I don't think you sound bitchy at all, just selective and there's nothing wrong with that! Your clarification about the painting across the front made me think I'd probably make the same decision as you not to accept the commissions in the first place. And you said to see that done would break your heart, and doing something that will result in a broken heart is never a good thing.

I've occasionally had performers who have ordered pieces from me ask further down the line if I minded them applying rhinestones to their corset and I've always been a little shocked that they'd ask my "permission" to do so. It is a nice gesture though, taking the previous opinions on this thread into account. Working with performers, I almost always know they have no intention of keeping their corsets crystal-free, but they usually don't have the budget to have me do it for them. I just make the simple designs as beautifully as I can and hope the best for their fine motor skills and aesthetic sense!

You don't sound bitchy, it's just a decision that we each make separately as bookwrym said.

For myself, I'm kind of with you. There are a fair number of really good corsetmakers out there these days who all have different interests, so there's no shortage of people ready and willing to take a commission that you aren't... If you're fortunate enough to be in a position where you can focus on your interests and turn down orders that don't capture your imagination then why wouldn't you? Yes, there's nothing to stop someone doing whatever they like with your work once it's theirs (not just alterations, but breaking it apart to look at the construction and all sorts), but that doesn't mean that you have to like or invite it

So for me, I don't take commissions on plain pieces for someone to embellish after the fact (except on rare occasions when it's just the addition of crystals and I trust that person's abilities). If they want a very plain corset for that purpose then there are other brands they'd be better suited to working with. I want to create things for people who chose to work with me *for* my aesthetic, not despite it. It isn't about being bitchy or snobby, it's about recognising where you want to be within the market and sticking to that goal.

One-woman businesses (especially artistic ones) do not have to be all things to all people. If we want to specialise and restrict the type of work we put our name to, we can. Whats more, I personally think the industry as a whole ends up more creative and interesting when we do.

Please don't be so negative about your decisions. It was, most importantly, your decision. You don't have to make it for all of us, and we aren't making it for you. We will all come to our own conclusions, which are right (or wrong, that happens too) for our own situations and preferences. We don't all have to march to the same drum and indeed we shouldn't.

Further to the previous post , the following is a corset I made knowing there would be antique lace and crystals added. I realize it could sound like I did a 180 when people didn't agree with me, but it genuinely isn't a problem when people embellish like this, it's more garish stuff like the two examples I gave which I turn down.


I sound a complete b***h I'm sure =/ I'm just protective of my work, it's why I don't accept a lot of commissions. I want this to remain my passion and not become something I don't love every second of.

I'm a 21 year old student who is still in a position where I can take on orders because I would like to and not because I need to, so yeah I guess that probably means I don't need the orders and can be picky about them.

I feel really harsh about having this opinion now, but the two particular examples I was thinking of were not things like adding a few extra crystals. One of them was painting a band logo across the front and one of them was painting her name across the front - Not really to my taste and so it put me off accepting the orders.
This probably makes me sound really snobby, but I doubt any of the high end fashion houses would agree to work with someone who had told them they would be doing that to the finished product, and the thought of someone scrawling across the front of something I had put a lot of time and effort into was kind of heart breaking to me.
The way I see it - you wouldn't commission any other artist to create something for you only to doodle across the finished product ( the ecce homo incident springs to mind) so why do that to my work?
But as I said initially, and has been backed up - it belongs to them once they have paid for it, and I have no right to ask them not to do what they want with their own property.
Would have I accepted the orders if they hadn't told me what they would e doing? Probably. But I would have been incredibly hurt to see what had been done to my work if I found out at a later date.

For the record, I have worked with people knowing they were going to add lace / crystals etc to save money, and had no problem with it. It's when people are planning on stuff like painting across the front that I am hesitant.

Meh- I probably still sound like a really snooty horrible person now.

People are free to change their propperty. This includes any costumes I make them.

If people tell you before hand, then at least they are honest. Some people will want to do the extra's themselfs to save money. But some just do it because they love to. It is their choice.

That beeing said, I guess it depends on how much you need the order.