Corset Economics

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Okay, if you've ever been in one of the Belles' costuming classes you have heard this speech, this is for the benefit of all the new Alley Cats and those that have not had the pleasure of hearing us "preach this". :lool
I will use my experiences to illustrate the mathmatical logic here.

Corset Economics (or why it is so much better to buy a custom fit corset right off the bat)
*First corset purchased from Frederick's of Hollywood $60
This corset made me MISERABLE after about 2 hours at the match. The plastic boning had heated up and began changing shape, and about 1/2 way thru the match I couldn't breathe. The plastic boning was sticking me in the ribs and would not stop as it had basically become rubbery and no longer holding its shape.
*Second corset purchased from Absolutecorsets.com $189
This corset is steel boned, but only has 12 bones. It is better than the first corset, which I threw in the trash, but after a few hours, it is not very comfortable. It is a white longline corset, so sitting is not a smart move.
*3rd corset purchased off Ebay for $79
This corset had sprial steel boning, so I thought this would be great! It is okay for wearing during a match, as long as I wear a bra with it. BTW, it is a "fun" corset and worn as a bodice. This corset absolutely does NOT hold my shape!!!
Let's see what are we up to by now....$328 and we aren't to the custom corset yet, either!!!:re
*4th corset purchased from Absolutecorsets.com $289
This corset is a shorter corset, in black, and I will wear it still over my "frillies" for a shooting outfit, but I don't wear it as a structural corset, it just doesn't do the job and is not that comfortable after an entire night of dancing and eating.
So, that is a total of $617spent on corsets that just don't work!!!
FINALLY, I decided to order a custom made corset...cost $375!!!
This corset is absolutely fabulous!! It is one of Miss Tabitha's corsets from River Crossing. The difference is amazing. My custom fit corset has 32 steel bones and is so comfortable, I can wear it all day at the Convention and then dance all night in it also. :tban

Corset False Economy cost me an extra $617!!!! If I had just ordered the custom corset to begin with, think of all the fabric I could have bought with that....let me say it again......$617!!!!
So ladies, learn from my mistakes...do it right the FIRST time!!!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

You tell it sister!

Greeneyed ( AMEN!...and that why I say it is WORTH IT to buy the good coutil, good steel ect ect!) Gypsy

PS I made a 32 bone corset for MIL (bust like Fannie's) and while I was making it thought..."Ok this is overkill" But seeing it on her and ease she wore it with , at the end of the day she was not in pain....Oh yeah every bone was working in that corset!

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Oh, BTW, Greeneyed Gypsy is working on another custom fit corset for me!! This one is in black!! Will post pictures when it is finished.

[Clancy]

And if you want to scare yourself even more, try converting that to AUD.

617.00 /.73 =$845.21....

No wonder i make my own...

[BayouBlessings]

Thanks for saving me money that I can use on other frillies! I will go for a custom corset from the beginning. Sure look forward to seeing all your pretty faces in MAY!!! *woo-hoo*


http://www.getsmile.com/smilies/%5Ecad/persian18.gif

[Lady Fleur]

I want a heavy boned corset??? I just shudder at making one myself, I'll pay! or should i put more channels in the one i have? I have never counted the bones!

[Nellie Blue]

And if you're making your own take this advice....use the Laughing Moon pattern...my first one was made with a Simplicity and every time I wear it the bones cut into my back...PMS tightened up my Laughing Moon one till I had a curvy waist :sk and it didn't hurt a bit.

[Tatted Lady]

I took Fannie and all the Belles advice and bought Miss Tabitha's corset with 32 bones. And it is well worth the money, Really holds your shape and is sooooo comfortable.

I sit and sew in mine just to hold my back straight, so it doesn't hurt after sewing all day. Really helps, and I have lost 1 inch from waist too.:kiss :kiss

I think it moves the fat around, i just hope it is moving up!!!!! not down!!!!!

[Pretty Mean Shawme]

Bones!

I want as many bones as I can get!!!

[Prussian Blue]

Hi Fanny,

yes, custom fit is what it's all about... that is the #1 reason I sew, costumes or otherwise. Once you get used to proper fit, buying clothes off the rack just doesn't appeal anymore. And generally, the tighter the fit, the more this holds true... and you can't get a tighter fit than a corset, I don't think! Not to mention you can pick your colours, trims etc. just the way you like them...

It made me smile when I read once that you are truly a clothes snob when you don't need labels anymore because everything is custom made. Yep, I'm there :) Now if I try on RTW all I see are the things that don't fit well, and alterations are not my thing, I'd rather start from scratch.

Cheers

PB

[Lizzie Marie]

Or when you look at the RTW you say to yourself " could do this and better" so you don't buy it, and then don't make it either :spit

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

LOL Lizzie... if we had a dollar every time we looked at a price tag and said to ourselves "I could MAKE that!" But I always find the while I am making corsets and dresses I completely get the price tags they hold, its just all about the time invested in them.

Greeneyed ( what wishes it were not so but it is!) Gypsy

I agree that Miss Tabitha makes excelent corsets, there are a few ladies out there that I have been able to see their work and they deserve all the praise they get! Miss T is definatly one of them! Finding the person that is going to work with you is important, I have spoken to Miss T a few times ( absolutly enchanting lady) and have heard only RAVE reviews of her work! I also think Lara corsets ( I want to sew like her when I grow up!) is supurb! I have heard mixed reviews about Absolute, I have seen in person two of there corsets, the work is excelent, but they seem to have trouble missing the fit. I have heard the Vollers makes a great product, but have never handled one in person. Fallen Angel/ Dark Garden (caution adult-ish site) has the greatest catch line for corsets I have seen yet "you could buy a corset from someone else...but then you would have to wear it!" I would love to hear from anyone that ever dealt with them, their corsets look amazing.

When I make a corset I like to take my time and get it just so, it can be difficult to do at a distance without the aid of a fitting in person, if you can find someone to who can fit you in person, work with them! It really helps to have photos of a mock on you front side and back if you are working long distance ( Gypsy rasies her hand!) It helps to see what a person is describing, and you can also make note of posture, how the corset sits in length, and make note of areas that buckle ect ect ect I wil quit babbling now... It can be difficult to make a correction in a corset after it is finished, so even if you have to suffer through a few fitting phases...just remember the goal is a perfect fit and that you will really be pleased with the result at the end.

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

I'm bringing this back to the top for Madame Olive Yew.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Ohhhh now you done it....Look out MOY I aint even gonna have to give you a hard time...Fannie is going to help me! LOL!!

[Madame Olive Yew]

:lalala :gg

I really do want one! REALLY!! I'm working on getting the finances in order now, then I'll see about it, I promise! Sheesh, ya'll remind me of my Mom (in a good way-- I havnt been nagged at since she passed-- sorry in tears here- I love you guys!!)

Gypsy, You up for one more after HOW? or is what you have all your gonna do. Should I go talk to Miss Tabitha?

[Nellie Blue]

MOY, you should have more faith in yourself and at least TRY to make one for yourself...after the stuff you've made, it'll be a piece of cake...the main thing to remember...EXACT cutting and EXACT seams...no problem!! Start with a kit! :D You can do it!!

[Lazy K]

32 bones!!??? The corset I made (about a dozen bones) is comfortable but it just make my dresses look good so I usually don't wear it. I'm going to have to rethink this. Thanks Fannie. I missed this thread the first time around.

[Lady Fleur]

I want to second the FOH YUCCCCCCKKKYYYY issue.
I have a wholesale manufacturer i began loving and ENDED HATING.
Empire intimates is the manufacturer.... they are identical to Fredericks of hollywood. 60.00 wholesale for 2 in a box of the same size. they are so bad they sell you 2 at a time:rofl
The fabric is a thin jacquard poly.. it is lined in a poly. the boning is plastic rigeline type.. once it heats up it is all over.. the fabric is SOOOO thin in the stress of wearing for more than the 30 minutes max of intimate/flirting etc time with the hubby. if you bend it releases the hounds per say. it shreads too. it stabbs and the bones poke thru and pop out.. ALL in all i found it was a lost cause..

[Wallaby Jack]

.......... an' pitchers is important :w2



:wallaby

[Drusilla]

Fleur, I bought something akin to those and the first deep breath was a disaster, mind you that was eight years ago....but it was in the middle of a dinner party!!! Talk about an emergency costume adjustment:go
Really, as Nellie said, corset making is not that hard, it just requires that you pay more attention. Even with all my chores I can make one in two or three days, nothing like the time a dress takes, and the kits are an exellent way to start. I also have used the heck out of Vollers and Axfords, they are very nice for "off the rack" type and are very durable, and I mean DURABLE if you hand wash them, they can last years. I also have a custom made Absolute, but yes as GG said, the fit is not quite right. I can use it, but it is not my favorite. TV makes an exellent pattern now and ageless patterns makes a lot of different ones from different time periods to choose from. But once you get the fit perfected on your own, you'll never go back. And it is cheaper to make your own. It's also something that practicing a mock up is good for AND once you do a corset, your bodices on your dresses will be better cause you will see how you can improve YOUR fit.

[Iron Ed]

.......... an' pitchers is important :w2 :wallaby
Wallaby's right! I think you should add his point to your speech, Fannie. ;) :) :)

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

No MOY I am definatly not going to take on any more...sorry babe!

BUT what I want to pester you to do is to make your own. I totally think every one who sews for themselves has what it take to make a corset! Its not hard, its tedius...you want to take your time, you want to do a mock. You will probably decide to change something after you wear it for awhile because this is your first. You will develope a taste for the shape and style you like. I am a real fan of the laughing moon pattern. I am still not 100% comfortable with the size scale and fitting for the TV pattern, but its to be expected because it is an authentic scale. The Ageless patterns I have done are great...as long as you do a mock, they are origional patterns and the scaling was for MUCH more waist than you will typically find in modern sizing. For instance you will see a 40 bust with an expected waist of something like 24 inches...not many ladies can pull that off, but they used to squeeze into because women were more slight or had worn corsets for years.

ALSO corsets were made to fit the fashionable size of the day, now we fit to a particular set of measure. Victorians bought a corset for a 24 waist or a 26 waist ect...then jammed theirselves into it. They were catalog or drygood purchases for most ladies and mostly made in factories by the post civil war period ( think of buying shoes...there were standards, you just went with something close)


My advice is make a denim mock with a couple of bones in it and get the size right and spend the money on corset coutil...there IS a difference, yes denim will work, but there is nothing for a corset like coutil.

Oh and I hear Miss T is booked though next year already ( corse its only what I heard so dont take that as law)...so if you do decide to have one custom made for you, plan WAY ahead, because there are proabably not a lot of good corsetiers who can do anything on short order. Frankly if I were going to buy one, I would invest in one from Lara corsets ( I want to sew like her when I grow up!) , OR Escapolette ( I probably spelled that wrong she is in France and does stunning authentic work) They are my two most favorite corset makers, but they are certainly not the only good ones out there.

[Madame Olive Yew]

Gpysy, You almost made me feel like I can do this. I'm going to think about it, go read your corset making thread, & maybe, possibly attempt it. Heck if ya'll really believe I can, I'll try it. But not for a little while.

:ty For the un-ending encouragement. Nellie, you too! :ty

[Boss Lady]

Wow! What a great education this thread has been. Thanks for sharing!!:ty

I made a corset from a kit and am not completely happy with it, although I can now see where the changes need to be made. Another project to work on!

[Allie Mo]

Hey Madame OY,

Even I've made a corset. I used the LM Dore.

I think someone else has said the following. It was my experience also.

The hardest part is being able to tell which piece is which. They look so much alike. I recommend numbering (or was it lettering) the pieces like the pattern is and marking the top with a T.

If it is a total train wreck, you can take it apart and reuse everything but the grommets.

LM has a FAQ section on her website at the following URL:
http://www.lafnmoon.com/corset_faq.html

LM even has a video.

Happy :sewing

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Gpysy, You almost made me feel like I can do this. I'm going to think about it, go read your corset making thread, & maybe, possibly attempt it. Heck if ya'll really believe I can, I'll try it. But not for a little while.

:ty For the un-ending encouragement. Nellie, you too! :ty

MOY, I have always had my corsets custom made for me and have never attempted to make one myself. So, I have a proposition for you....let's make our first corset together; in separate states of course, but at the same time. We can call each other while working thru the project and if we get stumped I'll conference GG in (hope that's okay GG). Then we can post our progress pictures and then pictures of our finished products. What do you think? It will have to wait until after HOW to get started, but we could definitely have this done by Givhan's Ferry and then we could wear them there and have our photos made together. Are you up for it?

[Madame Olive Yew]

Heck yeah Fannie!
Dang you girls are bad! Yesterday I was still sitting here going :lalala nope not me, aint gonna do it:lalala Now I'm ready to try anything.
You could talk the white off rice:gg

[Lazy K]

OK. Here's the important question for us "less endowed" ladies. I was over at the Farthingales site and found these 2 photos. Both are the same model and both are the LM Siverado. But the one that shows some shape says "Laughing Moon Silverado with powernet and no hand finishing". Please explain this to me. How did she go from flat to fabulous?

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

I could be wrong, and I will Call the gal at Farthingales this week (infact I may be going down for an appointment (there are only open a couple days a week at present) to purchase some materials ect. ) ANYWHO....

What I think they did here...is used powernet in the bust gores because that looks like coutil on the body. OR they did the whole thing inpowernet which would be similar to a Frericks corset...the in all over stretchy stuff. I will ask about construction specifics and report back on it after the weekend.

Lazy K....it too me an extra 30 lbs to have anything even approaching a bust line, and I am finally starting to see some of that come off (I am down 11 lbs...I keep forgetting to post but I am working out regularly and laying of the soda for me thats a huge thing!) Anywhoooo...

My corsets are the silverado. I have a decent bust in them and you can too.
On of the things you may need to do is shorten the gores this creates a shelf effect ( very helpful) and give the bust some room, there should be little to NO tightening across the bust. you want the waist tight and the hip smooth and the bust lifted, not compressed....compression is for others, we need every square millimeter! LOL!

Fannie, I am making a new one for myself as well...i will join yo all after HOW. We can take it blow by blow for everyone else who wants to give it a go with fitting and all, the three of us are each different shaped and will provide a good variety of helpful tips and tricks.

[Allie Mo]

OK. Here's the important question for us "less endowed" ladies. I was over at the Farthingales site and found these 2 photos. Both are the same model and both are the LM Siverado. But the one that shows some shape says "Laughing Moon Silverado with powernet and no hand finishing". Please explain this to me. How did she go from flat to fabulous?:ty for asking this question!

Guess we are LE sisters. :(

[Lazy K]

Thanks GG. I await the answer. I don't see how the stretchy powernet could change the shape but then, I've never heard of it until today.

If that works, then Allie Mo and I are going to make ALL of our clothing out of Powernet! :lool :lool :rofl

Your advice on the bust gore has been saved and printed out for future reference. Thanks

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

http://store.corsetmaking.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CMS-F-PNW&Category_Code=F-PN

Power net is indeed the stuff that girdles and such are made from, therefore I would think would get very hot...But who knows you could use it in the gores like I mentioned above or the entire body of the corset and if you had corset boning tape and real steel it might be intresting...I imagine it would break down and possibly rip out with a lot of wear though...

Like I said though just used in the bust goe it is going to give like elastic and so you dont have the bust being compressed.

GG

[Ida Hands]

I would like to know how everyone measures their corsets for that "perfect" fit. I have been fitted and it came out horrible. I, now, have to try to fit myself (with help, of course). What are the measurements that are mandatory to have the perfect fit...I mean, where does the tape go? I think Miss Gypsy put it on the Academy somewhere.

[Allie Mo]

I wonder if the power net would be cooler if it were lined in a cotton jersey.

That's smart GG, yes, just put it in the Silverado's bust gores.

[Ida Hands]

Wouldn't the stretchy fabric have a tendency to break down sooner than the Coutil due to the sweating factor?

[Pretty Mean Shawme]

dang! here we are down to the wire and I neve did get GG my info so that she could get my corsets made for HOW!

soooo... GG whatcha doin for the next few weeks?

[Lady Dallas]

Just had to add this.

Recently I pulled something in my back while moving things at a yard sale. When I woke up the next morning, I couldn't move without screaming in pain.
After trying all the heavy duty pain killers I could find, I glanced over at the corner of my sewing room and there sat my new corst on my dressmakers dummy. I said what the heck. Let's try it. I put it on and laced it up. After about an hour the pain was completely gone. so much so that I made it to oudoor Girl Scout camp training that afternoon. Yeah!! a good corset is worth more than a chiropractor!!!

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Yeah!! a good corset is worth more than a chiropractor!!!

I love my corsets, but I wouldn't trade my Chiropractor for anything!!! Holy cow, without him, I'd never make it. There are several others that expect me to show up with him so they can get adjusted. Cat Ballou just loves to see him walk in the door. But, I have the best of both worlds....great corsets and I'm married to my Chiropractor!:gg

[Lady Fleur]

The advantage of wearing a good corset is it helps distribute the weight of your gown so it is not PULLING on your body! when i have a "out of bodice experience" it makes me say now why am i not wearing this 24/7 i feel better in it!! Hmm I might just make a waist training corset... it will make my jeans look nice and my back feel good!!!!

[Cinnamon Teal]

MOY,

Believe me, if you can make the dresses you make, you can easily make the Laughing Moon dore corset. I've made two of my own and helped others get theirs made - one with little sewing experience.

Do you have a VCR? I have the video of her class on making a corset. It's yours if you want it. Just PM me your address and I'll get it in the mail.

I agree with Allie Mo about labeling the pieces. It makes putting it together so much easier. I write the pattern number on the piece and then put the T at the top of the piece so I don't get confused. I do that with the coutil and the lining. You've seen my most recent one - the peach one - I did that in about 10 hours.... not straight but altogether.

I say go for it! You won't be sorry. Too bad you aren't in Sacramento, I'd be glad to help fit it to you.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

PMS... I knew you were just crazy busy and didnt want to pester you about it. I figured you probably had 1000 different ideas for other things you wanted to make anyway....

For the next couple of weeks I am praying I have something to wear to HOW that has not been seen 40 times already!

That will teach us both to plan better wont it?!

See you soon...!

:sewing :gg

[Wallaby Jack]

....... well, I do believe that :ss, am a most important aspect of all this corsetry business .... :w2

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

you know I was thinkin....it doesent matter where you buy your corset, or what it looks like or what you paid for it or even if it fits. Really the important thing is...

Photos..........:re :lool

Greeneyed (I tried Wallaby love, really I did...:gg ) Gypsy

[Wallaby Jack]

(........... thank you :kiss)

[Pretty Mean Shawme]

PMS... I knew you were just crazy busy and didnt want to pester you about it. I figured you probably had 1000 different ideas for other things you wanted to make anyway....

For the next couple of weeks I am praying I have something to wear to HOW that has not been seen 40 times already!

That will teach us both to plan better wont it?!

See you soon...!

:sewing :gg

Pray for me then too!

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

BTT for all the new Alley members!:bump

[Fannie Kikinshoot]

Time to :bump this back to the top for all the new members.

[Dixie McCan]

Thank you Fannie! I'll be :sewing again in another month!

[Wallaby Jack]

Thank you Fannie! I'll be :sewing again in another month!

.......... an' I'll be waitin' fer tha :ss's ......


:drool

[Dixie McCan]

teehee

[Wallaby Jack]

teehee

........... tease ..... :waiting