This entry is a summary of the review video “WKD Gina Corset Review” which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length
Front is about 9.5″ inches long; modern slim or hourglass silhouette. Good for people with short or medium torso. No hip gores. Not recommended for people with lower tummy pooch. Cinching at the waist is somewhat limited to the size of your ribcage and hips compared to other cuts by WKD. I advise ordering a size 3-4 inches smaller than your natural waist.
Material
3 layers; fashion layer is satin (100% polyester) and the lining and interlining are both 100% cotton twill.
Construction
5 panel pattern, no hip gores. Top-stitching between panels, external boning channels, and a floating liner inside. Also has 6 garter tabs.
Binding
Black satin bias tape neatly machine stitched on both inside and outside.
Waist tape
1″ wide invisible waist tape between the interlining and lining.
Modesty panel
Attached 7″ wide fabric lacing protector on the back; stiffened placket under busk.
Busk
Standard flexible busk (1/2″ wide on each side) about 8″ long (4 pins), backed with a 1″ wide stiffener on each side.
Boning
12 steel bones not including busk. 8 spirals (1/4″ wide) in external channels, 4 flats (1/4″ wide) sandwiching the grommets.
Grommets
20 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with moderate flange; set equidistantly, no splits, no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets.
Laces
Strong nylon braided shoe-lace style laces; they’re thick, they grip well and they are long enough. Has some spring to the lace but very difficult to break.
Price
Currently $215.50 USD (at the time I reviewed this corset on Youtube, it was ~ $190. These prices are on What Katie Did’s website).
Final Thoughts:
Of the WKD underbust corsets, this silhouette is the most gentle. The Gina corset is the one I admittedly wear least often, just because I prefer a more dramatic silhouette – however this corset is fantastic for giving you a smooth outline and slim silhouette underneath your clothing! If you don’t want certain people to be startled by a teensy waist, then go for this style. If you’re looking for a larger reduction or more of a wasp-waist, then I suggest one of the other styles of underbust corsets. To see the Gina underbust and some other selections of corsets made by What Katie Did, you can visit their site here.
This entry is a summary of the review video “WKD Baby Corset Review” which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length
Front is about 7″ inches long, wasp-waist silhouette. Great for short-waisted ladies. Has enough room in the ribcage and hip areas; very comfortable. Not recommended for people with lower tummy pooch.
Material
3 layers; fashion layer is satin (100% polyester) and the lining and interlining are both 100% cotton twill.
Construction
6 panel pattern with an additional 2 hip gores per side. Top-stitching between panels, external boning channels, and a floating liner (very comfortable). Also has 6 garter tabs.
Binding
Black satin bias tape neatly machine stitched on both inside and outside.
Waist tape
1″ wide invisible waist tape between the interlining and lining.
Modesty panel
Attached 6″ wide fabric lacing protector on the back; stiffened placket under busk.
Busk
Standard flexible busk (1/2″ wide on each side) about 6″ long (3 pins), backed with a 1″ wide stiffener on each side.
Boning
14 steel bones not including busk. 10 spirals (1/4″ wide) in external channels, 4 flats (1/4″ wide) sandwiching the grommets.
Grommets
14 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with moderate flange; set equidistantly, no splits, no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets
Laces
Strong nylon braided shoe-lace style laces; they’re thick, they grip well and they are long enough. Has some spring to the lace but very difficult to break.
Price
Currently $215.50 USD (at the time I reviewed it it was ~ $190). These prices are from WKD’s website.
Final Thoughts:
This corset is tiny and adorable! The reduction that can be achieved in this corset is amazing – I believe this corset is patterned after their Morticia corset (so imagine that someone took a Morticia underbust and cut it down to a cincher). Since this corset is so short, it doesn’t even touch my hipbones and it barely covers my ribs. Some women who are less than 5 feet tall can wear this corset because it’s so short.
For a long time, the baby corset was the only corset I felt comfortable sleeping in since it doesn’t impair my breathing. I also often wore it like a wide belt over some outfits! However because of my naturally long straight torso, this corset doesn’t give me an extremely streamlined look underneath clothing – my waist tends to look a bit ‘geometric’ (with distinct angles) under fitted shirts. However for someone of an average torso length, this would likely be less of an issue.
To see the Baby cincher and other WKD styles of underbust corsets, do take a peek at the What Katie Did website.
This entry is a summary of the review video “Corset Review: Ebay ‘Corset’” which you can watch on YouTube here:
This corset, I have found, is a knock-off of the “Agnes” corset made by Eternal Spirits.
Fit, length
Front is about 13″ long. Modern slim silhouette, not hourglass.
Material
One layer of 90% polyester, 10% spandex (stretch satin)
Construction
Top-stitching between panels, bones inserted into internal boning channels made from a soft tape.
Binding
None, instead there is a ruffle trim on top and bottom.
Waist tape
None.
Modesty panel
None.
Busk
Standard flexible busk (1/2″ wide on each side), about 12 inches long, 6 pins. Busk is poking through the fabric after only 2 wearings.
Boning
PLASTIC boned, NOT steel boned. 12 bones not including busk. Do not sandwich the grommets.
Grommets
18 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with small flange; set equidistantly, no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets
Laces
Polyester single-faced satin ribbon.
Price
I had paid about $16 CDN plus shipping for this.
Final Thoughts:
This review was really to make a point that you have to go higher than $20 (indeed, usually higher than $50) in order to get a garment that even remotely has corset-like qualities. I would never have bought this if I didn’t get so many requests to review one of these. If you’re going to a costume party and you need something super cheap, then you can use this corset. You can perhaps even cannibalize this corset for materials (like the busk, if you trust it) in future corsets. But I wouldn’t consider this a ‘real’ corset and can’t recommend it.
This entry is a summary of the review video “Corset Review: Burleska FASHION Corset” which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length
Front is about 12″ long. modern slim silhouette, not Victorian hourglass.
Material
Two layers; thin cherry-print satin and inner twill.
Construction
Faux flat-felled seams (topstitching) between panels, bones inserted into the seam allowances.
Binding
Satin bias binding in black; machine stitched on both inside and outside.
Waist tape
None.
Modesty panel
Attached flexible (satin) back lacing protector, no front placket.
Busk
Standard flexible busk (1/2″ wide on each side), about 11 inches long, 5 pins. Busk has ripped through the material in center front panel.
Boning
PLASTIC boned, NOT steel boned. 10 bones not including busk.
Grommets
18 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with small flange; no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets
Laces
Nylon braided black shoelace-style laces; some spring to them but no breaking/ripping.
Price
I had paid $85 CDN + tax. However you can get it for much less at the Burleska website.
Final Thoughts:
I was disappointed in this corset. This was my first “real” purchased corset (or so I thought) and at the time I figured I was doing the smart thing by going into a store to try on the corset before I bought it. I wish I had the same knowledge back then, that I have now. In the store, I asked the clerk questions like “Does this have steel bones?” and “How many inches can it take off?” The clerk told me everything I wanted to hear, in order to get the sale. It wasn’t steel boned; it was plastic boned. It had no waist tape, the busk was poking through after a few wears, and it didn’t cinch that much.
I really don’t like giving negative reviews. I hate to “bad-mouth” companies. In all honesty, Burleska makes cute fashion corsets but the purpose of these corsets should be clear – they should be used only as fashion accessories (not waist-training or tightlacing corsets). If I were to bad-mouth anything or anyone, it would have been the deceptive (or clueless) store clerk.
This entry is a summary of the review video “Corset Review: Leatherotics Itty Bitty “Waspie” 1827″ which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length
Front is about 7″ long. Very short along the side, will not squish your hips. Modern slim silhouette, not a “wasp-waist” shape. Rather small around the lower ribcage. Good for short-waisted corseters, however not recommended for anyone with a lower belly pooch.
Material
Two layers; heavy outer satin (easily wipes clean) and inner twill. No rippling, no stretching.
Construction
Faux flat-felled seams (topstitching) between panels, internal boning channels made of twill.
Binding
Satin bias binding in black; machine stitched on both inside and outside.
Waist tape
A 1″ wide waist tape (ribbon) visible on lining side, stitched down at boning channels.
Modesty panel
Attached flexible back lacing protector about 6″ wide, also front placket behind busk.
Busk
3 pins, Heavy busk (1″ wide on each side), about 6 inches long.
Boning
12 bones not including busk: 8 1/4″ wide spiral steel, 4 flats along the back.
Grommets
12 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with small flange; no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets.
Laces
Nylon braided black shoelace-style laces; some spring to them but no breaking/ripping.
Price
$70.50 USD when not on sale.
Final Thoughts:
This is indeed a versatile piece to have in your wardrobe as you can wear it over clothing as a fashionable wide belt, or under clothing as a foundation piece. However be aware that this cincher has a “modern slim” silhouette, which means there’s not a lot of curve inward at the waist – be aware when buying this that the ribcage is small, and so are the hips, so buy a size larger than you’d usually get in an off-the-rack corset. I’d recommend this for people who already have a flat abdomen and are just looking for accentuation of their waist – due to the shortness of this corset I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone who has lower-pooch issues.
As I’ve stated in my latest video, the process of moving all my videos from bishonenrancher over to LucyCorsetry on Youtube has been very frustrating as there are several glitches that are not allowing some of my videos to upload, or to be played once uploaded.
So, what will happen to the videos I uploaded to LucyCorsetry? Those will stay there, and I will eventually be re-filming those tutorials in better quality and with more knowledge under my belt. Now that I’ve been making corsets casually for awhile, I am much more versed in the subject and much more comfortable making tutorials now. I also now know how to be clear and concise, as is (not) portrayed in this entry. :p
In summary, I’m back. Sorry for the confusion. I will now update this blog excessively to make up for lost time.
Lucy’s Little Life Lesson: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!
This entry is a summary of the review video “Corset Review: Leatherotics Underbust Longline “Hipster” 1817″ which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length
Front is about 12.5″ long. modern slim silhouette, not Victorian hourglass.
Longline; comes over the hips, good for lower tummy control. Not recommended for short-waisted people.
Moderate room in the hips. Relatively small in the ribcage.
Material
Two layers; heavy outer satin (easily wipes clean) and inner twill.
Construction
Faux flat-felled seams (topstitching) between panels, internal boning channels.
Binding
Satin bias binding in black; machine stitched on both inside and outside.
Waist tape
A 1″ wide waist tape (ribbon) visible on lining side, stitched down at boning channels.
Modesty panel
Attached flexible back lacing protector, also front placket behind busk.
Busk
Heavy busk (1″ wide on each side), about 11.5 inches long.
Boning
14 bones not including busk: 10 1/4″ wide spiral steel, 4 flats along the back.
Grommets
24 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with small flange; no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets
Laces
Nylon braided black shoelace-style laces; some spring to them but no breaking/ripping.
Price
$140 USD when not on sale.
Final Thoughts:
This was my first true longline corset, and I instantly fell in love with the hip control. Most of my corsets I own these days are now longline. Because this is longer in the front, I sometimes had a bit of trouble fastening the busk. For anyone who also has this problem, see my video tutorial here on how I figured out how to easily do up their busks. This corset served me pretty well – but although it can cinch off 4″ in the waist, it’s not made for daily training. The ribcage of Leatherotics corsets run small so I would suggest ordering up a size compared to what you’d usually get from off-the-rack corsets, or simply go with the custom size. The customer service for Leatherotics is better than customer service from most other corset companies I’ve dealt with, and they accommodate changes to pattern and to fashion fabric pretty easily. You can find this corset style (and other styles) on their website here.
This entry is a summary of the review video “Timeless Trends white/emerald silk underbust corsets” which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length
Front is about 11.5″ long. Gives a traditional Victorian hourglass silhouette, not wasp-waisted; I’m able to achieve 3-4 inch waist reduction. Comes over the hips a little on me. All of their corsets are the same pattern/shape.
Material
Outer silk brocade in green (or white; I reviewed 2 different corsets here) which is fused to twill. Comes in many different colours and fabrics. Inner twill.
Construction
Appears to have been lock-stitched, with the boning sandwiched between the two layers of twill.
Binding
Satin bias binding in matching colour; machine stitched on both inside and outside.
Waist tape
A 1″ wide “invisible) waist tape – sandwiched between the two layers of twill.
Modesty panel
No back lacing protector, no front placket.
Busk
Standard flexible busk, about 10 inches long.
Boning
26 bones (not including busk), 20 are 1/4″ wide spiral steel; 6 flat steels, 3/8″ wide, beside the busk and grommets.
Grommets
28 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with moderate flange; absolutely no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets even after 2 years of use.
Laces
1/2″ wide satin ribbon (not double-face). Experienced snapping of laces after 1.5 years; however extra laces are available for $3.50 US
Price
Most underbusts are $99 USD when not on sale.
Final Thoughts:
This was my first (real!) purchased corset, and so it holds great sentimental value to me. Not only that, but even when I could cinch down to smaller sizes and styles (like my wasp-waist training corset from Bezerk), I still came back to this one because it gave such a flattering silhouette that was slim yet relatively natural-looking both over and under clothing (you can see the silhouette in my video; note that I can’t have possibly manipulated the silhouette by lacing it in a )( shape, especially because the green one is completely closed in the back). In the several years I’ve owned their corsets, I have never once had an issue with a bone poking through, a seam ripping, a grommet coming loose etc. These guys take their lifetime guarantee seriously. For about two years I had been recommending this brand to people freely, expecting nothing in return. Nowadays I still recommend it – so much that I’ve become a distributor. How’s that for a positive review?
This entry is a summary of the review video “Corset Review: Leatherotics Blue Gem Waist Cincher” which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length
Quite short, cut high on the hips. Gives a “modern slim” silhouette; not a large waist reduction. I would prefer a pattern with more hip room. Not recommended for those with lower tummy pooch.
Material
Outer brocade in “blue gem” (although it comes in other colours), inner black cotton twill.
Construction
Appears to have been top-stitched (faux-flat-fell), with internal boning channels within black twill tape.
Binding
Black satin bias binding, machine stitched.
Waist tape
A 1″ wide ribbon visible on the inside of the corset, stitched down at the boning channels.
Modesty panel
No back lacing protector, although it has a placket underneath the busk.
Busk
Standard flexible busk, about 10 inches long.
Boning
12 bones (not including busk) – feels like flat steel – more rigid than many other corsets
* Note in the video I say 14 bones, but I counted the busk as 2 bones at the time.
Grommets
18 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with very small flange; noticed some fraying and grommets pulling out after about 1.5 years of occasional wear.
Laces
Nylon braided shoelace-style laces with a bit of springiness. Very difficult to break.
Price
$70.50 USD when not on sale.
Final Thoughts:
This was a great cincher – the jewel-tone brocade fabric was just gorgeous and the fit once again was a good choice for a beginner like myself when I first purchased it, because it was more of a slim silhouette instead of too extreme. Because the curve in this is so gentle, I’d recommend ordering a size up from what you’d usually get from an off-the-rack corset company, to make sure you have enough room in the ribcage and hips.
Unfortunately, the brocade was a bit on the delicate side and began to fray around the grommets. I hadn’t had this situation with any of my other Leatherotics corsets, but on this one unfortunately some grommets did eventually pull out. I posted a tutorial on how to replace grommets in your grommet panel if the same thing happens to any of your own corsets. I talked to Leatherotics about this afterward, and they said that they began reinforcing the grommet panel and using a different method after several complaints. So far the newer styles of their corsets are holding up well around the grommets – I very much respect a company that truly listens to the concerns of their clients. You can find this corset (and other styles) on the Leatherotics website or in their ebay store.
This entry is a summary of the video “Corsets and Blood Pressure” which you can watch on YouTube here:
As is seen in the video, without a corset my blood pressure was 117/80, which is close to the normal BP of 120/80.
About 5 minutes after lacing down approximately 4 inches in one of my underbust corsets, my blood pressure read 122/88. I will explain what this means at the end of this entry.
Firstly, how does blood pressure work?
When a fluid is travelling through a tube, the pressure depends on a few aspects:
the volume of the fluid (how much is there?)
the viscosity of the fluid (how thick or watery is it?)
the capacity of the tube in a given distance (how much can the tube hold?)
the speed and strength of the pump (your heart)
The systolic pressure (higher number) is the pressure of the blood when your heart is making the pumping motion, so this is highest pressure. The diastolic pressure (lower number) is the blood pressure at the moment that your heart is resting between pumps, so this is the lowest pressure your blood has. At any other time in the motion of the “pumping”, your blood pressure is somewhere between the systolic and diastolic pressures.
Most of the time (excluding when a woman is pregnant) a healthy person will have about the same amount of blood and the same viscosity. This means that blood pressure will mostly depend on the size of the “tube” (arteries and veins). The smaller or skinnier the blood vessel, the higher your blood pressure becomes. Today, one of the most common causes of high blood pressure is arterial plaque. As plaque builds up on the inside of your arteries, the circumference through which the blood has to travel decreases in size. Your heart has to work harder to pump the same volume of blood through it, and your blood pressure increases.
A study on blood pressure and support belts
In 1989, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research published a study called The Effects of a Weight Training Belt on Blood Pressure During Exercise. This study demonstrated that when weight lifting, the support belts that the men wore increased their blood pressure. After testing my own blood pressure in and out of a corset several times, I realized that corsets can do the same! This makes sense, as the pressure from a tight belt or corset can constrict the blood vessels in the abdominal region, making it harder for blood to flow through that region.
How corsets can cause low blood pressure
Let’s consider the first part: your corset is just being tightened and your circulatory system hasn’t responded yet. Since all things are affected by gravity, what usually happens is the blood more easily flows to the lower region of the body, but has difficulty getting pumped back up to the heart. This will cause a greater volume of blood and a greater pressure in the legs compared to in the upper torso, arms and head, where pressure is lower. (By the way, weak valves in the veins can also cause blood pooling in the legs and varicose veins, which is why many older women wear compression stockings to help get the blood back up out of the legs).
Low blood pressure and the “swooning / fainting” lady
If a woman’s blood pressure was low to begin with, then after she puts the corset on, it might be this decreased blood pressure in the upper body (particularly the head) that contributed to a lady swooning or fainting – the stories of women fainting from lack of oxygen or breathing difficulties are largely rumours. (On a separate note, it is also possible to feel “faint” from too much oxygen, which is why hyperventilation causes light-headedness.)
Why does a person faint from low head blood pressure? When a person faints, their body falls down from a vertical to horizontal position. When you’re lying down, your head is at the same level as your feet – your blood pressure becomes more uniform all throughout your body (relatively speaking, lower in the legs, higher in the head). When your brain gets enough blood and enough oxygen, you regain consciousness!
How corsets can cause high blood pressure
Now let’s consider the second part: say you have a strong circulatory system and your heart has adjusted to the tightness of your corset. The harder it pumps blood down to the legs, the harder the blood gets pumped back up to the heart – this is a good thing; you’re not pooling blood in the lower half of your body. But the body can only control pressure in a certain part of your circulatory system so much; it can’t control the lower and upper halves of you body independently, so the blood pressure everywhere else (i.e. above the corset in the chest, head, arms) is increased as well.
High blood pressure and the “upset lady’s nosebleed”
Have you ever heard of the myth that a lady shouldn’t get angry lest she get a nose-bleed? This is because (corset or no corset) when a person becomes scared, angry or upset, the blood pressure rises in the whole body as part of the “fight or flight” response. If any blood vessels in that person’s body has a thin or weak lining, then high blood pressure can cause that lining to break. Often the nose has thin, delicate blood vessels, so if blood pressure is high enough it can cause a nose bleed. If this happens in any delicate vessels in the brain, it’s called a stroke.
Summary
My corseted blood pressure, 122/88, is considered pre-hypertensive; however I didn’t demonstrate how this pressure can change after the body has settled in the corset for a few hours. Nonetheless, based on the study done in 1989, my personal experiment and the BP monitoring of other tightlacers, it’s been shown that a corset can indeed raise your blood pressure somewhat. To what amount will be different for everyone. This is important because if you are a more mature person who is interested in corseting, if you’re not in optimal health and/or if you are predisposed to hypertension, you must approach waist training with caution.
I will return to this topic at a later time, at which I’ll monitor my blood pressure regularly throughout the day and during various emotional states to demonstrate the large range of blood pressures in one person.
Lucy’s Little Life Lesson: Know thyself (including thy medical stats).
*Please note that this article is strictly my opinion and provided for information purposes. It is not intended to replace the advice of a medical doctor. Please talk to your doctor if you’d like to start wearing a corset.*
