This entry is a summary of the review video “Lovely Rats Christine Corset Review” which you can watch on YouTube here:
Fit, length | This style is standard sized: Center front is about 11.5 inches high, from underbust to lap is 9 inches, and the center back is 11 inches. Conical ribcage and rounded hip. Waist in this corset is 22″, ribcage is 28″ and lower hip is 36″. NOTE: updated standard size measurements for a size 22″: ribcage of 30″ and lower hip of 34″. |
Material | 3 main layers. Outer layer is a psychedelic cotton print, which is fused to twill. Black herringbone coutil as lining. |
Construction | 6 panel pattern, panels assembled using the sandwich method (lock-stitched 3 times so very sturdy), and double-boned on the seams, sandwiched between two layers. |
Binding | Hand-made bias strips of complementary gold dupioni silk, machine stitched on the outside and hand-finished inside for a couture finish. |
Waist tape | 1 inch wide invisible waist tape – sandwiched between the layers. |
Modesty panel | No back lacing protector because I didn’t order one (but I did get a complimentary storage bag). Front modesty placket is made from black herringbone coutil. |
Busk | Heavy-duty busk (1″ wide on each side), 10 inches long. 5 loops + pins, equidistantly spaced. Some flat steels adjacent to the busk helps keep the abdomen flat. |
Boning | 24 bones total, 12 on each side. There are eight 1/4″ wide flats by the front, four flats by the back grommets, and the remaining bones around the side of the body are 1/4″ spirals, double boned on the seams. |
Grommets | 26 two-part grommets, size #00, medium flange, quite sturdy. Gold finish. Set closer together at the waistline. Large washers on the underside, most of them have rolled nicely without splitting or cracking. |
Laces | Double-faced satin ribbon in bright green. Too short for my uses, but following this review, Amber started including longer laces with all of her corsets. |
Price | $350 USD as of 2016. To upgrade to custom-fit, this starts at $450 USD. |
Amber’s corsets have a distinctive silhouette; normally conical in the ribs and rounded over the hips, stopping at mid-to-low hip. The front of her corsets are extremely rigid while the back of her corsets tend to be more flexible – a pattern she developed on her own to accommodate for her own pronounced lumbar lordosis. As such, if you have lordosis or if you have a “shelf-bum” and you need more curve over the back, Amber will know how to draft for your body.
Amber herself is a joy to work with. Her service and communication were excellent throughout this past collaboration, and she is fun yet professional. During the construction process we had an easy rapport and she asked me whether I would like regular updates on the corsets or if I preferred to be surprised. When I preferred having pictures, she shared with me without prompting. She worked quickly and efficiently, and can make a simple, standard sized underbust corset in one workday! However, her schedule fills up quickly, so if you’re keen on ordering from Lovely Rats for a special event, join her waiting list early.
Check out her website here, or if you’re lucky you might fit one of Amber’s samples in her Etsy store.