This entry is a summary of the review video “Versatile Corsets Dita underbust Review” which you can watch on YouTube here:
| Fit, length | Front is about 12 inches long, from underbust to the lap at the “princess seam” (the side-front) is 9 inches long – appropriate for average-to-long torsos. The bottom of the corset swoops down to cover lower-tummy pooch. This is not a longline corset; it’s cut higher over the hips at the side. Modern slim silhouette, reminiscent of the traditional Victorian hourglass silhouette, except with gentler curves. Also includes a halter strap (see the Final Thoughts for more info). This corset can accommodate about a 9-10 inch hip spring, and the ribs are about 6″ larger than the waist. |
| Material | 2 main layers: the lining is 100% cotton black twill (although custom commissioned corsets from Versatile will contain herringbone coutil lining). Fashion fabric is a medium-weight pink satin (interfaced for strength) with black accent boning channels and binding made from black shiny pleather. |
| Construction | 5 panel pattern. Twill lining is flatlined/rollpinned to satin fashion layer; top-stitching between panels (seams are double-stitched at minimum), external boning channels. Also contains 8 garter tabs. |
| Binding | Black binding that matches the external boning channels, made from bias strips of black PVC, trimmed short on the inside rather than folded under (this is typical of leather/ pleather binding, and fine because it won’t fray). |
| Waist tape | 1″ wide petersham waist tape exposed on the inside. If you had ordered a corset without external boning channels, then the waist tape would be sandwiched between two layers of material. |
| Modesty panel | Attached 8″ wide fabric lacing protector on the back, covered in matching pink satin (more breathable than the PVC or pleather), stitched on one side of the corset; unstiffened placket under busk made from matching black PVC. |
| Busk | Standard flexible busk (1/2″ wide on each side) about 11″ long (5 pins), reinforced with a flat steel bone on each side. |
| Boning | 22 total bones not including busk, all flat (spring) steel bones. On each side they are double boned on the seams (1/4″ wide), 2 sturdier flats sandwiching the grommets and another flat bone beside the busk. |
| Grommets | 24 grommets total, size #00 two-part grommets with moderate flange; set equidistantly, no splits, no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets. This type of grommet is my personal favourite used in American-made corsets. |
| Laces | 1/8 inch wide round nylon cord – strong, virtually unbreakable, not stretchy, glides well through the grommets and doesn’t catch, but they’re slippery. |
| Price | Currently $358 USD for the standard size and basic fabric on the Versatile website. For contrasting channels, there is no price markup! |
Final Thoughts:
This is the third of several corsets I will be reviewing for Versatile Corsets/ Corset Connection. The samples were originally agree to be sent back, but the owner of Corset Connection asked me to sell them here on my website (90% funds still go to Versatile) instead of sending them back.
I don’t often wear materials like pleather or PVC because I find it doesn’t breathe very well – however, since the main fashion fabric is satin and the pleather is just contrast, this style is a bit more comfortable. Still, if I were to go back and order this piece custom, I would likely have chosen a different fabric combination. The perk to Versatile Corsets that I have not seen in any other company – if you want external boning channels, there is no mark-up in price! You can also choose from dozens of fabric and color choices for the binding, trim, and channels – or make them all different colors or fabrics if that’s your preference. There are many different possibilities!
The thick halter strap was comfortable around my neck; it was covered with black pleather/ PVC material to match the binding and boning channels, and was adjustable with hooks and eyes (similar to bra hooks). I didn’t personally find that the straps pulled too much on my neck, and I was able to keep my shoulders and my neck back – however, for those with forward-head posture looking for a solution, this corset will not miraculously help. I like how the fabric of the corset wraps up and around the side of the torso, which both helps to flatten any breast tissue that wraps around the side and in the armpits, and for those with smaller busts this cut helps to lift the bust and push it together to create cleavage.
Overall, I am glad I had the opportunity to try on this corset. I find the Dita underbust to be much more suited to my figure, as I have a longer torso. It’s a great corset for lengthening the line of the torso, thanks to the vertical contrasting boning channels, and the swooping line of the lower edge down to the pubic bone. It makes me look much leaner and taller compared to the Snapdragon cincher that I reviewed before – however, those with shorter torsos may prefer the Snapdragon for its length. The one perk is that both the Dita and the Snapdragon corsets are the exact same price, so neither the taller nor the shorter lacer has to worry about paying more for the style that suits them. To see other models in the Dita corset, Versatile has a small gallery so you can see how it fits different people. You can see it on their website here.
Hi Lucy! Thanks for posting this video. I have been wanting to try some corsets from Corset Connection’s affordable OTR line for waist training, but I noticed that they list their bones as simply “steel”. I don’t know if this means spring steel, spiral steel, or just crap steel. Have you ever had any experience with their OTR waist trainers, or do you know of this company uses spring steel as a standard? I understand each type of steel boning has its merits, but which is better for waist training, and how do we know which one a certain brand is using? Thanks again for all your great postings!
Hi Megan, I’ve tried on one of their OTR line corsets but I didn’t have a peek inside, so unfortunately I don’t know the quality of their bones. :\ Perhaps they would be willing to share a picture or make a post about it if you asked them directly? It’s worth a shot!
I typically prefer spiral bones in my corsets, even most of my training corsets; although my most effective training corset (by Contour Corsets) has all flat steel bones. However, that corset breaks all the rules and is in a catergory all of its own.