Lace it up - The true Corset thread

[Kishtu]

Hailey, yes, that was what I was told initially.... IME it hasn't been the case. What I suspect is that it's the sheet of muscles over your ribs and diaphragm that strengthens up nicely (maybe because having a steel-boned corset wrapped round 'em improves your posture even when you're not wearing the thing, maybe strengthening what in Pilates they call your core muscles?)
I always used to find after taking mine off that those muscles ached like I'd had a workout lol which is the nearest I ever get to working out I can tell you!
On the other hand, the muscles down at the bottom - the ones that weren't quite so rigidly supported - aren't anything like so toned.
Put it this way I'm just over 8 months expecting and it's only within the last 2-3 weeks that I've had a visible bump, and I am not by any stretch of the imagination a gym bunny or a fitness goddess....

OK, I've just had a look at the Meschantes website. I have a feeling that you may be looking at the same answer to both issues - not to cinch the waist too much to begin with but to lace tightly enough to "hug" yourself (ie not slip up or down!) and then let the laces rest and stretch for a while before you give it the final tightening. I'm just wondering if that might help with things skewing and rucking up. (Pondering whether part of the problem might be that as you're tightening there's more "give" in some parts of the laces than others with them being new?)

*EDIT* Having given this further thought overnight, I wonder if as well the fact that you're lacing it yourself might be causing some of the problem, and that maybe you're twisting a little bit or pulling harder on one side or the other when you're tightening it? (Apologies for stating the patently obvious here...) Are you tightening the laces to the sides or in front of you? - ie do you bring the lace ends round to your front before pulling, or are you taking them out to the sides?

 

[KittyT]

Kishtu, I think I figured out the problem with the lacing panel. I did research online and found many blog/Livejournal posts (and some listings from corset makers) that state that the lacing protector should be stiff, either made with stiff interfacing or some light boning, which will help keep it from bunching. Mine is just made from 2 layers of the twill the corset is made out of. I doubt that I can send it back and have them redo it, but I will contact Meschantes to inform them that there's a better way to do it.

In the meantime, while I don't want to remove the panel in order to replace it with my own (it's sewn to the corset along the same line as one of the boning channels - don't want to screw with that), there are seams around the outside of the panel, which should allow me to open it up enough to add some stiff interfacing inside. I can probably also use bias tape to add a couple of channels to the outside of the protector and slide in my own boning.

 

[Kishtu]

I am sorry to hear that, that it's not up to spec.
They're not cheap to have to do your own alterations to!

Good luck with it, and hope it works well.

 

[Gracie Lee]

Hi Kitty!

I'm new to the Golden Era, but I'm an old hand at Victorian corsetry, so I thought I'd share a bit of what I've learned.

* What's the best way to keep the lacing/back protector panel from bunching up when you tighten your laces? I can get it on nice and flat, but as soon as I tighten, it bunches up, and there's only so much I can do to get it reasonably flat again, especially when lacing myself. I need 8 arms for this!

This I have no experience with. I've always worn a chemise under my corset, and have never used a modesty panel.

* Is it normal to have minor lower back discomfort as I'm getting used to the corset? They say it should be comfortable. Maybe this is just my muscles adjusting to forced better posture?

NONONONONO! If you have ANY lower back discomfort at all, THROW OUT YOUR CORSET! I know that custom made corsets, which require muslins, tests, and several fittings are very expensive. Believe me, I know. But this is the single biggest reason to spend the cash. Improperly fitted corsets can cause pain and back problems, and in most cases, the pain will get worse, not better. A corset is not merely bust-waist-hip. Every woman has different front and back bust to rib cage to waist to hip contours, many women even vary from right side to left side, and I do not believe it is ever possible to get a corset to fit the way it needs to sight unseen.

* Everything I've read says that you should try to keep each side of the lacing panels parallel. But here's what I don't get - you're trying to lace down your waist, but your ribs and hips will only go so far. How do you keep the panels parallel when you can't squeeze down areas other than the waist (at least not without great discomfort and the dreaded squidge?)

When wearing a *properly fitted* corset, you should never have to try to keep the edges parallel while you lace. You should be able to pull it in to the waist measure you desire, snug the laces up, and all the other bits should just fall into place, comfortably and without much poof above the top or below the bottom. After wearing your corset for 5 minutes or so, moving around normally, the tension will naturally even out among the laces, and the edges will become parallel on their own. If you find that this does not give you the measurements you're going for, or there's gaping or squidge, it's not a properly fitted corset.

Okay, I know I've said a lot of bad things. I've intimated that your new corset, which you undoubtably put a lot of research and money into, doesn't fit properly and may even be injurious to you. But I have good news. You don't have to spend a fortune for a properly fitted corset, one that will follow and shape your God given curves to perfection, make you feel feminine and graceful (odd isn't it? But that's how I feel when I'm laced), and feel like a strong warm hug when you wear it. I have a corset that I wouldn't trade for any other on earth, and it only cost me about $40. The trick is to make it yourself. I'm not going to lie and say it's a fast process, but it's much easier than anyone thinks it is (I swear, if you can modify a pattern, stitch up a dress and fit it well, you will be amazed at how easy this is), and if you plan on wearing a corset for any longer than 20 minutes at a pop, ever, I highly recommend giving it some serious consideration. If it's something you're interested in, please feel free to PM me, and I would be more than happy to steer you in the direction of the patterns, advice, and resources I used to make mine. The offer stands for anyone interested.

 

[Sylvanrealm]

KittyT, if you don't mind me asking, which style did you buy from them? I'm thinking about your question regarding keeping the the back ends parallel.

Also, I have one of their corsets and it, along with the several others i own from different companies/corset makers (custom and not), has the same space allowance in all of the bone channels. Whether or not this is appropriate, I cannot say, but I've never had a problem with any of them. Also, regarding the back protector, i had the same bunching issue. I simply readjust by pulling at the upper and lower corners as I slowly lace up.

*edit* oops, just saw that you got the underbust victorian. That style should lace near-closed on you if you gave the proper measurements. Although, if you are pulling your corset down lower over the hips, then it makes sense that the back panels would not comfortably lace closed because your hips are wider the lower you go (sounds obvious, I know, but it sounds like they made it to be worn higher than you're trying to wear it). The ribs should squish pretty easily, the hips not so well beyond a point unless you have a bit more cushion in that area. I have learned to ask for a curvy cut when ordering custom corsets because many places seem to assume that the modern woman will *not* want the waist reduced dramatically compared to the hips.
Lastly, although it's hard to judge without pictures, it should be fine for your corset if the back is not perfectly parallel (but this also depends of the kind of boning used). Pictures *would* be great.

 

[Annalai]

Sorry to say this but bying from Meschantes is a bit of a lottery you may get a wellmade good fitting corset or a badly one if any corset at all. For years it has been lots of writing about this corset company in corset forums, corsetgroups on Yahoo and on livejournals.

It is common to have some backpain in the beginning while the corset is not fully broken in yet and your body is getting used to a new posture. This should go away in a week or two if not the corset does not fit you properly.

If a corset is truly custom made after your measurements it should have parallel panels.

The smallest part of your corset should be at your natural waist or a bit higher up this is more comfortable compared to trying to wear it too low. Try this and see if it feels better.

A few links for anyone interesting in corsets and waist training.

http://www.staylace.com/

http://www.corsetcollege.net/

http://corsetreturn.topcities.com/

Annalai

 

[KittyT]

It is common to have some backpain in the beginning while the corset is not fully broken in yet and your body is getting used to a new posture. This should go away in a week or two if not the corset does not fit you properly.

Thanks! I know you're a very seasoned corset wearer, Annalai, and this is information that I had read elsewhere online as well.

The smallest part of your corset should be at your natural waist or a bit higher up this is more comfortable compared to trying to wear it too low. Try this and see if it feels better.

One of the problems I have is that my waist sits way up right under my ribs. An issue I frequently have with this is that, as I move around (and especially sitting), the waistline of my garment tends to move up and dig into my lower ribs. This also means that I have a hard time compressing my waist because my natural waistline basically has ribs in it. This is one of the concerns I have about waist training - that I will get a minimal amount of waist reduction because my ribs get in the way :-(

NONONONONO! If you have ANY lower back discomfort at all, THROW OUT YOUR CORSET!

As stated by Annalai, this is not what I've read during much of the preliminary research I did. I did read that a lot of pain meant that the corset either doesn't fit properly or is laced too tight, but that some minor discomfort was normal, often a result of your muscles having to adjust to proper posture. Now what's confusing is that different people often say very different things about it!

Okay, I know I've said a lot of bad things. I've intimated that your new corset, which you undoubtably put a lot of research and money into, doesn't fit properly

Well from what I'm hearing and reading, you're probably right. And I'm sure that this is what I get from passing up the $400 custom corset for a $200 made-to-measure. As a first time wearer, I just really wasn't prepared to spend that much money.

The trick is to make it yourself. I'm not going to lie and say it's a fast process, but it's much easier than anyone thinks it is (I swear, if you can modify a pattern, stitch up a dress and fit it well, you will be amazed at how easy this is

This is the problem! I have friends who've made corsets before, but I can't seem to fit a skirt well on myself, let alone grade or modify a pattern.

Also, regarding the back protector, i had the same bunching issue. I simply readjust by pulling at the upper and lower corners as I slowly lace up.

I do this, but it still bunches a tad. I plan on fixing this by opening up the 2 layers of the lacing panel and ironing in a stiff piece of interfacing. Should be very easy.

That style should lace near-closed on you if you gave the proper measurements.

My measurements were taken about 10 times, both by myself and someone else. I'm pretty confident in them. Desired lacing measurement was given 4" below my natural waist, but it's my understanding that it should only lace closed after proper breaking in and gradually working down. And as explained above, I'm not sure I could lace down that much because of the stupid short-waisted/rib issue?

Although, if you are pulling your corset down lower over the hips, then it makes sense that the back panels would not comfortably lace closed because your hips are wider the lower you go (sounds obvious, I know, but it sounds like they made it to be worn higher than you're trying to wear it). The ribs should squish pretty easily, the hips not so well beyond a point unless you have a bit more cushion in that area.

The hips aren't actually an issue, it's the ribs. The ribs DON'T squish easily without discomfort. From the waist down, I can actually lace it nearly closed without getting any squidge out the bottom at all. It's from the underbust to the waist that's the issue.

Lastly, although it's hard to judge without pictures, it should be fine for your corset if the back is not perfectly parallel (but this also depends of the kind of boning used). Pictures *would* be great.

Thanks, I'll see what I can do I really appreciate the time all of you have taken to try to address my questions!

 

[lareine]

Hi guys!

Just to say I found out that http://corsets-uk.com are having a 3 for 2 offer across their whole range. Not sure what the quality is like, but they seem to have a good selection of steel boned corsets at reasonable prices.

I put my order in yesterday. Have never bought a corset before as they have always been a little out of my price range - can't wait for them to arrive!

I thought this was a great deal too, so I put in an order on Saturday 12th. It has been a shambolic process so far
First of all, my PayPal payment wouldn't go through and kept giving me an error. Googling led me to discover that this was probably due to their shopping cart setup. I put in my order anyway (I selected "pay by cheque") then emailed to let them know, and they were able to send me a PayPal invoice instead. Because of time zone differences and delays in emailing me, I wasn't able to actually pay this until several days later. However, I was very pleased to get an email stating that my items had been dispatched, on Tuesday 15th.

Sadly, this was not actually true. When this company says "dispatched" they actually mean "submitted to the dispatch people," not that the order has shipped. The next day I got an email to say that some of my items were out of stock and it would be 2-3 weeks before more stock arrived. This was despite me making sure on the website that I only ordered in-stock items. The email didn't give any indication as to what items were no longer in stock.

I sent an irate mail back to the company and was told that I had ordered out of stock items (not true) and there was nothing wrong with their website process or the wording that they use (also not true -- and blatantly so, as they said on their Facebook page that they are working on improving their website, so they obviously know there's a problem).

Yesterday morning, Thursday 17th, I emailed them a long list of alternatives that would suffice for the two of my three items that they were unable to send, all of them in-stock according to their website. This is now the evening of Friday 18th here and I have not had any more contact from them.

For a company that is only online, their online ordering process is very unreliable and flawed. The products may well be fantastic, and if I ever receive anything from them I'll be sure to post about that, but I cannot recommend them for anybody who doesn't have a vast amount of time to spend piddling about trying to sort out their order [huh]

Back on the main topic, I do have one corset made by Snobz, which was made to my measurements in 2006 for my wedding. Sadly it's a bit too small now. Still, I was very happy on the day and it gets trotted out at least once a year since then, so I consider it money well spent. It does seem very well made and although it was pricey I think it was a good purchase.

 

[clubwitsend]

Just putting some recommendations out there...Sue Nice in LA is amazing...and I have a corset from Underground Aristocracy here in NYC- Shumit's work is great. Fabulous construction...steel boning, etc etc...

Some pics of Underground Aristocracy corsets:

This is the Alston overbust...

This is a custom underbust I had him make in black faille

http://www.underground-aristocracy.com/corsets.html

He's very reasonable, especially for custom work!

 

[lareine]

This thread inspired me to go put on my corset, which hasn't been worn in quite a few months now. This is the Snobz link to the one I have, in black satin:


I put it on and because I'm too big for it now I really struggled to do up the busk, so I lay on the floor to fasten it. And realisation suddenly came to me: I have been wearing it too high, to cover my huge bust. When I put it on lying down it went to my natural waist at the waistline, and suddenly everything fit. Everything but the bust, that is... I think it wasn't fitting before because my boobs were down in my waistline and making everything several inches bigger in girth. Sigh.

So now I have a corset that fits and gives me a 3.5" waist reduction, but my boobs are spilling over the top and I look like a porn star. Seriously, I could rest a cup and plate on them for my afternoon tea, and I can't see my feet (or any other part of my lower body). I don't think the overbust style was made for women with a figure like mine...

 

[Jasmine Jolene]

HI ladies,

can any of you UK ladies recommend a good place to either buy/order a waist training corset?

there are plenty of places online, but they mostly seem to be US companies and i'd rather get one from here just for ease and also to keep postage costs down.

thanks in advance x

edit: i have been looking at corsets-uk, but after a previous posters experience i am not so sure. however, i'm in no rush so if the products are good i am willing to overlook the poor customer service and postage

 

[whaleomelette]

here is one of mine

18"

 

[Jasmine Jolene]

^^ WOW!

is that custom made? is it comfortable? it looks juts...wow!

 

[whaleomelette]

^^ WOW!

is that custom made? is it comfortable? it looks juts...wow!

tis indeed custom made, desert orchid corsets, just tell her whaleomelette sent you shes *very* resonable
im getting a freebie made at the moment
its very comfortable but iv been wearing them for 7 years- so you couldnt just get one like mine, you would cripple your self! i can lace smaller but i had 2 inch more than normal on my waist (26 not usual 24) then, im considering getting a 16"

 

[Jasmine Jolene]

yowza! 16" - I wish!

well, i have a great big fat waist at the moment, courtesy of carrying twins and the accompanying swelling (shame i lost 2 stone in pregnancy, but gained a lotta saggy skin and stretch marks!) so i am not going to be silly and order a tiny weeny one.

just googled desert orchid corsets - be back in a jiffy when i have had a look

 

[Jasmine Jolene]

http://www.desertorchidcorsets.co.uk/nouveaupics_43.html?frm_data1=7&frm_data1_type=large#

is this the one you are wearing? i want a peachy coloured one, i like a What Katie Did one but i hesitate to spend over £100 on an off the peg corset.

where are you on the clients gallery then

 

[KittyT]

It is a beautiful corset, love that peachy color! It doesn't look like it fits right though - aren't underbusts supposed to sit right under your bust?

 

[whaleomelette]

It is a beautiful corset, love that peachy color! It doesn't look like it fits right though - aren't underbusts supposed to sit right under your bust?

it was the first one i bought from that particular maker and i told her the wrong length from waist to underbust because im an idiot- has been rectified on the newer corsets however

 

[whaleomelette]

http://www.desertorchidcorsets.co.uk/nouveaupics_43.html?frm_data1=7&frm_data1_type=large#

is this the one you are wearing? i want a peachy coloured one, i like a What Katie Did one but i hesitate to spend over £100 on an off the peg corset.

where are you on the clients gallery then

tis indeed that one, i didnt even know that page existed!
she did it with less bones and less meaurements so it wasnt the price of the MDC range id *never* buy an off the rack corset, never mind at that price pfft! my one up there cost about the same.
i dont want to be on there! haha, pictures of me= kept to a minimum, not because im ugly, but because im not a fan of internetting my self

 

[Deleted member 12480]

i'm kinda really confused.
When you tightlace, is that how small you can crush your waist to, or does your waist stay reasonably that size once you take it off? Xx