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:
At the time that I bought this, I thought it was a great cincher – the jewel-tone brocade fabric was pretty, and the fit was what I considered 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.
But because the curve in this is so gentle, I would now 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 on the delicate side and began to fray around the grommets. Also, eventually some grommets did 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 if you’re looking for a corset from them, it may be safer to buy from their newer stock rather than the clearance corsets.
So far the newer styles of their corsets are holding up well around the grommets (I reviewed them a year later) but bear in mind they are slim silhouette so I only have experience in how well they hold up under gentle use, not true tightlacing. You can find this corset (and other styles) on the Leatherotics website.