This post is a summary of the Bad Button Teal Underbust Corset Review video, which you can watch on Youtube if you prefer:
| Fit, length | This corset was a sample from Etsy, so it was not made to measure – however any corset you commission from The Bad Button will be custom fit to your measurements, so the measurements of my piece is a bit moot. But for the curious: Center front is about 11.5″ high, but on the sides the corset is 9″. The silhouette is an hourglass, the ribcage is about 5″ bigger than the waist, and the hips are also about 10″ bigger than the waist. |
| Material | Likely 3 main layers (some panels are 4 layers): fashion fabric is medium weight teal/cerulean satin, backed onto a strength layer (The Bad Button always uses coutil for custom commission) and a beautiful decorative fan-themed lining made from lightweight cotton. |
| Construction | 11 panels, with an extra wide center front panel (closed front). Sandwiched bones (double boned on the seams) and floating liner. No garter tabs. |
| Binding | Matching teal satin bias strips, hand-finished with an invisible stitch; incredibly tidy. |
| Waist tape | Waist tape is perhaps 1/2″ or 3/4″ wide extending through all panels of the corset – invisibly secured between the lining and interlining of the corset. |
| Modesty panel | No modesty panel in this sample, but if you requested one in a custom commission it can be accommodated. Closed front, so no placket needed. |
| Busk | No busk (closed front) – instead, there are four 1/4″ wide flat steel bones keeping the center front sturdy. I call these “magic bones” because the stitching for the boning channels are not visible on the outside or inside of this corset – this helps to not distract the eye from the embellishment (Embellishment will be covered in “final thoughts”) |
| Boning | 30 total bones (including the four magic bones in front). Double boned on the seams with 1/4″ wide flat steels on the straight seams, and 1/4″ spirals on curved seams and on the sides for greater curve. Flat steels sandwich the grommets in back. |
| Grommets | 22 grommets total, size #00 two-part grommets (in black to match the embellishment) with medium/large flange; set equidistantly – held in very well. |
| Laces | 1/2″ wide double-faced satin in black – extremely long. |
| Price | At the time that I’m writing this, to commission this piece (or something similar) custom made for you would be $475 USD. |
Final Thoughts
This is the second time I have reviewed a Bad Button corset, and I’m even more enamoured with this piece than I was with the previous Bridal piece. The Bad Button Bespoke Corsets is run Alisha in Kentucky, USA, whose meticulousness and creativity is nicely demonstrated in the embellishment on this sample underbust – the base corset I could tell started very smooth and plain, featuring the “magical bones” that keep the center front flat, yet do not show any channel stitching on the outside nor inside. This creates a beautiful canvas for the black corded and beaded lace appliqué which is laid across the top edge, featuring a large decorative beaded motif in the center front, with more small bits of appliqué on the bottom sides to accentuate the curves of the hip. Each bit of lace was hand-stitched in painfully tiny stitches. Additionally, there is some simple V flossing at the bottom of the corset, not only securing the flat steels in the corset but also adding balance to the embellishment overall. The closer I inspect this corset, the more I realize that there is quite a bit happening all at once, but it all blends in seamlessly with one another and they play off one another rather than overwhelming the little corset. The finishing must have taken an incredible amount of time and does not go unappreciated!
Alisha’s smooth, wrinkle-free pattern also shows her attention to fusing the fabrics, reinforcing them and possibly roll-pinning so as not to put too much pressure on the satin shell. Her patterning skills are also excellent in that this corset only gives me a couple of inches reduction, the pattern works to beautifully accentuate the waist and make the hips look fuller, making me look much curvier than even many of my smaller-waisted corsets.
If you would like to see some other creations by The Bad Button, visit the main website or Etsy store.