Love This Corset
Warning. This is long winded, but I hope it will be of use to you. I hate dry, unhelpful reviews, and I have taken it on as my personal task to fight against this and create informative, amusing (well, I crack myself up in any case) reviews. Happy reading. tldr; love this corset, for reasons. I didn't post a review right away because I wanted to give myself sometime to season and actually wear this corset. I am not new to corsetry, I have worn a number of them in different styles. The prices have ranged accordingly from "Oh, that's inexpensive" to "well, consider it an investment". I have owned the Hallowe'en 'I-need-this-to-complete-a-costume' (basically a 'throwaway', I'm not proud) to the medical grade, industrial strength, honest to god ugly with a purpose steel boned corsets. Without boring you with detail, I had put on weight after a long illness, and the increase in my bust line was not doing my back any favors. I was looking for a corset that would help me with back support and waist training would be a bonus, not a goal. Okay, kind of a lie. I wanted my profile to be a bit more streamlined, and look better, too. I received this on April 17, 2016 but had to wait a bit as I had ordered extra lacing. I purchased Charmian Women's 26 Steel Bones Cotton Waist Training Underbust Corset Underbust-White Large . My measurements at the time were 44/34/44. I'm guessing my weight was about 190lbs. (approximation, I don't own/use a scale) and I am 5'10" with a somewhat elongated waist. The seasoning period is the hardest. It varies from source to source as to how and the length of time you want to spend doing this, you can easily google "corset seasoning" and be overwhelmed with links, but I'll pare it down to the basics for the data usage/motivationally/time challenged. (no offense meant, sometimes I don't want to bother to look ̶s̶h̶i̶ things up, either) When you first get your corset, loosen the laces. Like, a ridiculous amount. (this is why I bought extra long length laces, I didn't want to have to struggle with laces that were juuuuuuust a little too short - I like to wrap the laces around my waist and tie them in front, like a belt) You then work the closure on the front, and begin to tighten your laces. This can be done on your own, but is far less difficult with help. You tighten it until it feels snug, but not tight. You'll want to, I'm sure (I do), but you run the risk of damaging the corset if you rush into it. All willy nilly. Like a crazy person. And you wear it snug for about 45 minutes and tighten it so it is a little more snug. But not tight. Not "I-am-going-down-four-inches RIGHT THIS DAMN MINUTE, NOW PULL" tight. Wear for an hour, hour and a half, two hours total, allowing the corset to gently form to your shape, without warping or bending or ruining all the good things that make a corset a corset. Rinse and repeat. For days. Weeks, even, depending on your school of corsetry and the type of corset. After it is seasoned properly, it will fit like a glove and should be easier to put on and take off. And wear for hours, or even sleep in it. Some may experience a claustrophobic 'I-have-to-get-out-of-this-thing-RIGHT NOW' feeling. Loosen it a bit and go from there. This corset felt wonderful! (is that even possible? YES. Yes, it is) The back support was a huge relief, and helped me a great deal. As I stated earlier, my motivation was primarily to lend support to my back, but with could also make me more pleasing to the eye. I chose white because I could not find it in a nude colour - I wanted something that could be worn under clothing without being glaringly obvious. I wanted a size that would accommodate my weight loss, so I chose a large. Go with their size chart. It's spot on. It wears wonderfully. Even when I lace it up firmly, it is not uncomfortable as some of my corsets have been in the past. I am able to sit with relative comfort due to the shaping at the bottom. Because of the heat in Texas (even though I do not wear it out all that much), I wear an extra long camisole or tank top underneath to keep the corset from getting too dirty. It is a well made garment. The boning is legitimate steel boning. The busk is a sturdy steel busk. The fabric is strong, and the stitching is uniform. This is a high quality undergarment at a very affordable price. I am already looking at alternate colours and styles because I will be purchasing from this seller again. It was shipped and delivered in a timely manner, as well. Buy it. It will be one of the best corset purchases you will make. p.s. no offense to those that are knowledgeable in the ways of what is corsets. just tryin' to be helpful. Read more
