V364: Corset Training - Week 2 Report

It's been about two weeks now that I've been consistently wearing a Victorian corset for about 7+ hours per day.  I've already learned so much about my body, the effects of the corset, and corsets in general (shape, boning materials, lacing).  Here is my Week 2 Report...<br /><br /><b><u>Again With The Comfort</u></b><br />One of the days, this past week, I wore a vintage dress to an evening get-together, and opted for a waist-cincher-panty-girdle thing made by Rago.  I really love my Rago corselette, but my WORD this waist-girdle thing was a torture device! I was so bloody uncomfortable, I couldn't wait to get it off.  Putting on the Victorian corset the next day felt so good in comparison!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rago-shapewear.com/catalog/images/P/6107MdWhtF-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rago-shapewear.com/catalog/images/P/6107MdWhtF-01.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rago-shapewear.com/catalog/product.php?productid=16177&cat=254&page=1">Via</a></td></tr></tbody></table><i><b>Comfort is so important.</b></i>  I've been wearing my new mid-bust Victorian, and have learned that I need to keep the hips loose, as well as the rib cage, when I lace it.  In the morning I will lace it up to wherever it is comfortable - most of the time that's about 26.5".  It loosens throughout the day, and after a couple hours, I can lace it comfortably, but tightly, to 25.5 inches, but no more.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmcRrpRPI4Of7qdvSR_K_wJFq1W2dAgRfP9IgqjCJeqBWPdz56r9DgiDmM96-vpVV7SY0Cd6cTPKwF483tj9dQlroSiag-EueHdWwJ7HpblNnJbwv35ATGdOCcGqKMlSvUXCH1dUwa4Aa/s1600/corset+training+feb513+(3+of+4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmcRrpRPI4Of7qdvSR_K_wJFq1W2dAgRfP9IgqjCJeqBWPdz56r9DgiDmM96-vpVV7SY0Cd6cTPKwF483tj9dQlroSiag-EueHdWwJ7HpblNnJbwv35ATGdOCcGqKMlSvUXCH1dUwa4Aa/s640/corset+training+feb513+(3+of+4).jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left side - spiral steels; the right side - zip ties</td></tr></tbody></table>I have two pressure points on the side fronts of the corset, at my lower ribs, that tell me loud and clear that I'm compressing my ribs, and that's not a good thing.  I used cable ties in this corset, which I love, but I have also ordered a selection of spiral steel bones for these "trouble spots. - on the left side in the photo (my right side), I've put the spirals, and on the right side (my left) are the zip ties.  Already I can feel a massive difference in comfort, and I will definitely be using spiral steel in all of my corsets from now on.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPJDLL8YysGvwd40Tfrq2QOAbqVRVSYBsDnR1zR7shkywZY0Xblh5PTXRqDa5AIJIRH9NqHMXXMXm7vhwqDABjB4qbDzfQEaDhDal6470o7FtKWGfWmhTItLHgshENKWtnyqNdzKnjJMY/s1600/corset+training+feb513+%25284+of+4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPJDLL8YysGvwd40Tfrq2QOAbqVRVSYBsDnR1zR7shkywZY0Xblh5PTXRqDa5AIJIRH9NqHMXXMXm7vhwqDABjB4qbDzfQEaDhDal6470o7FtKWGfWmhTItLHgshENKWtnyqNdzKnjJMY/s400/corset+training+feb513+%25284+of+4%2529.jpg" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When it comes time to make this pattern up again, I will reduce the bust, and flare the hips more.</td></tr></tbody></table>I also ordered two corset patterns from <a href="http://www.agelesspatterns.com/">Ageless Patterns</a>, a company that provides *original* patterns found in antique women's publications.  I just received them, and I'm just itching to try the first one out - it has large hip gussets, as well as bust gussets, so I hope to be able to flare that hip in a dramatic way, but keep the bust small (The pattern is 36" bust, 26" waist, and is described as a short corset for a "fleshy woman."  Zonks!)<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6K7DYgYskQWP4M8dr3lLS4ezTjNlxcvrLatmC4qQ0ORGO47_Zxdfrspt8ZVrSERLobNWYqxFxoLJ-xsJzs_9qWF68bNT76xU2FHXWdzyZY5dLfPKezbbcNtXheTkUTbjptBTgw8EzJ0o/s1600/corset+training+feb513+%25281+of+4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6K7DYgYskQWP4M8dr3lLS4ezTjNlxcvrLatmC4qQ0ORGO47_Zxdfrspt8ZVrSERLobNWYqxFxoLJ-xsJzs_9qWF68bNT76xU2FHXWdzyZY5dLfPKezbbcNtXheTkUTbjptBTgw8EzJ0o/s400/corset+training+feb513+%25281+of+4%2529.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mocking up the 1869 "Fleshy Woman" corset.  It's complicated, short waisted, and too big for me, but that's the point of a mockup!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><u>Shifting Goals</u></b><br />When I started this experiment, my goal was to reduce to 25 inches, and my extreme goal was to reduce to 24 inches.  I'm not all that interested in that anymore - 25 inches would be nice, but I'm really very happy with 26.  Going back to the <a href="http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/2013/01/v354-antique-and-vintage-proportion-you.html">ideal Victorian proportions</a>, with a 10 inch difference between bust and waist, I think I shall much prefer an easy reduction to 26 inches at the waist in combination with even easier increase to 36 inches at the bust, rather than a reduction to 24 inches at the waist only.  Yay for stuffies, and historically accurate at that!<br /><br /><b><u>Getting Used to It</u></b><br />So much of this seems to be just that - you get used to how a tight garment like this feels to wear.  I'm always aware of it, but it doesn't bug me.  I'm *really* aware of it when I take it off.  I miss it, and it feels good to put it on again, rather than like a chore.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.elegantwoman.org/image-files/elegant-posture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.elegantwoman.org/image-files/elegant-posture.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.elegantwoman.org/How-to-develop-poise.html">Via</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I definitely stand up straighter when not wearing the corset.  My muscles have *not* atrophied, and I don't collapse in a heap of goo when I take the corset off.  On the contrary: my body has been upright through the abdomen all day long, and continues, at least for a awhile, to hold itself in that position.  That in itself makes one look more svelte!<br /><br /><br />

V364: Corset Training - Week 2 Report

It's been about two weeks now that I've been consistently wearing a Victorian corset for about 7+ hours per day.  I've already l...

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V362: Corset Training - Week 1 Report

It's been a week of daily corset wearing, and it's time to report on all my findings!  Here goes...<br /><br /><b><u>Simplicity 9769 Is Not Your Friend</u></b><br />I started the week with a cheap eBay corset I bought for $15, but by day 2 I had sliced open the sidse and added two triangular gores to flare the hips, making the corset a bajillion times more comfortable.  Why?<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeiV7zSmT1TSRLfa_RlpdTep3jGuWEwVCtf-geXKywmO1ocKTZUzDzHKtF9D79PlaZn9_PhxBuOI_TeS_svIGbp8BT7N9HvG1mK9hbAU8_Kvuw9Gkyb1haastcka9xN2rPT52SDF3lai_/s1600/corset+training+1-28-13+(1+of+4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeiV7zSmT1TSRLfa_RlpdTep3jGuWEwVCtf-geXKywmO1ocKTZUzDzHKtF9D79PlaZn9_PhxBuOI_TeS_svIGbp8BT7N9HvG1mK9hbAU8_Kvuw9Gkyb1haastcka9xN2rPT52SDF3lai_/s400/corset+training+1-28-13+(1+of+4).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheap eBay corset with added hip gores at the side, allowing that additional flare over the hips</td></tr></tbody></table>When you squeeze your waist, that volume has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is down.  I found that rather huge hip flares are necessary, even when reducing a little, to keep the corset from cutting into the hips, and to easily and comfortably displace the waist.<br /><br />This brings me to Simplicity 9769, and really ANY modern-made commercial corset pattern (with few exceptions).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/articles/9769_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com/articles/9769_cover.jpg" width="357" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evil</td></tr></tbody></table>After a few days of wearing my cheap eBay corset + hip gores, I put on my ole pink n' black standby, a corset I made years ago, using Simplicity 9769.  I intended to wear this mid-bust to an upcoming event, so I tried it on with the dress bodice, and quickly discovered how HORRIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE it had suddenly become.  I've been wearing this corset for years - what changed?<br /><br />My willingness to be in pain.  That is, in all the years I wore this Simplicity corset, I unconsciously allowed myself to be in pain the whole day in costume, but after wearing a corset all day for just a couple days, suddenly I was quite unwilling to go there, especially after achieving the same results in a far more comfortable way with just a cheap eBay underbust.<br /><br />What is missing from the modern commercial corset patterns is shaping.  If you want to reduce your waist even a little bit, you need some mega hip gores.  I don't mean just a gentle flare over the hips - I mean, like, these:<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbrtNcMJoaJXO5i1PhlGlnZ3WEFwf6_7XHNBcDkFrZjmnGpBHYvNMA9aOgRqCPjcTLSkzpoJx9QW8tdolKHGOL1cR3lTy-aEc6sfxWNFUD3qpIR90ZDXL4owBvmzZ7ij1c4hyphenhyphenEaPnIlU7/s320/1a5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbrtNcMJoaJXO5i1PhlGlnZ3WEFwf6_7XHNBcDkFrZjmnGpBHYvNMA9aOgRqCPjcTLSkzpoJx9QW8tdolKHGOL1cR3lTy-aEc6sfxWNFUD3qpIR90ZDXL4owBvmzZ7ij1c4hyphenhyphenEaPnIlU7/s320/1a5a.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Symington  Corset, 1875</td></tr></tbody></table><br />So that was the end of my pink n' black Simplicity corset.  Luckily I had Chrissy's mid-bust corset pattern, complete with nice hip flare, so I ripped the busk out of my old one, and set to work putting together this new one:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSsbyy6ZNGKRNcR1Olw2fkBWg9DL_pDQUhYP7mfW0s0Vwh2cY6ZiRB6KfFeeH3rsGrL1mSQ3OTtCHxq0pI41_VbkS9nNY4ucnclFSKVdP7saZhm-kLSZxFWEsbtY8j_6NpXrwqbiw540b/s1600/corset+training+1-28-13+%25283+of+4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSsbyy6ZNGKRNcR1Olw2fkBWg9DL_pDQUhYP7mfW0s0Vwh2cY6ZiRB6KfFeeH3rsGrL1mSQ3OTtCHxq0pI41_VbkS9nNY4ucnclFSKVdP7saZhm-kLSZxFWEsbtY8j_6NpXrwqbiw540b/s400/corset+training+1-28-13+%25283+of+4%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I didn't do a particularly good job, but it fits much better, and currently reduces comfortably down to 26.5 inches, with the capability of going to 24.5 inches.<br /><br />*When you are looking for a corset pattern, look for one with hip gores, such as these: <a href="http://corsetmaking.com/ageless-patterns/CMS-P-AP1036.html">Ageless Patterns</a>, <a href="http://corsetmaking.com/past-patterns/CMS-P-PP708.html">Past Patterns</a>,<a href="http://www.simplicity.com/p-1802-misses-costumes.aspx"> even Simplicity 2890</a>.  Cut the hip gores the largest size you can, even larger than you think you will need - you will be surprised how quickly they fill out.<br /><br /><b><u>Meanwhile...</u></b><br />This week I wore the corset about 7+ hours per day, lacing it the tightest in the morning, and letting it out throughout the day, especially after meals.<br /><br />I have eaten less in general, and my random, rampant snacking has gone down considerably.  I did eat a 1 lb. Qdoba burrito in a corset, but in general it's not a good idea to ingest big, heavy, salty, bean-filled food, or carbonated drinks.<br /><br />I have had no trouble breathing, have been able to bend to tie my shoes, and even put air in my tires at the gas station.  Driving a car was no problem at all - I just needed to straighten my seat up.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCIHyHinHIkwCaRwnEZlR2VkdVk8__gJwi20DnOYrlPhjzZFvSHH27oRubLx5mx23suSE05hzbO7BaG1_1CuLOcI60_8200Nd3xKBgsa9S4cKqeBkSB6lM-cY1TgMu-Y-3806LKEfGCI/s1600/Before+and+after+a+spencer+corset+1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCIHyHinHIkwCaRwnEZlR2VkdVk8__gJwi20DnOYrlPhjzZFvSHH27oRubLx5mx23suSE05hzbO7BaG1_1CuLOcI60_8200Nd3xKBgsa9S4cKqeBkSB6lM-cY1TgMu-Y-3806LKEfGCI/s320/Before+and+after+a+spencer+corset+1941.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stand up straight! <a href="http://glamourdaze.com/2010/08/1940s-fashion-womans-guide-to-posture.html">via</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I am always aware of the corset being there, but I am just as aware of it being off, and not in a "relief" sort of way.  While wearing the corset, my posture is much improved, to be expected, but what wasn't expected is that when I take it off, I continue to hold myself upright instead of immediately slouching down into my "normal" super-slumpy position.  Just by standing more upright, my waist un-corseted looks a helluva lot slimmer, even at the same girth it was prior to beginning this experiment.<br /><br /><u><b>Normalizing</b></u><br />At the end of week one I am far more used to how the corset feels than when I started, even if I am still aware of its presence.  However, I recall what it was like when I started wearing a bra, or certain types of undies - holy moly, get these things off of me!!  Yet over time, and in getting bras and undies that actually fit and are made in a way that is comfortable for me (I prefer underwires, for instance, and find soft-cup bras extremely uncomfortable), I got used to these underpinnings, and now feel rather exposed when not wearing them.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRe5RhCzBK-DQ7XMDTsY55CpMtNJ_YFhXQ5_MFYPh7XkJcgSHV8tjkXrtXJ_ddCqyxUpYhkOfaDrY-5WjKfp5IROlvq3b5871lzo48Ker598ziaQY1rmLIXAyQaq8NCyxK1s-JEd5GOjO5/s1600/corset+training+1-28-13+%25284+of+4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRe5RhCzBK-DQ7XMDTsY55CpMtNJ_YFhXQ5_MFYPh7XkJcgSHV8tjkXrtXJ_ddCqyxUpYhkOfaDrY-5WjKfp5IROlvq3b5871lzo48Ker598ziaQY1rmLIXAyQaq8NCyxK1s-JEd5GOjO5/s400/corset+training+1-28-13+%25284+of+4%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back lacing on my new corset - my bust is small, but my rib cage need more room. </td></tr></tbody></table>I expect the same will happen with the corset, assuming it fits as it should.  Already I want to make other styles to see how they fit and feel, and to find the right one for me.  I've learned that I need large hip gores and spiral steel bones, I'm small in the bust, but I need more room in the rib cage, and that when I get all of these things right, reducing comfortably and easily to 25 inches will be no big deal at all.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

V362: Corset Training - Week 1 Report

It's been a week of daily corset wearing, and it's time to report on all my findings!  Here goes... Simplicity 9769 Is Not Your Frie...

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V361: Corset Training - Facing Questions and Issues

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://historymyths.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/ex-00055-c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://historymyths.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/ex-00055-c.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><br />Hi!<br /><br />I've been wearing my corset now for 7 days, and within even this short amount of time, I have learned quite a lot about corseting, and also been asking myself some questions (possibly some questions you may be asking too).  Before I share my report for Week 1, I want to talk a little bit more about this whole idea and experiment.<br /><br /><b><u>Why Am I Doing This?</u></b><br />This is a good place to start.  Despite all the positive comments I received on my starting post, there are some people who think this is pretty darn crazy.  I too have been asking myself, through the week, what the point of trying this is - I don't intend to wear a corset for the rest of my life.  I don't intend to try to reduce my waist down past, at most, 24 inches, and will most likely stop at 25 inches.  I am not a fetishist, and I don't wear the corset 24 hours a day.<br /><br />But the harder question is - is this just so I can look better in costume?  I would be lying if I said I didn't want to look nice in historical costumes, but that is not the sole reason I am doing this.  Primarily it is for study - I want to see what the effect is, if any.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thecostumersmanifesto.com/costumeoldsite/history/18thcent/accessories/underwear/corsetcrush.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://thecostumersmanifesto.com/costumeoldsite/history/18thcent/accessories/underwear/corsetcrush.gif" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the effect wearing a corset from<br />childhood had on Victorian women.  At 29, my ribcage is<br />already fully formed and I will never put enough<br />pressure on my lower ribs to deform my bones<br />like this.</td></tr></tbody></table><b><u>What About Health Issues?</u></b><br />Everyone knows corsets are bad for you, right?  WRONG.  That is such rubbish, and instead of believing everything I've heard or read about, I'm going to see for myself.<br /><br />I'm not disfiguring my body, not compressing my intestines, not pressuring my lower ribs, and not constricting my lungs.  I have no pain, can breath just fine, and have had no trouble doing my normal daily things, which included, this week, putting air in my tires, eating a Chipotle burrito, tying my shoes, driving a car, and hiking.  I should add here that it is absolutely *vital* that the corset fit correctly, but more on that later.<br /><br />Of all the bad things I could be doing to my body, where does wearing a corset fit in, exactly?  Instead of wearing a corset, I could be... eating large amounts of fast food, taking drugs, smoking, and drinking, taking dieting pills or starving myself, all of which have far worse effects on my inner workings than merely wearing something tight around my waist all day.<br /><br /><b><u>Do I Have Body Issues?</u></b><br />For the record, no.  I love my body, even when I'm having a "fat day."  My figure is perfect for the 1920s and 1930s, but no matter what time period I'm wearing, I wear the proper undergarments to match, because they not only shape the body to the proper silhouette, but they support the clothing worn over the top as well.  This experiment comes from curiosity about the past, not from body issues.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg567/ashes-from-fire/Sp_US_38_BA1x_zps7f4df66b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg567/ashes-from-fire/Sp_US_38_BA1x_zps7f4df66b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is pretty much me - on the left, my normal self, posture and all; on the right, the effect of good underpinnings.  This image is from the 1930s.</td></tr></tbody></table><b><u>Social Stigma</u></b><br />What is it about corsets that make my experiment with them "silly" or "crazy?"  Why is this any different than wearing shapewear, underwear, or even a bra?<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.contourcorsets.com/POLAIRE_RETOUCH-REVERSAL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.contourcorsets.com/POLAIRE_RETOUCH-REVERSAL.JPG" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is NOT my goal</td></tr></tbody></table>Corsets fall outside what we currently define as "normal," whereas bras and underwear are within that sphere, and expected by society.  Would you go out without wearing knickers and a bra? (granted, some women do, but it's not the norm).  Women in the past wouldn't go out without wearing their underpinnings either, be those girdles and garters, chest-flattening devices, a corset, or stays.<br /><br />Society recognizes corsets today as sexual items, and tight-lacing as a fetish.  To historical costumers, wearing a corset represents something totally different, but when someone wears a corset outside of a costume event, why does it suddenly return to the sexual fetish, and become "crazy?"<br /><br /><b><u>Learning From Doing</u></b><br />I can see already that in addition to all that I have learned about corsets and my own body already, this experiment is most definitely a social one.  I am fascinated by how people are reacting, be they for or against wearing a corset every day.<br /><br />So...what do you think?

V361: Corset Training - Facing Questions and Issues

Hi! I've been wearing my corset now for 7 days, and within even this short amount of time, I have learned quite a lot about corseting, a...

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V357: Beginning Corset Training - Day 1

My New Years Resolution for 2013 is to experiment with corset training.  Nothing crazy.  Nothing extreme. I'm just curious about the effect consistent pressure on the natural waist will have on my very modern body.<br /><br />Anyone who studies historical costuming will notice the quite large <a href="http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/2013/01/v354-antique-and-vintage-proportion-you.html">differences in proportion</a> throughout different periods.  We come to expect an exaggerated difference in Victorian proportion, because we know they wore corsets, but there is also a rather large difference between 1950s proportion and now.  Why is this?<br /><br />The answer is quite simple - we no longer wear anything tight around our waists.  No really - think about it - with the exception of the occasional off-the-rack dress or pencil skirt, next to nothing in ready-to-wear clothing is designed to fit at your natural waist.  Sewing patterns from the major pattern companies don't even fit at the natural waist.<br /><br />The effect this has on our modern bodies is that there is no constriction to the waist whatsoever, and so it is free to do as it likes (not necessarily a bad thing).  If you are like me, and you have a sweet tooth, or a Jack-In-The-Box tooth, then that nipped-in waist may go out the door rather quickly.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyQ4LzEn4L5hius2ZKrTpYL6HjThyphenhyphen2zfTDyNOJgBYTPW-JRzocVtau5fHiDrsGrE5frUJ1Kw7DKY793Dk4BXcI0ocLed6mHuPawRYIAW6k7CQD-wyAtVNCjJD3wyoOTzLFbEk_CMXiufE/s1600/corset+training+start+1-20-13+(1+of+2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyQ4LzEn4L5hius2ZKrTpYL6HjThyphenhyphen2zfTDyNOJgBYTPW-JRzocVtau5fHiDrsGrE5frUJ1Kw7DKY793Dk4BXcI0ocLed6mHuPawRYIAW6k7CQD-wyAtVNCjJD3wyoOTzLFbEk_CMXiufE/s640/corset+training+start+1-20-13+(1+of+2).jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my body.  I am a tube.  This is the result of low-rise jeans</td></tr></tbody></table>So I'm curious to see what effect a confined waist has on my body.  I'm also interested to see if this day-to-day training will have an effect on my costumed silhouette, as I have read that corset training allows one to reduce the waist far more than previously, when wearing a corset.<br /><br />My current measurements, here for the public, are:<br /><br /><ul><li>Natural un-bound waist - 28 inches</li><li>Victorian corseted waist - 27 inches (or 26 if I really squeeze)</li><li>My goal - 25 inches</li><li>My extreme goal - 24 inches</li></ul><br />I've started off with a very simple, light-weight corset I bought on eBay.  It's no great thing, and cost less than a pair of jeans, but it came with a steel busk, and is the proportion I wanted - an underbust with a short length - to be able to wear with jeans and under sweaters every day, without being noticeable.  By no means is this a work of corsetry art, but it fits as well as my old Victorian, my own make, and reduces my waist gently and comfortably to 27 inches.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEJ3Z2oceHCM6EX-tQCC3hxnEZROtniuzQdzwz5WnthYjyzXIsE3dT_6CC5AiP8WiyrWhgLG9GCcnvpOkOUUVYSaRoeergab7duXxv374Vjim3e6-hX-F5JFwcYX7HaHqi86Ie-KwbNNm/s1600/corset+training+start+1-20-13+%25282+of+2%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEJ3Z2oceHCM6EX-tQCC3hxnEZROtniuzQdzwz5WnthYjyzXIsE3dT_6CC5AiP8WiyrWhgLG9GCcnvpOkOUUVYSaRoeergab7duXxv374Vjim3e6-hX-F5JFwcYX7HaHqi86Ie-KwbNNm/s640/corset+training+start+1-20-13+%25282+of+2%2529.jpg" width="526" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This corset, day 1, give a comfortable 1 inch reduction to my natural waist.  I have 2 more inches I can squeeze, to close the gap in back, before moving to a more curvaceous corset.</td></tr></tbody></table>I plan to wear this until the edges in back are touching - there is about a 2 inch gap right now - and while that is happening, I will be working on an authentic Victorian corset, drafted by <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/">Chrissy of The Laced Angel</a>, that includes all the hip and bust fullness necessary to achieve a considerably smaller waist.<br /><br />My overall intention with this experiment is not to deform my body, but to study the effects, and to attempt to <a href="http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/2013/01/v354-antique-and-vintage-proportion-you.html">improve my proportions</a> when wearing historical costumes.  I will report my progress regularly here. :-)

V357: Beginning Corset Training - Day 1

My New Years Resolution for 2013 is to experiment with corset training.  Nothing crazy.  Nothing extreme. I'm just curious about the eff...

Read more »