My obsession with corsets began in my teens. Musicians I admired wore them (Emilie Autumn and Amanda Palmer), and a close friend's interest in corsetry inspired me to try my very first. I remember - it was a cream lace Victorian style dress. It fell apart after a few wears and some over-eager cinches. I learnt my very first corset lesson that day: "fashion corsets" are not made for tight lacing.
A fashion corset is not reinforced enough to take a good and proper cinching. If you are looking for a waist reduction of anything more than 2 inches, I recommend a waist trainer. A waist trainer should take between 4 and 6 inches from your waist.
Once this first lesson was learnt, I soon developed my own unique taste for vintage style corsets. I also learnt to adapt my taste in corsets to my own body shape. I have a short frame, so longline corsets do not suit me. I have worn anything from the What Katie Did Waspie Baby to cheaper unbranded eBay corsets.
Everyone has their own unique body shape - so it can be tricky buying corsets designed for specific "sizes" when only one measurement is typically given (the waist measurement). If buying online - you should absolutely always look for shops who promise no quibble returns. In fact, it is a good idea to browse reviews online before you buy from a shop that you've had no experience with before - just to check that other customers have had a good experience there.
I have a number of corsets, but I have never tried a latex waist trainer before (they have only been popular for a couple of years and were made popular by... well, not by my idols this time!). But this evening I found a gorgeous looking lace waist trainer with straps from Corset Story (Corsets UK) which I just had to own!
Here are my hopes for this corset:
That it will be as easy to fasten as a traditional lace corset
That it will look elegant and smooth out my body shape
That I will lose inches - hoping for a reduction around the belly
That it will not be too hot to wear under clothes this summer
It will aid me achieving my weight loss goals
I also ordered a traditional underbust corset in black brocade fabric for just £25. It looks like I got a bargain.
I hope to review these corsets in the upcoming weeks, so add this blog to your mailing list if you want to hear more!
