Desiree Krauss
This guide for beginners offers suggestions and tips on buying and wearing corsets.
Corsets have become a staple of gothic fashion and have taken on various personas from authentic, period looks to ultra-modern, cyberfetish styles. When choosing your first corset, it can be tricky to choose the one for you, and I can’t even begin to say how many times the same questions come up on fashion related e-lists and newsgroups.
Hopefully, this will help guide you in deciding on your purchase!
First off, how much are you willing to spend?
In the $100 range, the nicest quality corsets you will see include “ribbon corsets” and waist cinchers. Both Vollers and Versatile make this style and both can be bought off-the-rack.
Most of the more interesting styles can cost anywhere in the range of $150 and up, depending on the designer/maker. The “corsets” I’ve seen under $100, such as the waist cinchers they carry at places like Hot Topic or Frederick’s of Hollywood are fairly worthless and don’t hold up very well at all. It is worth it to save up and buy a well made piece than a cheap piece (especially if it becomes your favourite article of clothing, you’d want it to last more than one season!)
The nicer off-the-rack styles include corsets from Delicious (Philadelphia ), Puimond (Toronto ), Versatile (California ) and Vollers (England
I’ve always had a tough time getting the right fit with off-the-rack pieces since I am *ahem* smaller in the bust area than I am in the hip area; sometimes I feel as if I’ve bruised my ribs or hips after being corsetted for a few hours.
The advantage to having a corset made for you is that the pattern is specifically drafted to your measurements and the corset is more comfortable to wear. Plus you can have a lot of fun choosing the fabric and colours!
I can name more corsetieres that do custom work than I have fingers, but as far as getting a great fit, I’ve found two different types of custom fits. Some corset-makers take three measurements: hip, waist, and bust (including cup size) but for a corset that fits like a glove, I’ve seen really amazing corsetieres.
Pandora’s Fun Box has a variety of lovely prints and her corsets are light and easy to wear. Both Isabella Costumiere and Dark Garden are in the expensive range ($300-$400), but they offer mock-ups of their corsets for you to try on if you are not in the southern California
Starkers! is probably my favourite; Dianna’s prices are quite good for custom and her work is very beautiful.
Do take the time to look around and see which style catches your eye and fits best with your body type! After speaking to various corset enthusiasts, larger-busted girls seem to prefer the support and versatility of underbust styles while smaller-busted gals go for overbust styles to make the most of what they’ve got!
Now, what size do you take?
Corsets do not come in small, medium and large. When choosing your size while shopping, have the salesperson in the shop measure your waist; at home you can also get out your measuring tape and have a friend help you. Your corset size should be four inches smaller than your natural waist, and don’t worry about trying to lace your corset completely closed. A bit of space for “spring” in the back is helpful; if you can lace completely, the corset may be too big for you. Ribbon corsets are fairly light and can be sized 2" smaller than your natural waist.
For a custom corset, whomever you purchase from will let you know exactly what measurements are needed depending on the style you choose. Overbust styles with straps will require shoulder to waist measurements along with the other measurements needed.
Now that the time has come and you have decided, what are you going to wear with your corset? It is recommended to wear a thin layer against your skin and the corset to prevent chafing and to help keep the corset cleaner. Unlace the back first so it is loose enough to put on, and then snap up the busk. Once the busk is snugly fastened, slowly have a friend lace you in. Sometimes this may involve you holding on to a nearby wall and your friend’s knee in your back! This is a-okay, just take it easy and slow!
Prior to and during the wear of your corset, it is recommended to stay away from carbonated drinks; those gassy bubbles may cause discomfort while you are corsetted. Pigging out is also not a good idea; that “too full” feeling is a surefire way to make yourself uncomfortable in a corset!
After wearing your corset, drape it over a chair and let it air out. Spritzing it with a little Febreeze will help get the sweaty/smoky club smell out, too.
Wear it in good health!
Thanks to Spinmistress Batty, Merry Malaise and the other gals who took the time to send their input!
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