This entry is a summary of the review video “Bizarre Design Corset Review”. If you would like more complete information and side notes about the corset, you can watch the video on YouTube here:
| Fit, length | Center front is 14 inches long, princess seam is 11.5 inches (6 inches from the waist up, 5.5 inches from the waist down), the side seam is 12 inches and the center back is 13 inches long. The “spring” measurements change slightly depending on the size, but I ordered the standard size D36 (equivalent to about 22.5″ waist). This offers a rib spring of about 5.5″, and a hip spring of about 14″. Ribs are very gently rounded, and the hips are very rounded. |
| Material | Panels are a single layer of German spot broche, boning channels are made from satin coutil. |
| Construction | 5-panel pattern (10 panels total). Panels 3-4 create most of the curve over the hip. Panels were assembled with seam allowances facing outward, and boning channels were laid down externally, straddling the seams. Boning channels are also gently bent to contour around the lower tummy in the side-front, create a dramatic nip in the waist on the side seam, and follow the lumbar curve in the back. |
| Waist tape | None. Jeroen’s construction is rumored to render the waist tape superfluous. The waist may expand marginally, but should not rip (if you require a specific waist reduction, consider going custom fit, or going one size down). |
| Binding | Bias strips of satin coutil, with a double-row of stitching along both front and back. |
| Modesty panel | 3.75 inches wide, continuously boned, made from 2 layers of black satin coutil. Suspended on the laces using ribbon loops. There’s also a 3/4-inch-wide heavily boned modesty placket in front, extending from the knob side of the busk, also covered in the satin coutil. |
| Busk | 13” long, with 6 loops and pins, with the bottom two a bit closer together. Standard width flexible busk (½ wide on each side), and fairly flexible – but the rigid boned placket (“underbusk” helps give the center front more support. |
| Boning | 21 bones total in this corset, 10 on each side (plus the rigid boned underbusk in the center front). Double boned on the seams with flexible wire. It seems that the center back are the same flexible wire, but the boned modesty panel in back helps give more support and rigidity to the back. |
| Grommets | There are 32, two-part size #0) grommets (16 on each side). They have a medium flange and are spaced equidistantly (3/4″ apart), and finished in silver. Very large washers on the underside (a positive feature). |
| Laces | The laces are black, 3/8” wide black synthetic flat shoelace. They are long enough, and hold the knots and bows securely. There is no spring or stretch to them. The chevron lacing (plus the narrow spacing between each set of grommets) help to prevent bowing in the back, despite the bendy steels. |
| Price | Available in the blue esh . Sizes 18″ up to 28″ closed waist. Prices start at 251€ (about $265 USD) for standard size, and single layer (of coutil / corset broche). I paid extra for a heavy busk in front (which I’m presuming is the boned underbusk / placket) so after shipping, I paid $317 USD for my corset. Bespoke / custom fit options start at €341 (about $360 USD). |
Final Thoughts: Bizarre Design is run by Jeroen Van Der Klis in the Netherlands, who is well-known and well-respected in the corset industry. Having a background in Engineering, Jeroen applies his knowledge and skills to corsetry in a unique way, as made evident by certain design characteristics (like lack of waist tape, and pre-bent steel wire instead of standard spiral boning). Jeroen has made corsets for the likes of Cathie Jung (Guinness World Record holder for the smallest waist on a living person), Michele Koebke (who has since left the corset community for other ventures) and other celebrities known for their impressive waist reductions within the corset community. Because this corset is a single layer, it’s lightweight, more cool and breathable compared to a multi-layer corset, and it’s more flexible as well – and it seemed to mold to my curves almost instantaneously. I opted for the standard sized version, but do keep in mind that I have a relatively long torso, and the corset is a smidge on the long side when I sit down – so if you have a torso length less than ~11 inches at the princess seam, you may want to ask Jeroen to cut down the corset to suit your length (and there’s a possibility that this may count as an upgrade to custom). Do you have this corset, or another corset from Bizarre Design? What do you think of it? Leave a comment down below!