Armed with my updated corset education, I have been looking for local corset makers, hoping to find an artisan to make a custom item for me. My goal was to have a solid, custom built corset to begin waist training. I was sadly disappointed. With prices soaring above $300 (which is fine for one of great quality) I didn't see anything that I felt was of that value. The shapes were terrible and boxy, and it made me wonder if they would stand up to the strain of waist training. I'm not looking to shrink to 20" or anything, but I would like to have something that I can wear regularly. I don't know if they just didn't bother to cinch them up properly when they took the photos, or if the patterns are really that flat, but there didn't appear to be much waist reduction at all. One of the local corset makers does have a shop, so it might be worth while to go there and try one on. I was there years ago, before I had the money to buy one, and was impressed at the time. I have learned much since then, and it might be worth another visit. I will refrain from mentioning the names of the shops for now, because without an actual customer experience, I can't say for certain if their products are good or bad. I just wasn't impressed with the photos on their websites.
So, I will turn to what I do have. I own two corsets that are built for this type of wear. They are steel boned, with strong laces, and sturdy construction.
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One I purchased after seeing the vendor at a convention. I didn't have the money to buy one right there and then, but they did convince me to try one on. It was very comfortable, and fit like a charm. I took their card, and a year later, I did order one from their website, Felix and Kitty. I have mentioned them before in a previous post. I still find this underbust corset to be very comfortable. I have absolutely terrible posture from working at a computer every day, and I do find it tiring to wear it for too long, but I am never in any pain. I think that my body is fighting being in such an upright posture. After repeated wearing, I am certain that my shoulders and back will relax and I will not find it so exhausting to wear! I actually find that if I am more active while wearing it, the better I feel. Sitting for prolonged periods seems to be the trigger.
The other corset is an overbust, and is quite high in front and back. I get a very flat front when wearing this one. I have a fairly small chest to begin with, and this just squashes everything flat! And it comes up very high in front, so I don't get the two hills on top. Just very flat in front. I can cinch down quite a bit in this one, even though it is fairly straight. It doesn't have much in the way of curves, so I was expecting more pressure on my ribs and hips. My only real complaint in terms of comfort is under my arms. I am quite short, and so even though my torso is long in proportion to my legs, it is still very short compared to someone who is 5" taller than me. The corset was designed for someone much taller than me (which might explain the height of the front) and it digs into my armpits a fair bit. It forces me to keep my shoulders back much farther than I normally would. I think I fell in love with the fabric, and I had it in my head that I was going to buy a corset that day. The one I actually wanted was way too small (it was about 20") and the sales woman pointed out this beautiful black with gold dragons. It was one of the few they had in my size. (I think they get a lot of young women shopping there who have not yet developed the post-college spread.) Overall, this one is very nice, although because it is quite fancy and digs into my arms, I don't wear it very often.
I have come to the realisation that I won't find what I am looking for in my local shops.... kinda makes me wish I lived in Toronto where they actually have some fantastic corset makers! Instead, I am going to try making my own. I had dissected a very old fashion corset to discover (to my pleasant surprise!) it had spiral steel bones! I plan to use these to construct a new one. I also decided that I want a busk on this one. I found a Canadian supplier, Farthingales, and will order a busk (and a couple of spring steel bones for the back) from them. While I am at it, I may as well plan out my second corset and order the bones and busk for that as well! Just pay shipping once!
I have great plans to begin working on this.... and while I am super excited to sew my first real corset, I do have to wait unfortunately... my hope was to have it done in time to wear daily in the cooler fall weather. I may still be able to reach this goal, but for now I have a much more pressing project. I will be working on bridesmaids and flower girl dresses for a friend and her daughter. The wedding is in just a few short weeks, so my corset project will have to wait! Besides, this summer has been forecast as hot, dry, and long. We are just starting into the hot weather this week, and boy are we getting sticky! A corset would likely be quite uncomfortable for the next few weeks anyway!
Happy sewing!
Update: I did check out Nighshade Corsets on Whyte Ave. They do have another store on 124 street, but I was in the Whyte Ave area, so I decided to check out that location. It had been several years since I had been there. What I found was similar to what I saw on their website. The first time I went to Nightshade was many years ago, at their 124 street location, and at the time I was impressed with their selection. I just couldn't afford to spend that kind of money. I was sure that they were making their own corsets at the time. Looking at what they have in the Whyte Ave location now, it appears that they are getting them manufactured somewhere, and I am sure the quality isn't what it used to be. Most of their corsets were in the $60-$150 range, and none felt very sturdy. I saw many that used plastic zippers for closures! I didn't try any of them on, so I don't know about fit. Many of the sizes where "S/M/L" kind of sizing, which doesn't give you the fit you should have in a corset. The good ones will typically be the closed waist measurement, such as 20", 22", 24", etc, going up in 2" increments. I was disappointed with the Whyte Ave location. I will update next time I go to the 124 street location. That was their original spot, so I am hoping that they still carry the quality I remember seeing there before. I think that their products are just fine if you are looking for something to wear for a night out, but if you are looking for a waist training corset, I wouldn't buy off the rack there. I didn't ask, but they might still do custom work, like they did many years ago, so I would suggest asking if you are looking for a training corset.
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