Katherine exclaims: Thank you all for showing up tonight! I want to start off with a brief history of corsets When I started researching the topic I found some pretty amazing facts.  Such as - the first corset appeared about 1700 BC in what are called the Minoan times.  So, corsets have been around for quite a looooong time.

Something else interesting about the word "corset" - it contains a French word.. corps. which means body.  The main purpose of a corset has always been to embellish or define specific body parts.  The Minoans used them to constrict the waist and smooth out the chest and hips in women, the breasts were left exposed, which made them seem larger.

There are reports that men also wore a corset, to squeeze in their waist.  After the Minoan period, corsets were pretty much absent from the local fashion  at least until around the 16th century. The corsets then tended to flatten out one's bust, while emphasizing small waistlines. 

From there, corsets changed in many different ways.. from having the long point on the front to elongate the body, to being simply waist cinchers that exaggerated the hips. My favorite will always be the ones worn in the mid-1800s that included the wide hoop skirts and made one's waist almost disappear. 

Through the years corsets have also been made of different materials. The modern corsets are cloth reinforced with metal "bones"  At one time, real bones were used to form the shape of the corset along with wood, metal, etc.I even found a picture of an all-metal corset, with holes in it so the skin could breathe.  It did not look comfortable at ALL

Moving into modern times.. people buy corsets today for many reasons:  to appear slimmer, to flatten out the tummy bulge, to emphasize the waist, hips or bust, and many more.  Something that I've noticed is men buying corsets in order to have that "constricted" feeling. In fact, the corset and the shoe are among the first articles

of clothing to be treated as a fetish, both of which are still prominent in fetish circles.

Katherine asks: has anyone here ever worn a corset before?

angela raises her hand.  lots.  i love them

Katherine nods to angela.. would you like to share why you wear them?

angela says: i'm actually quite slim, but i love the way it hugs me all day, the feeling of improved posture, the just slightly enhanced curves. Its also always a conversation piece if noticed. I love to share and spread the word.  angela smiles

Katherine nods. That is true. I know when I wear a corset I couldn't slump if I tried <grin>

angela says: and it has the fetish angle.... its lovely to be laced by one's domme.  angela grins

Katherine says: well, the reason I first purchased a corset is that I am not "slim" by any definition. My curves were in all the wrong places, and at the wrong angle.  So I decided to stuff myself into a corset, and lo and

behold, it was sexy! It was fun to be laced up, and like angela said it was a great conversation piece.For those of you that have not worn a corset, the first time can be a little tricky.

Katherine says: most corsets are made of two separate pieces that lace together on one side and buckle or clip together on the other.  Some corsets lace up the front, and some up the back, though traditionally corsets are "supposed" to lace up the back. When you first purchase a corset you should decide the look that you're going for. bigger bust? smaller waist? smaller bust? Once you've decided that, it's down to sizes. I've seen corsets measured in two different ways, so it's important to know which way the corset you are buying is measured. Vollers is a company that has been around for quite while..they measure by waist size.  This is the standard way to measure and size a corset. You measure your waist, and then subtract 2-4 inches for your corset size. Some can subtract more, or less depending on their own specific body type.  Other companies measure by the bust size, or the size around your chest.  Something I've noticed and want to pass on.. the ones that measure the bust size are generally lower quality corsets. The bones are not as strong and will not hold you as tightly

as you may like. they might even bend or even snap inside the corset.

angela says: there are some makers who do custom corsets, and have detailed measurement guides on their websites or do measurements at their stores

Katherine says: this is just something I've noticed from purchasing the many corsets that I have.

Katherine nods to angela.

Amadeus coughs... "Addict." ;)

angela says: lol yep they are addictive

Kim nods.  They are!

Katherine says: If you have the luxury of knowing where a custom corset maker is, and you have the money that is definitely the way to go.  I have 8! Just the ones that I *still* have <grin> I've gotten rid of some. So to recap. if you are purchasing a pre-made corset, make sure you know which measurement they used to make the corset. bust or waist. Do not make the mistake of purchasing a 38" bust corset and think it will fit your waist. <raises her hand as she did that once>

Katherine says: Onto lacing. I am going to talk about back-lacing corsets only for now. I like them better!  When you're lacing a corset, it's important to remember a few things. first, as you pull the laces through the corset, the laces are rubbing against skin, unless you have a skin guard between them and the skin. If you pull too fast you can give rope burns.  For those of you that like rope burns, pull fast. If you pull too hard or too fast you can also pinch the skin in the actual eyelet of the corset. (for those corsets without a guard) So be careful. Also, the tighter you lace, the more chance you have of burning or pinching the skin. For a simple lace guard, I hemmed a piece of satin fabric and I place it under my corset before lacing. You don't have to purchase a corset with a skin guard if you don't want to.

Katherine says: to do the actual lacing, I like to start at the top and work my way to the middle, and then start at the bottom and work my way up to the middle.  This is the "correct" way to lace a corset. Corsets that lace from bottom all the way to the top or vice versa will squish your body parts out the top or the bottom of the corset. I really don't need a bigger ass or bigger boobs. most people don't want that either. It's also good to start by tightening the laces until you feel resistance, from top to middle, bottom to middle, and then go back to the top and pull tighter again.  Sometimes it takes 4 or 5 rounds of this to pull the corset to the desired length Doing it this way keeps the laces from tangling, and it gradually eases the person into the position instead of jerking them around.  It's important to remember that as you constrict the body you are constricting that person's internal organs. and their ribs. Hip bones too.

Kim asks: Should the lines of the corset curve in at the waist or be a straight line from top to bottom?

Katherine says: I like it to be straight in the back.

Kim nods. Which is what corset fetishists say. Thank you!

Katherine says: Some people like the pinched waist look. to me, it looks like a wasp.

lisa says: i tried on a corset not long ago..in a moment of bravery or lunacy. I found um..the unsightly parts of my body tended to um..pop out.  Any way to tuck that in somewhere? lisa grins

Katherine says: you can yes. what I would do is buy a little bigger corset, maybe an inch or two. and then lace from the bottom to the middle and the top to the middle.  That pulls the poppy parts to the middle so they don't pop so much

lisa blinks. well damn, aint that logical. thank you

Kim whispers to lisa..."that nasty arm fat seems to pop out no matter what though. Even if you don't normally HAVE arm fat. Rest assured, we're all looking at tits instead."

Katherine chuckles.

lisa says: er actually..

Katherine says: something else you can do is look for a corset that minimizes those parts.

lisa says: it was my lower tummy

Katherine says: or buy a corset that goes down lower.

Kim says to lisa: V corsets that cover more down lower help. <nods>

Katherine says: there are corsets that go down far enough to hide that.

lisa smiles, thanks

Sirena asks: How do you know if the asking price is a rip off?

Katherine thinks. That's a tough one.

Sirena says: I mean what should cost more, what shouldn't, what to look for etc.

Katherine says: quality corsets will have steel "bones" instead of plastic

Amadeus says: If I can toss in an adjunct to that question before the answer's even here, I was going to ask what the difference was between a $40 and $400 corset.

Katherine says: I wouldn't pay more than $50 for one with plastic bones, even if it was fine silk. Especially if you're purchasing the corset to hide something. Plastic bones will not hide anything, and in time will bend

outward and even break. I call plastic boned corsets "skinny people" corsets because only really skinny people will ever be happy with them. For the ones with metal bones.. it depends on the construction and material

Amadeus says: But surely steel alone doesn't make up the difference -- that many rods of steel still don't cost an extra $300...

Katherine says: not to plug Kim's store, but her corsets are reasonably priced. Especially the Voller's corsets. And those are pretty good quality.

Kim says: Axfords are good too. But Vollers are more popular. You've got the differences in material... A factor. You have plastic versus metal, a factor. You have the busk, and how well made it is, how sturdy.  The busk is the front part, that you kind of "buckle up".  Spoon busks cost more. They have more metal and...HIDE MORE TUMMY.

Katherine covers her face. I forgot to talk about the busk.

Kim winks broadly.

Kim says: many of the Fredricks of Hollywood type corsets don't have a busk.  Just little dainty buttons. No dice. little dainty buttons let my tummy ooze out. NOOO siree bob.

Katherine says: right. those are the "skinny people" corsets.

Kim says: the grommets. In the back.  How tightly you can lace... is partially dependant upon how secure those little eyelets are.  Making them STAY when I put my foot on Katherine's back and YANK... costs money. <shrugs>.  The cheaper stuff, you give it a healthy tug, and it's going to pop and tear.

Katherine says: not to mention the lacing itself.

Kim asks: How well are the seams done? How well do the pieces line up? How smooth?

Katherine nods to Kim.. all factors.

Sirena asks: So what is a good price for something with all the quality mentioned above?

Kim says to Sirena: and import costs.

Kim says: I personally feel the best corsets come from England. Import tax. No matter what.

Katherine says: I agree with Kim.

Amadeus asks: Fair price, or good price? Good price is "free". *grin*

Katherine says: England has been making corsets for hundreds of years. They know their stuff.

Kim says: That's the best "off the shelf" corset. NAAAATURALLY a recommended corset maker who makes you a CUSTOM corset is best. Expect to spend $200+ for a good "Scarlet O'Hara" corset.

 

Kim claps for Katherine. "Thank you!"

Amadeus applauds!

Changeling says: Thank you.

Domaris claps!

Katherine exclaims: Thank you all for coming tonight!