a bit of vintage undies and girdles. I am not sure if they still carry this piece, but they used to and are also very responsive to finding items for customers.

 

[Caledonia]

Another corset site is Vollers - vollerscorset.co.uk. I already have the over bust one, V1890u, but I'd love one of their waspees.

And has anyone worked out how to lace it up by yourself? I've contorted till I thought I'd pull by shoulders out, and tied myself to door handles, but I don't think there's a way.lol

 

[Dragonia]

And has anyone worked out how to lace it up by yourself? I've contorted till I thought I'd pull by shoulders out, and tied myself to door handles, but I don't think there's a way.lol

Would you be using a backlacing corset with hook and eyes or one without. If you have one with hook and eye and ties I would have someone you trust set it to you and then you should be able to just hook and eye it back on when you need it on. Of course a friend is always helpful, but if you are bashful or can't find someone I suggest putting it on a dressform you can set to yourself, it might just work. Then you can do the last bit of fitting yourself.

If you have one with only ties, good luck!!! Maybe go to yoga class or circus school!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Sometimes I get really confused with all these different styles. I would like an undergarment that is an underwired bra, waist-nipper, hip-smoother, with garters, that is open-bottomed and comes down LONG on the leg--at least 5 inches or so at the inseam with a long torso (I am long-waisted) in a 36 DD. Does such an item exist??

Hah, I am 34DD with a long torso! I am a big fan of the Rago all-in-one styles. You can see some of the nice ones at Girdlebound.com - but the site isn't safe for work in all places.

 

[Caledonia]

Would you be using a backlacing corset with hook and eyes or one without. If you have one with hook and eye and ties I would have someone you trust set it to you and then you should be able to just hook and eye it back on when you need it on. Of course a friend is always helpful, but if you are bashful or can't find someone I suggest putting it on a dressform you can set to yourself, it might just work. Then you can do the last bit of fitting yourself.

If you have one with only ties, good luck!!! Maybe go to yoga class or circus school!

Looks like the yoga class then!

 

[decodoll]

Sometimes I get really confused with all these different styles. I would like an undergarment that is an underwired bra, waist-nipper, hip-smoother, with garters, that is open-bottomed and comes down LONG on the leg--at least 5 inches or so at the inseam with a long torso (I am long-waisted) in a 36 DD. Does such an item exist??

You should take a look at the Made-to-Measure Corselette and Basque at Touchable.co.uk. The only thing on your list that they don't do is come down quite that long, but since they are custom, perhaps they could make some adjustments to the length for you. I have the basque, and it's really nice.

 

[Lauren]

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