I was wondering what people think when they have someone ask for a quote for something very plain under the premise of "customizing" it themselves when it is done.
Obviously it's difficult to enforce asking people not to change your work, but would others be happy to make for people who have made it clear they will be altering your work aesthetically when it is done?
I've had people ask for a plain corset that they would decorate themselves a few times and have turned them all down.
In my opinion - they may make a brilliant job of it, but you are risking them making a poor job of it and your name then being associated with something which does not look as good as work you would be happy for the public to judge you on.
I also think that with so many corset makers around at the moment, people should pick someone because they love their work, if they are ordering custom made, and ordering something plain to then embellish shows that this may not be why they have come to you .

On the other hand, I know that ordering corsets with more than a touch of decoration can be very expensive, and I would have been happy to take on the orders if I hadn't been told expressly that they would be embellished by their new owners.

What do other people think? Would you be happy for someone to decorate your work themselves? Would you have to see samples of their work before agreeing? Is it nothing to worry about/ none of the person making the original pieces business what happens when it's left their workshop?

I think once someone's bought something, it's theirs to do with as they like. It wouldn't be at all unreasonable to buy a hat and dress it up, for example.

On the other hand, it's true, your name will be associated with the piece whatever comes of it. You obviously have every right to turn them down (as you have done)...

Right now, I'd probably do it. I'm poor and just starting out, money is nice, and I don't really feel the need to defend my professional name. If in a few years I'm a lot more established, with a clearer aesthetic and perhaps some name recognition? Maybe not. I don't really know.


I do think asking to see examples of someone's work is unreasonable. It's not a collaboration. The corsetier in that situation is being employed to make a product. Either they're willing to do it or they aren't.

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.

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.

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.

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.