Well, this was a bit of an experiment, and rather an unexpected one. As a trader, I do attend various different markets and in the last year we have also expanded our range to include ‘Steampunk’ items – and hence frequented Steampunk fairs. It slowly became obvious that particularly amongst the Steampunk crowd there was a noticeable trend emerging: people wanted an item that looked like a corset, but with the comfort of modern garments – something attractive, but not too restrictive. A bit of a conundrum really – a corset, by its very definition, will mould the silhouette; even the less curvy ones, designed for occasional wear and not for tightlacing, were problematic. We were selling a few off-the-peg corsets, both overbusts and underbusts, and amongst the comments was, “looks lovely but I wouldn’t be able to wear it for long as it feels weird” (and we are talking here about comfy corsets, with 1-2 inches waist reduction at most).

The reason is simple – most average modern women are simply not used to having tight-fitting, restrictive clothing. Some of the women we talked to were wearing ‘corsets’, (alas, usually those dreaded cheap corset-like garments) and thus complained about the comfort. Some were wearing them only for a few hours, just for a gig, whereas some (usually other traders) aimed at wearing them all day long – if possible… They were surprised I was able to keep my corsets, Steampunk or Victorian alike, on for a whole day without any discomfort or ill effects – but then again, mine are bespoke pieces that fit me perfectly, plus I am used to wearing them, often working in Victorian gear for prolonged periods. The majority of the ladies were not able to afford a proper made-to-measure corset that would make their ‘ordeal’ easier - and neither did they plan to train their bodies!

The solution dawned on me at some point during a visit to the Barnett and Lawson Trimmings shop as, amongst all other haberdashery treasures, they stock elasticated braids - wide and decorative ones. My first thought when I saw them was – ribbon corsets! I bought a few lengths of the available braid and decided to give it a go.

My aim was to create an underbust ‘corset’ based on the ribbon corset idea – but by using the wide elasticated braid, the whole thing should not only be more adaptable size-wise (a real bonus from a seller’s point of view), but also to provide a modern alternative to proper corsets – a garment that shares general corsetry aesthetics, but adapts to silhouette, moulding it only slightly. In other words a garment that would look nice and offer more comfort and flexibility of movement for the modern public, unaccustomed to the constrictive nature of the real thing.

I have made a few versions of the corset – experimenting with the first one and then improving on the following versions

Pattern

Laughing Moon, ribbon corset version.

Materials

• Coutil for the front, side and back panels (or leather for top layer, as in the third example),
• Elasticated braid,
• Boning – spiral and flat steels,
• Eyelets,
• Lacing.

Style

For the first, experimental version I chose black braid with some red elements – and black coutil. Since the coutil looked a bit boring, I decided to combine experiments and see if I could use the embroidery function on my machine.

I ran a test first, to decide which pattern would look best as channel decoration.

 

Method

Mark the coutil pieces as stated on the pattern. Cut each piece twice for each side - the two layers will make it easy to make boning channels. Cut the back panels on fold for ease - you can do the same with the front piece if you plan to get rid of busk closure.

 

Mark the boning channels – and embroider the bits you want embroidered only on the top layer pieces.

Once the embroidery is done, it is time to work on the seam allowances – it is important that they are prepared well in advance. Mark the seam allowance on each piece, fold it and press – it will make the insertion of the braid pieces much easier!

Tip – make the inside layers’ seam slightly narrower, so that the piece is just about 2mm wider on each side - it will be easier to catch it with your sewing without compromising on accuracy of the seam on the top layer.

Pin the two corresponding layers of each piece together, and stitch the channels through both of them. Here I discovered that the embroidery actually helped, in that its width dictated the width of the channel – perfect for 7mm boning. Make sure your channels are not too close to the edges – remember the elasticated braid pieces will also have to be inserted. Also, proper ribbon does not add a lot of bulk, but the braid does, so make sure you have enough space to accommodate the bulk.

Back pieces – fold in half, stitch close to the fold. Stitch the channels on both side of the lacing. I usually insert an extra bit of coutil, sometimes folded in half, between the layers - to make sure the eyelets will sit tight.

 

All your coutil pieces are now ready, so time to start working on the fiddly bits – the braid.

Following the instruction in the pattern, cut the braid pieces. Make sure you choose the right size – remember the elastic will behave differently, so take the size fluctuation into account. Use at least one or two sizes smaller pattern than your usual size (just for the braid) – as it will stretch! Also remember that not all elastics have the same stretch ratio, so factor that in too – you may need to experiment a little. My braid was very wide, so I used three or four strips per panel – if you have a narrow elastic, use five or six strips as applicable.

It seemed to me that with the elastic being so flexible, it didn’t really matter if I cut all the pieces evenly or followed the pattern; since it is elastic, the hip bits would simply stretch more, the waist ones less, right..? And they wouldn’t really need to overlap as much, as they are bulky? Well, I was wrong... not badly, but the shape and length of the bits of the elastic braid do make a difference to the final look and shape – as you will see shortly… so if you are working on something similar, do stick to the pattern…

Once you cut the braid, label it straight away – it is very easy to mix up the strips and there will be a lot of them.

Insertion method - Fold or pin the top layer of the coutil bits away – you will be sewing the braid to the inside layer. Pin the braid onto the inside layer first (make sure the seam allowance is folded under), arranging the braid at the angles suggested by the cut of the braid (again, something I didn’t do the first time round).

 

Stitch carefully, making sure the seam catches all the layers. Depending on your machine and the thickness of the elastic, you may have to do it very slowly…

Once all the pieces are securely stitched to the inside layer, tidy their edges to reduce bulk, and pin the top layer (with the seam allowance folded under) to all the layers. Again, it may be very bulky. Stitch close to the fold, going through all the layers. Here, if you left the inside piece a tad wider, it will be easier to catch it all in one go.

 

In this way the braid is sandwiched between the layers and held securely by two rows of stitching.

Repeat for all the pieces.

Edge finish - This one was tricky. On the first sample I decided to bind the edges with a narrow tape - and although it did work in a way, it did not, alas, look particularly pretty. I found a solution second time round – keep reading!

Boning - Nothing fancy here, simply prepare the boning of your choice, insert into the channels, and bind the top edges.

 

Insert the eyelets – and the corset-thingy is ready!

 

Conclusions on the trial piece

The thing fitted me nicely and was very comfortable – however there were a couple of things I was not happy with. The braid position was not the best; the piece needed to be angled just a tad more (as pattern indicated – d’oh!) and their length turned out to be important too. With that corrected, I could get a bit more waist definition without compromising the comfort. And so – yes, it is crucial how you cut and position the braid…

Finish - I didn’t like the binding. It was fiddly to apply and looked awkward.

Second go...

This time I made the braid pieces closer to the pattern idea of shape and length.

 

Edges treatment - mark the seam allowances on all the pieces (including the top and bottom) prior to channel sewing. Press all of them folded inside and stitch the channels, making sure the top and bottom folded parts align nicely. Once the pieces are boned, you can simply run a seam at the top and bottom, stitching the layers together – or, if you can, stitch them together using embroidery. It looks nice and makes for a very secure edge!

 

Result - a neater looking edge, better distribution of the braid, and the silhouette was a little nicer too.

 

Third go – here, tired of the problems and fuss with the edges, I chose to make the panels of leather, with coutil inside layer. So I simply pinked the edges of the leather and coutil all around. It also reduced the bulk on the side seams.

 

Third time lucky…

The third time, I nailed the angling of the pieces just right – you can see the difference in the picture.

 

This was the best of the pieces – still very comfortable but giving a much better shape!

 

Decoration – as you can see, I tried a few different ideas; machine embroidery, appliqués, metal bits and lace – and I bet all kinds of embellishment can be used on the panels!

 

Overall conclusions

I am happy with this experiment – I enjoyed the process and the challenges it presented, and looking for alternative solutions made me learn other techniques and helped me to be more comfortable with trying some new things. At the same time, I learned that fiddling with a pattern may not always be the best thing to do... Following the pattern of the pieces’ shapes and length would save me some time for sure. I would likely still have had to have made another sample as the final shape and length of the pieces do differ a bit from the original due to the idiosyncratic qualities of the elastic, but I would have probably arrived there by the second piece…

The finished items are indeed very comfortable to wear. They offer some restriction, but not more than an elastic band in any modern shaping item would – so no discomfort at all. Also, as the thing stretches and moves with the body – it is much easier to use it for work at the stall, etc. when you need to spend not only long hours in kit, but also do things like bending, carrying and other necessary mundane trading activities.

The stretchiness of the corselet also means I can sell more items as it is easier for them to adapt to a range of sizes! Most of the items I sold were made with a front busk too, so making them easier to put on, as well.

 

Disadvantages

Well, I am still holding out for the proper, bespoke corset, out of pure vanity I suppose… The elasticated ribbon corset does smooth the silhouette and emphasise one’s curves, but not nearly  as nicely as a well-made ‘proper’ corset... So, comfortable? Yes. Gently shaping? Yes. But if you are after a stunner of a waist and a lovely curve, proper corsets are unbeatable…

 

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