Talk to me about corsets

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

I love corsets and would love to get one (or several). But I'm worried about fat overhang (I'm a size 10-12) and confused about sizing. Can anyone help and recommend some places to buy them from?

[OneLittleLady]

do you want a 'proper' corset, as in a steel boned one or just something for fashion? if it's just for fashion, whatever fits comfortably is fine but bear in mind that plastic boning bends and snaps easily and after so many wears it sort of moulds to your shape so it's hard to keep them in shape after a while. if you want steel boned, i'd really advise getting measured for it. most rl shops selling them will have a measuring service and they can advise you on best fit and how to stay comfortable in one. if you go steel boned, build up to wearing it for a long period, start small, and loose laced and build up the time in it and tightness of the lacing. don't just strap yourself in and hope, it can be very uncomfortable and make you feel faint and sick if you go too tight too soon. when i was measured for my old one, they advised going for one that would tighten no more than four inches maximum below my natural waist size. bear in mind things like you may get rubbing under the arm pits and under the shoulder blades but this can be helped with products like body glide or lanacane gel like cyclists use. hope that's helpful

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

Thanks for that. Yes I want a steel boned one as I imagine the plastic boned ones will be like basques which always distort. I'll have a look and see if there are any local corset makers then. I hadn't considered getting measured for one. I'm hoping to lose a bit of weight so might wait until I have in that case.

[OneLittleLady]

if you plan to lose weight, then yes, i'd wait as a proper well fitting corset won't be cheap, or shouldn't be anyway. I found plastic boned ones were great for things like fancy dress or to be bought cheaply to go with specific things but I loved my steel boned one as it gave me great waist definition and fabulous cleavage! once you have a proper measurement, then it's easy to order online, if i remember any of the names of places I bought some of mine, i'll come back with them but my mind is blank right now. you might find 'alternative' shops that sell them could measure you as well as corset makers. my first one came from the local alternative shop and was fitted beautifully, they spent well over two hours making sure I had the right fit and style.

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

I've Googled and found a place here that makes them, while I'm losing weight it will give me a chance to save up for a really nice one. I bought one once but one of the fasteners snapped off, and I was put off by the back fat overhang so don't want that to happen again.

[OneLittleLady]

ooh yes, save up for something really special. i think you get back hang in some styles no matter what tbh, i think a lot depends on your body shape rather than your weight, IYSWIM? are you going to go for over or under bust? both are nice but i generally preferred over for the shape they give.I would definitely look for one with a modesty panel int he back as I personally think they look a lot nicer than just having lacing on bare skin and you can always tuck the panel in one side if you want the bare look, you have both options if you have the panel. Lacing is a good thing to look at actually, the lacing should be sturdy and quite tough, thin little ribbons not only cut in but they also can't take the strain of tight lacing so do look for something quite sturdy.

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

[http://www.valkyriecorsets.co.uk/ this ]] is the place I found local to me. They're not cheap but look lovely.

[MyGastIsFlabbered]

Link fail sorry. [http://www.valkyriecorsets.co.uk/ try again]]

[OneLittleLady]

they do look good and it's a good sign they fit to order. they have some lovely designs.

[Elysianfields]

I adore corsets and have had several from here - www.corsets-uk.com/

Well made, excellent service and lovely corsets. I may need to buy another now...

[squizita]

What Katy Did is always a good option. Corsets UK carry some steel boned ones and often have offers too.

[MillyMollyMandy78]

I had a corset style wedding dress and did not suffer the back fat overhang that others seem to get. I was a size 10-12. I think the trick is to not tie the top bit too tight, then waist and hips a little tighter. Also, i think the corsets that sit lower down on your back are more prone to this problem. Mine was just below my armpits all the way around.

[Pumpkinette]

If you can go and get measured and fitted by someone local that's best. If you need to order online Measure your natural waist and order a corset 4 inches smaller. Check your body length and don't order a longline corset if you have a short torso as it will dig in when you sit down.

I would say personally to go for an underbust corset in a plain colour as it's far more versatile. If you want it for waist reduction then it's better to wear it for a few hours each day than all day for a couple of days. You will loose inches with it but it can take a long time and you need to be consistent with wearing it.

It will take a good few wears for the corset to mould to your shape but once it does it will become more comfortable. Whatever you do don't put it over a radiator or under direct heat to dry as it will reset the metal rods and lose all the shape that it has formed (as it your shape). It can be quite tricky to get the hang of tying and untying the laces at first but it does get easier with practice. There are loads of tutorials on you tube some good and some not so good. You basically want to end up with a nice even gap at the back and no puckering in the fabric.

I would also recommend getting a seam free vest to wear under it and buy a small size so the fabric doesn't wrinkle (I'm a size 12ish and my under corset vests are size 6/8) I also chop the top of my vests off so it's almost like a boob tube for my tummy. You don't have to do this but corsets do make you sweat underneath them and it's much easier to keep them clean if you use something to line your corset. It also sorts out the lack of modesty panel - I'm personally not a fan of modesty panels as I find they tend to bunch up and make lacing harder.

If you are planning on losing a lot of weight quickly then I would say wait but if you are doing it over a long period of time and would actually wear your corset a lot then get one now and in a years time or so then you could buy a new one when your current one gets too big.