Today I made a video that was a bit off the cuff, but the idea had been floating in my head for a few months. It was inspired by many people – by SilentSongbyrd‘s floppy corset, by Trollsneedhugs‘ latest video on gratefulness, by HarmanHay‘s post on looking for perfection, and by the number of viewers who have suggested that I have “lost touch” with what it’s like to be a normal lacer due to how many corsets I own.

How did I get to own so many corsets anyway? I never intended to have a large collection of corsets. 

When I started this corset journey…

I had a couple of handmade corsets, a couple of OTR corsets, and the one front-lacing Bezerk corset that I thought would carry me all the way to my goal to a corseted waist of 20 inches. There were complications (the shape of that corset and the front-lacing caused pressure points on my ribs), and I stopped wearing that corset and began searching for another corset that would help me achieve my goal.

I bought other corsets in late 2010 and I practiced sewing other corsets, and each time I was “hoping” that this would be the last of it. Each time the corset came in the mail, I told myself, “THIS is going to be the one perfect corset for me – the one that will last me the next 2-5 years, maybe 10 or 20 years if it’s good quality and if I treat it well” – and that would be the end of my search. But each time, I found that it’s not right in the length here, or it makes my hip go numb there, or it causes pressure points, and I would start my search over again. I reviewed these corsets on Youtube to show the pros and cons of each style, so that others could learn from my journey/ my mistakes, and hopefully spare themselves the time, money and frustration that I had spent.

When I started reviewing corsets in my unique way, I didn’t really intend for it to become “my thing”. WKD took a chance on me to review their products, and at that time the Morticia corset was my one BIG DREAM corset – that staple, “little black dress” corset that would be with me always. But foolishly I got the wrong size (size 18″ – what was I thinking?? – which had no hope of closing over my underbust and hips) and once again I found myself disappointed. 

But by that point that I was bitten by the corset bug.

That’s when the “collection” began – and I not only collect corsets, but also in a way, I began to invest more in making videos on this channel. With each successive brand I reviewed, I hoped that this would be “the one” for me. I hoped that I wouldn’t have to spend anymore on future corsets. Those that didn’t fit me well, I sold to be able to afford a different corset that I hoped would turn out right. There were corsets that I bought solely for the purpose of reviewing (due to so many requests) – but I never lost that goal in the back of my mind to find that one “perfect” corset that was comfortable, strong, and could be used everyday.

The perfect corset came really close with both my Contour Corset and Puimond Corset earlier this year. But the thing about sizing down in corsets is that the little quirks and bugs of your body come out – sometimes you can’t even predict them with a quick mockup fitting, because it requires extended use of the corset. You simply have to take note of these issues and adjust for that in your next corset. But of course, that requires a “next corset”. The corset journey can be very long and quite expensive, especially if you’re as picky as I am.

So, is it worth it to be that picky?

In my personal opinion, I’d think it is worth it to be picky – because in the case of tightlacing, good comfort also translates to health and safety. I want that custom corset that fits me perfectly. But then, I’ve heard some people argue that “the perfect corset” doesn’t exist, and you will just have to put up with a bugaboo here or there.

Given my success rate thus far, I am tempted to agree with them, but I’m not giving up yet. You don’t make compromises with an inanimate object, or negotiate with a garment and tell it to fit you better. If you don’t like something about it (and if you have the resources) then change it!… right? Or maybe after a long enough time, one has to change one’s goals to be more realistic.

So. I’ve accidentally found myself becoming a “corset hoarder”.

And I certainly have my favourites in my collection (such as my custom Sparklewren overbust which I’m unlikely to ever sell), but not the one staple underbust training corset. I don’t have that corset that is used so often that it gets a little threadbare and feels floppy, or starts to smell a little stale. I haven’t found my one perfect match yet, and I’m actually a little sad about it. But in all this, I’ve realized that this actually is a journey. I feel extremely privileged to be a ‘corset reviewer’. I really like reviewing corsets. I like being a guinea pig, I like informing my viewers and teaching them to be picky. I like helping others save money by making wiser purchases, and advising them so they can be well on their way to finding their perfect corset.

Maybe if I had found my “perfect” corset right off the bat, then I wouldn’t have learned as much – because I wouldn’t have any motivation to. Maybe I would have run out of ideas for videos and have gotten bored with Youtube. Maybe I wouldn’t have honed my corset making skills and have learned appreciated the YEARS of work that goes into the art and the architecture of corsetry. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so involved with the corset community and gotten to know so many awesome people.

I still haven’t found my perfect corset.

…but I’ve unexpectedly found something better. And I don’t know what’s down the road for me. I don’t know if I’ll continue making Youtube videos, or will even be interested in corsetry forever. I don’t know if this will ever somehow turn into a success or fizzle out – but coming up to my 3rd anniversary of making videos on Youtube, I do know that you (dear reader and viewer) have changed my life. So, thank you friends, for sticking with me through this corset journey.

(I’m still on the lookout for that corset though!)

Do you believe that “the perfect corset” even exists? Do you think that what constitutes as “perfect” changes over time, and that this is a journey to be enjoyed, or are you all about the end goals? Have you found YOUR perfect corset yet? Let me know in the comments below!