I’ve hinted at it before, but let me come right out with it: I’m a field engineer for an infrastructure contractor on a full-time professional basis. So, what does that mean? Well, my job duties range from managing construction crews, procuring our building materials, surveying, and occasional physical labor.
And, as I’m sure you can guess, that doesn’t make for a particularly waist-training-conducive lifestyle. Believe me, I’ve tried it. There was even one time when I wore one of my favorite corsets to work, only to end up doing some “emergency shoveling” to fill in an open hole. The end result of that was me getting some insane oblique and abdominal muscle cramps that still deter me from waist training at work today.
So, what’s a person to do? Give up waist training? Keep trying, even knowing that most any corset would likely end up leaving me impeded on a day-to-day basis? I didn’t want to negatively effect my ability to basically get things done at work. My solution, then, was to create something entirely new that fits my personal needs in a very active job.
I shy away from using the word “revolutionary”, but I’m confident it’s the truth when I say that this is a first: A steel-boned corset designed specifically for those with a very active lifestyle or in a “blue collar” profession.
The features of this corset are so specific, it’s pretty clear that I’ve made this with my own demands for daily wear in mind.
Coutil at front and back panels for longevity.
Powermesh panels along sides for extra flexibility and coolness (the thermal sort, though it is quite stylish).
Zipper closure for low profile below clothing.
Waist tape to maintain waist measurement when cinching down the corset.
Flexible binding at top and bottom of corset eliminates back ooze and hip pinching. A stiff type of binding would eliminate the benefits of a flexible mesh fabric entirely.
Spiral steel boning at back closure for ultimate comfort along the contours of the back. Note that it takes some patience in tightening any corset with spiral bones at the back, though.
Flat steel boning at zipper closure for extra support along front of corset (but not too much).
Steel boning at each seam between the 12 total panels (6 on each side).
Suspenders at back of corset to keep jeans in their place when bending or moving.
There are a few corsets out there that perform some similar functions to this, but nothing satisfied me. So, as I often try to do, if there’s something that I wish existed, and it doesn’t, I bring it into the universe.
Even if you don’t care to have one of your own, I’d love to hear: what do you think?
Wow. This is clearly amazing work and I commend the OP for their efforts. But can someone help me understand this corset trend resurgence? Isn’t this stuff bad for our bodies?
Hi there! Thanks for the compliment, and thank you for proposing that question so kindly. :)
I’m sure you can guess that you aren’t the only person to question the activity of “waist training” or simply wearing corsets in general. But you might be pleased (or at least relieved!) to learn that corsets aren’t even as remotely harmful as they are often purported by media to be. As with almost any fashion trend (corsets and their resurgence notwithstanding), the media as a whole LOVES to play of the “dangers” of whatever is popular at the time. Why? Because it’s exciting to hear about how some people are just absolutely ruining themselves for fashion!
Like with many things that get that kind of negative attention, corsets are so incredibly demure compared to their reputation. Back in the Victorian some medical professionals would publish “ideas” about what wearing a corset just might do to the body (no real research behind it), and that’s where some of those awful diagrams of a human body subjected to wearing a corset (you know those ones with the squished organs and re-shaped abdomen?) come from: conjecture. Unfortunately, today they are often considered as straight-up fact. Remember, even our ancestors had false information fed to them!
But to actually answer the question of “do corsets squish your insides?”, no. I always like to compare waist training with a corset to weight lifting: if you have the right equipment, use proper technique, and take your time, then you will get great results without hurting yourself. It’s tough to quickly describe a “proper corset”, but know that if it’s made right and for your unique body, then it will never, ever hurt. It’s astonishing really, how comfortable one can be!
As for using the “right technique” and taking your time, it’s about slowly allowing your body to gain flexibility. In the same way that you can’t force an otherwise inflexible person to touch their toes the first time they’ve ever tried, you certainly can’t tighten a corset on a person the first time they try it on! It takes months and years for a person to grow accustomed to that little bit of pressure placed on the midsection caused by a corset. And it’s a slow, gradual process that will cause absolutely no damage if done carefully. Basically, you should never feel pain. If you do, it’s not right!
But still, are you squishing your organs? Nope! Remember that the human innards are soft and flexible. It’s the reason that we can eat a big meal, contort ourselves in a yoga class, and even carry a fetus, all without any eminent detriment to ourselves. When there is a bit of pressure on the middle, the body can (as odd as it sounds), readjust internally. The stomach can adjust itself upward a little bit, and the kidneys can comfortably shift a bit further down. Both when we have a very full stomach or when we wear a corset. And, when we finish digesting, deliver a child, or take off a corset, those soft organs will move right on back to where they were before. Again, it’s just astonishing to remember what the human body is capable of!
A corset is, both historically and now, generally not worn with much reduction at all. For me, the corset is rarely more than just a couple inches smaller than my own natural waist, meaning that instead of making me look smaller, it just gives me a different silhouette - not unlike a nice bra! Oftentimes, the support is what really helps folks, too. For some, it’s the sensation of a nice hug all day long. For others, it’s a great way to get some back support when sitting at a computer desk all day. Professionally and precisely made corsets can even function similarly to back braces!
Remember that a lot of what is made very visible to this world (Doctor Oz, Huntington Post, etc.) is either misconstrued for ratings, or simply poorly researched. Corsetry is an oft-condemned art, both in the construction of the garments and the enthusiasm in wearing them.
You should never feel the pressure to agree, but I hope you can understand why there are so many of us who truly love and cherish this particular fashion foundation - both for it’s aesthetic and functional uses.
I’ve hinted at it before, but let me come right out with it: I’m a field engineer for an infrastructure contractor on a full-time professional basis. So, what does that mean? Well, my job duties range from managing construction crews, procuring our building materials, surveying, and occasional physical labor.
And, as I’m sure you can guess, that doesn’t make for a particularly waist-training-conducive lifestyle. Believe me, I’ve tried it. There was even one time when I wore one of my favorite corsets to work, only to end up doing some “emergency shoveling” to fill in an open hole. The end result of that was me getting some insane oblique and abdominal muscle cramps that still deter me from waist training at work today.
So, what’s a person to do? Give up waist training? Keep trying, even knowing that most any corset would likely end up leaving me impeded on a day-to-day basis? I didn’t want to negatively effect my ability to basically get things done at work. My solution, then, was to create something entirely new that fits my personal needs in a very active job.
I shy away from using the word “revolutionary”, but I’m confident it’s the truth when I say that this is a first: A steel-boned corset designed specifically for those with a very active lifestyle or in a “blue collar” profession.
The features of this corset are so specific, it’s pretty clear that I’ve made this with my own demands for daily wear in mind.
Coutil at front and back panels for longevity.
Powermesh panels along sides for extra flexibility and coolness (the thermal sort, though it is quite stylish).
Zipper closure for low profile below clothing.
Waist tape to maintain waist measurement when cinching down the corset.
Flexible binding at top and bottom of corset eliminates back ooze and hip pinching. A stiff type of binding would eliminate the benefits of a flexible mesh fabric entirely.
Spiral steel boning at back closure for ultimate comfort along the contours of the back. Note that it takes some patience in tightening any corset with spiral bones at the back, though.
Flat steel boning at zipper closure for extra support along front of corset (but not too much).
Steel boning at each seam between the 12 total panels (6 on each side).
Suspenders at back of corset to keep jeans in their place when bending or moving.
There are a few corsets out there that perform some similar functions to this, but nothing satisfied me. So, as I often try to do, if there’s something that I wish existed, and it doesn’t, I bring it into the universe.
if you want to see another example of orson welles’ expert directing, check out this classic and totally impossibly well shot scene from “the lady from shanghai” that takes place in a hall of mirrors
“oh wow mirrors, that cool i guess bea but so what”
Desert Sorceresses have enchanting looks, and they use them to catch people off guard… Oddly enough, even those who are perceptive enough to realize the ploy fall prey to their seductions with alarming regularity.
Is it normal to be immune to both your own weapon and the sun in this manner…?
