Pattern Whore

So I got a bonus day off of work today when my car wouldn't start. I was feeling a bit depressed while I watched my car get hauled onto the rollback so I thought I would salve my soul by cruising eBay vintage pattern sales. Except, I'm also worried about paying for car repairs so instead of buying anything, I'll just share my favorites and live vicariously through anyone else who buys them instead of me.

This dress is all about the button detail on the front--probably something a patient seamstress could draft on her own, but perfect for the lazy amongst us (that includes me). At a 32" bust, it will need sizing up for most of us.







From my favorite eBay pattern seller, this 1940s dress was enough to make me think very hard about whether or not I should bid (my thin wallet prevailed upon me not to). I am always a sucker for 40s gathering and the panel cut into the center front of the skirt like that. This one I could easily slip into my work wardrobe and get loads of compliments on (as long as the insertion of that panel went well. It's bound to be a bit tricky). Bust 36"!? I love you. *wipes away a trail of drool*



This one I hesitated to put up because I wasn't sure if it was quite original enough. I finally decided that with the princess waist and inset sleeves (a little hard to find on 50s dresses and kind of a pain to re-draft), it was worth it. I love the scalloped neckline, and I think this could easily make either a pretty cocktail dress or a killer wedding dress. At a 30" bust, it will definitely require sizing up, bat that shouldn't be too bad with its configuration.

I'm also pretty sure that for most of us, proper waist-cinching undergarments and petticoats will be required to make this flattering.

Nevertheless, it's totally adorable.


Wow! The wrap detail on the front of this is spectacular, especially when complimented by the gathers at the hips. Beware though: that wrap detail could be tough to size up for inexperienced seamstresses, and at a size 32" bust, that will almost definitely be a requirement.

Bridal Corsets: Part 2

I have long had mixed feelings about brides wearing corsets. On the one hand, everyone wants to feel confident about the way they look in their wedding dress, and a corset certainly smooths and slims anyone's figure. But on the other hand, I've always felt worried for the in experienced corset-wearer's comfort on her first 6-10 hour day in a corset while she dances, smiles for pictures, and greats the new in-laws.

But two weeks I went to my friend's sister's wedding in Vermont, where I'd made corsets for both the brides. I have to say, my concerns softened.

Both ladies looked exquisite. Additionally, I found out that two brides makes for more pretty dresses to ogle.

They had come to me months before requesting wedding corsets, and since I had them in my studio for once (instead entirely through mail-order), I gave them the full run-down of available models. Both girls were close to my size, so I even had them try on three or four of my own.

We settled on my recent favorite:

I love the Edwardian corset for so many reasons, but I thought it a good choice for both of them because their dresses hugged their figures down through the hips, and because that low bustline would give them a little more breathing room when it came to dancing. We wound up with a cream silk faille for one and a white-on-on white damask for the the other. So pretty!

I gave both of them "the talk" about breaking in their corsets. I know most people really want to save their wedding ensemble to be perfectly new on their special day, but I maintain that both shoes and corsets really should be exempt from this. Both ladies dutifully broke in their corsets.

On the day of the wedding, I poked my head into each respective dressing room to offer my services as a lacer. Since one gal was a former reenactor, she eagerly went for the gusto and had her sister tighten her up until she turned a little blue. The other bride, newer to corsets, I just snugged up until the corset was tight, but not cutting off any circulation.

Over the course of the night, I realized some unexpected things about corsets and brides: One, that this is really the perfect wedding corset for all the reasons I've already mentioned. C'est magnifique!

Two, I realized that with the popularity of strapless gowns, a corset is a much surer way to keep your boobs in place than a strapless bra--I'm speaking from my own experience there.

Three, that enforced good posture of a corset (even one that is not laced tightly) really makes you look fabulous. We slouch so much in our daily lives that we don't realize how bad it looks when we are dressed up--me included! Even by the end of the night, when most brides are limping, sore in their shoes and barely standing up (let alone sitting up straight), these two ladies were still posing for perfect pictures at their after party.

And four, I learned that you can still do the Electric Slide in a corset.

My thanks go to Becky and Leigh for inviting me to their fabulous wedding!

To Busk or Not to Busk

A busk is a set of wide steel strips with loops and studs on it, located in the center front of a corset to provide support and an opening. There seems to be a lot of question from inexperienced buyers about whether or not you need a busk in your corset so I'm taking a few minutes today to de-mystify this odd piece of hardware.


Busks add cost to your corset, and if you are wearing your corset under clothing, the busk will make little bumps in the front where the studs are. So why would anyone want such thing?

Busks add strength. A busk is usually an extra 1" total of steel right at your stomach, where most of us are interested in a little extra control. Some corsets without busks still incorporate the extra steel boning, but it may depend on the design.

Busks also make things a little easier. What do I mean? A busk adds a center-front opening to your corset, meaning you do not have to completely lace and un-lace it every time you get dressed. With a busk, taking off your corset is as easy as loosening the lacing in the back and unhooking the front. You can even do it alone. Getting dressed is also so much faster! Instead of standing there for ten minutes while someone laces up your back, you wrap the thing around you, hook the front, tighten the back, and you are ready to go. Without a busk, you need to completely unlace each time you undress.

So why aren't standard hooks and eyes good enough for your steel corset? They bumps they make are smaller, and they don't add as much expense. The truth is they're perfectly fine on a standard modern control garment. They can take a moderate amount of tension, but with any real waist reduction, you will begin to see them buckle and fail--not something you want happening with your very special corset!


So the question remains: busk or no busk?

It comes down to what you are doing with your corset. Think about how you will be wearing it. Is this for a special occassion, like a wedding or Renaissance Faire, where you will have time and help getting dressed? How about time for undressing? Or are you planning to wear your corset regularly or where you will be getting dressed alone?

While some brides especially may have concerns about the little bumps a busk causes in the front of their dress, you might stop and think why you are concerned. Are you worried that someone might realize you are wearing a corset? They'll probably know, because nobody but Dolly Parton is that shape naturally! Corsets create a stylized figure that is instantly recognizable, and no tiny bumps on your front seam are needed to figure out that you've got steel under there.

Besides, with the increasing popularity of fine corsetry amongst the celebrity set (everybody loves to feel shapely), the public is becoming more and more used to the look of a corseted body.

If you are buying a garment this special, pick what is going to meet your needs. So don't be afraid to shell out the extra fifteen-to-twenty-five bucks for a corset with a busk if you think you are going to need one. Or, if you dont, and that means ensuring that there's a friend there to tie your corset strings, you tell that friend to feel honored!

Corsets for Brides

One of the most common custom requests I get are corsets for brides. What chick doesn't want to feel like a totally shapely hottie at her own wedding? But it's a big choice, you know, because it is a piece of clothing that most of us aren't accustomed to wearing for eight to ten hours while you are eating, dancing, and saying hello to all of your spouse's relatives. How do you pick the best corset for your wedding?

I had never planned on wear one at my own wedding until this little fiasco with my dress not fitting. You see, I gained a few pounds after I started it six months ago, and I don't want to enlarge it because I am vain. And I refuse to diet because I recovered from an eating disorder several years ago and am not willing to attempt dieting--even healthy dieting.

So now I find myself facing the challenge that so many other ladies out there are facing: how to look my best and be at my most comfortable all at the same time. And here are my thoughts on the subject:

Length: Length plays a big part in comfort. The shorter your corset, the more of body will be free to expand and bend at a natural rate. Whatever corset you get, you won't be able to bend at the waist. If you're not used to it, this feels wierd.
But it goes further than that. If your dress has a big pouffy skirt (as mine does), you might stop to think about whether or not you really need a corset that comes down long over your hips--probably not. You might be more comfortable with a corset that stops high over your hips like the one on the left. But if your dress continues to be fitted down over the point of your hips, you may consider something like the one on the right:

Bust: Over or underbust is another big question that fits in with length. Over bust may give you the cleavage that you desite, but it also can inhibit your breathing and dramatically change your bust line. Overbust corsets fill in the hollow spot under your bossom. See how the lady in the bra below almost looks like her boobs are a little shelf sticking out of her body? That's the look that people are used to nowadays--not s much with the smooth line from stomach to bust that you see below. An underbust corset can actually make your boobs look bigger by giving a greater definition between your stomach and your bust. For instance, check out my friend in the pink corset:

Coverage: If your dress has a low back, be careful about what corset you pick. The back of a corset needs to come as high as the front to create sufficient tension to support you. I.e. you cannot have an overbust corset with a super-low back. It doesn't work.

To Busk or Not: Picking whether or not you'll have a buck in your corset is tricky. I wrote a whole blog on it a while ago. You should check it out. Busks add strength and security as well as making your corset easier to put on and take off. But they do leave those little bumps in the front so you have to make your own choice.

Have a fit: Get your dress alterations over your corset. Your body will change size and shape with a corset, and you want a professional to make the whole thing fit right. Baggy wedding dresses aren't really in style.

Where to wear!?: If you're not a regular corset wearer, suddenly strapping yourself into a steel corset on the day of your wedding can be a pretty uncomfortable shock. Do yourself a favor, whatever corset you pick, break it in for several days before your wedding. Wear it at home with a tank top underneath. Do it in increasingly long increments of time and increasingly tight so your body has time to get used to it. Nothing is worse than realizing that your ribs are getting that bruise-y feeling and you are short of breath, but you haven't even taken you pictures yet, and without the corset, your dress won't fit!



So what am I, the corset maker, picking for my own bridal corset? With a dress-back that is lower-than-low, I am sticking with one that is practically a waist-cincher. This will give my lungs plenty of room to expand while I dance like a fool, and it will not make me super hot on a Pennsylvania August night. So I will be using this pattern for myself. I'll post pictures when I get it done in white (black would not look so good under my white wedding dress!).

By the Numbers

So you've decided to buy a custom corset, and it's time to measure yourself. This turns out to be an ordeal for some people, or an annoying detail on a much more exciting adventure for others. But it's way too important to let yourself just avert your eyes and pick "close" number. No matter where you're having it made, this corset is being made just for you, and bad numbers can equal a bad fit and a complete waste of your good money!

If your corsetiere is not there to take your measurements and see your body, those numbers are all she has to go on when she is making a garment that needs to fit you like a glove. If you are tempted to increase your chest size for dignity's sake (a constant temptation for me)--don't do it! You don't want to top of your corset to gap open.

Or that blighted waist measurement: I promise you, no one likes to take their waste measurement--no one. Even girls who wear a size 6 can feel their heart collapse when the measuring tape reads 1-4 inches more than they'd expect. As a recovered annorexic, I know firsthand that bady body image can strike anyone. Don't shave a few inches off the measurement when you send it out. Your corsetiere is like a massage therapist: the size of your body does not reflect on you; it only reflects on the work they have to do. If you want an eight inch waist reduction out of your corset, you'll want to talk to your corsetiere about that, because she's going to have to do some figuring about construction.

Length is another biggy, since it is tricky and seems to be another one that people err on or fib on. Sometimes they are hoping for more hip coverage. This won't necessarily be the outcome: the length measurement I use is waist to armpit so the only thing you'll get is a waist that sits too low on your torso and tries to squeeze your uterus out of your body (this hurts, I promise you).

image borrowed from "Sincerely Yours, Kate"

So what to do? ALWAYS take your measurements according to your corsetiere's instructions. They know what they need and what they're used to working with. Take your measurements as exactly as you can. Do not wrench the tape tighter until you see the waist number you want, and don't puff your chest out until you think you are going to burst so that you get the bust measurement you want. Pull the tape snug, but not tight. The side measurement, like I said, is always the tricky one, because most people aren't used to doing it. And just the process of taking it yourself can throw you off. Your best bet is to have a friend do it.

Once again, always follow your corsetiere's instructions. If she wants up your front, side, or back, or from your knee to your mouth, do it like she says so you can get the corset you've been dreaming of!