Tag: teal

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The Bad Button Teal Underbust Corset Review

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.
Madame Button (Alisha, the owner of The Bad Button Corsets) wearing a crown like the queen she is. See her couture corset samples on Etsy (aff link)

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.

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Whirling Turban Wing Bust, Sarong Skirt Dress!

This is a very special OOTD episode, where I feature a lovely vintage reproduction dress made by Whirling Turban. I was introduced to Whirling Turban’s products via Ashley of “Lisa Freemont Street”, fellow vlogger on Youtube and blogger. (Ashley is also a full-time mom and an integral part of the Whirling Turban team, in addition to a few other jobs – and manages to look fabulous doing it all! She’s a modern Superwoman.)

If you would rather watch and listen than read, feel free to watch the video below (lots of eyecandy!).

Modeling my Whirling Turban dress. Photo by Remedy Photography

Many people know me for my detailed corset reviews, but it wasn’t until I got my vintage dresses last year that I really started paying attention to the quality of the rest of my wardrobe. When a garment (corset or otherwise) is made with care, attention, time and skill, it really shows. And it may cost a tad more (for instance, the standard size wingbust dress on WT starts at $235), but I consider this a very fair investment considering it makes me feel like a million bucks.

This dress is adjustable in several ways – its flexible wing bust allows the wearer to flip the ‘wings’ up into cheeky points to conceal the contrast fabric, or to curve the wings down for a softer look and to expose more of the contrast. The dress also comes with a halter strap which matches the contrast, a halter strap which matches the main fabric of the dress (whichever color you like, since there are 9 colors of sharkskin to choose from), and these straps can be interchanged/ adjusted in length using two pairs of small buttons on the inside of the bust.

You can also wear it strapless, and the lightly boned bodice will keep the dress from falling down on you. The light boning and the shirring both keep the bodice wonderfully smooth instead of shifting or bunching. However, this bodice is not designed to nip you in at the waist, so WT recommends wearing a corset underneath to give you a period-accurate silhouette. In my video ab0ve, you can see me model the dress first with my What Katie Did Morticia underbust, and then with my Versatile Corsets Mimosa overbust, so you can see the difference that your foundation wear makes in silhouette.

The sarong skirt is attached to the bodice, and flares out dramatically from the waistline to accentuate full, feminine hips. There are several neat pleats in the front which would nicely conceal any lower tummy pudge; and otherwise add to the very 50’s-accurate profile. I chose my skirt to end about one inch lower than the fullest part of my calf, which gives a slight leg-lengthening illusion. The sarong is a kind of wiggle skirt, and hugs my legs in a flattering yet non-restrictive manner, as the slit between the two overlapping panels of fabric in the front accommodate any extra room you may need to climb a steep set of stairs, or to quickly sidestep your manic puppy. (Both happen frequently, in my case.) A lovely casual tie on the side of the hip, like an understated bow, finishes off the look and provides very minor adjustment in the hips.

The more I look at the dress, the more details pop out at me. Not one aspect of this dress was constructed without some sort of consideration for the wearer. The material is 100% cotton, which drapes beautifully and is a dream to wear, as it doesn’t cause sweating, itching, static cling, etc. The wings on the bustline are meticulously pressed and sewn into crisp edges; the shirring is symmetric on both sides of the bodice; the clothestag is concealed and prevented from poking into my back; the matching colored zipper is cleanly inserted and doesn’t catch; and even the interfacing is sew-in instead of fusible. One of the most important features is the pinked edges, which provide a non-bulky way to prevent fraying and unraveling of seams.

If this post sounds like I’m waxing poetic about the work of Whirling Turban… it’s because I might be! Looking at the craftsmanship of this dress, I’m tempted to get rid of many of my worn-too-quickly $15 eco t-shirts and start to take more pride in the way I dress on a regular basis.

If you would like to see Whirling Turban’s selections, feel free to visit their site here.

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Morgana Femme Couture MF1331 Corset Review

This entry is a summary of the review video “Morgana Femme Couture Longline Teal Silk Corset Review” which you can watch on YouTube here:

Fit, length Front is about 13.5″ inches long, traditional hourglass silhouette with conical ribcage. Longline corset, recommended for tall or long-waisted ladies. Very comfortable in the hip area. Will hold in lower tummy pooch, recommended for pear-shaped ladies.
Material 3 layers; fashion layer is silk dupioni, interlining is 100% English cotton coutil, lining of cotton twill. Boning channels are satin coutil.
Construction 6 panel pattern. Lock-stitching between panels – external boning channels strengthen seams. Floating liner (very comfortable). Also has 6 garter tabs.
Binding Black satin coutil bias tape neatly machine stitched on both inside and outside.
Waist tape 1″ wide invisible waist tape within the layers, secured down at boning channels.
Modesty panel None in back; unboned placket under busk.
Busk Standard flexible busk (1/2″ wide on each side) about 12.5″ long (6 pins), backed with a 1/4″ wide flat bone on each side.
Boning 24 steel bones not including busk. On each side, 9 spirals (1/4″ wide) in external channels, 2 flats (1/4″ wide) sandwiching the grommets and an additional flat steel by the busk.
Grommets 30 grommets total, size #0 two-part grommets with moderate flange; set equidistantly, no splits, no wear/fraying/pulling out of grommets. I love these grommets!
Laces Strong 1/4″ wide nylon braided shoe-lace style laces; they’re thin, they grip well and they are long enough. No spring to the lace.
Price Currently $230 USD on their Etsy store (standard size, ready-to-wear) or $290-$350 USD on the MFC website (made-to-measure and custom colours, price depends on the size).
Morgana Femme Couture underbust as it’s shown in their product listing

Final Thoughts:

I was very pleasantly surprised by this corset. For a standard size corset, the hip spring is amazing and my ribs are beautifully tapered yet not too “scary” looking. This corset is the first time I have been able to close a 22″ off-the-rack corset all the way (previous styles have either been too restrictive in the hips or the ribcage to do so).
I’m also quite impressed with the quality of the materials in this corset. The dupioni silk fashion layer, English herringbone coutil strength layer, satin coutil boning channels and cotton lining look and feel strong yet luxurious. Once you go quality, you kind of don’t want to go back.
I found the price to be reasonable (at $230 it’s not much more than some other off-the-rack corsets, and actually less than certain other brands). The custom price is also justifiable, however I am curious to know where the corsets are actually manufactured. The one turn-off I have is the price markup for the 4 largest waist sizes (27″ – 30″). Yes, larger sizes do require more material but – with all due respect – having to pay nearly $60 more just because of a few more inches seems a little unfair. Perhaps I’m shooting myself in the foot (especially since I belong in the “smaller” group), but there must be some way to budget for the extra fabric used in larger sizes – even if this means marking up the smaller ones slightly.
Apart from that one small bug, I am thoroughly impressed with this corset – the materials and the construction are top notch for an off the rack piece.
To see this corset and other styles provided by Morgana Femme Couture, visit their website here. To see their selection of off-the-rack corsets, see their Etsy shop here.