Girdles, Corsets, and Underpinnings

~landgirl~ said:

What is the definition of a natural hour glass figure.

For example, I am big in the bust making me a 38 - but that is due to cupsize only.. my actual ribcage is a 34. So then I am 38, 32, 41. Is a true hourglass a balance of bust and hip?

Click to expand...

I think it's a 10 inch difference between the waist and the hips/bust. But sounds like you definitely have a nice hourglass type figure.

I found this searching around:
"Back in 1951, during the era of post-war food rationing, a typical woman measured 5ft 3in tall, had a 37in bust, a 27.5in waist, 39in hips and weighed 9st 10lb. Today, a typical British woman would weigh in at 10st 3.5lb, be 5ft 4.5in tall, and carry an extra 1.5in around the bust and hips and 6in around the middle. " http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1027942004

Hour glass figure

Hmm.. don't know what deminsions would be considered hourglass, but I think she just means having a very defined waist. I'm lucky that way too, but oh..when I gain weight I gain ALL over, even tho I keep a definite waist. Even when I was pregnant, I got HUGE, but my belly still had this "waist" indention, quite weird.

I would definitely consider your measurements as hourglass, esp. with your bust size Landgirl.
But since I'm not that blessed in the chest area, I am SO thankful for my waist measurement, which is about 29 right now. At my goal weight it would be 24-25.

I love playing with this site and looking at the differences,
http://www.mvm.com/en/index.htm

Nikki

Thanks for the link Miss Bella Hell!

I am 5'8 rather than 5'3 if it makes any difference? I have huge hips which always depressed me until now, but now I can say I have an 'hourglass figure' which sounds much better!

ohairas said:

Hmm.. don't know what deminsions would be considered hourglass, but I think she just means having a very defined waist. I'm lucky that way too, but oh..when I gain weight I gain ALL over, even tho I keep a definite waist. Even when I was pregnant, I got HUGE, but my belly still had this "waist" indention, quite weird.

I would definitely consider your measurements as hourglass, esp. with your bust size Landgirl.
But since I'm not that blessed in the chest area, I am SO thankful for my waist measurement, which is about 29 right now. At my goal weight it would be 24-25.

I love playing with this site and looking at the differences,
http://www.mvm.com/en/index.htm

Nikki

Click to expand...

That's such a cool wesbite!!

Yes, that virtual model site is fun, and the other stores listed have different looking models sometimes with better looking undies, lol!
Nikki

As far as sizing goes, I just read this recently. I think it was 1935-36 by Warners- they called it Alphabet sizing- A, B, C, D.

LizzieMaine said:

You can't go wrong with anything from the Rago "Shapette" line. I wear a girdle every day whether I want to or not, because of my lower back problems, and the Ragos give good firm support without pinching or binding.

I generally order two inches smaller than my unencumbered waist size. I have a bit of a belly, and this holds it in just fine.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that info - I can order in confidence now!

The reason I want an open girdle rather than a full length one is that I am going to be wearing it with the said corset.

Dont fancy bumpy bottom line but with a skirt and a train I wanted easy access for bathroom breaks :whistling

~landgirl~ said:

Thanks for the link Miss Bella Hell!

I am 5'8 rather than 5'3 if it makes any difference? I have huge hips which always depressed me until now, but now I can say I have an 'hourglass figure' which sounds much better!

Click to expand...

I have very similar measurements at 36-31-43. I just got over my big hip issue. I even thought about starting a little corset training so I could shrink my waist to about a 27 or so. I love the look of a defined waist with large hips. I think we have ideal bodies!

I have tried a corset, a Vollers one.. it made my waist look REALLY tiny. Even though I am a 32 waist, they tried a 28 but eventually I was fitted into a 26 inch GASP! - and I bought it at £95! But did I have the confidence to wear it? NOPE! My boobs just looked horrendously HUMUNGUS in it. I know larger busted women wear corsets but I just didn't feel comfortable in it and I do envy those who have the confidence to wear them.

Anyway, I eventually sold the corset on e-bay, I only got £60 for it - it still had the £95 tag on it too. I have a habit of buying myself outfits designed to show a cleavage and I ALWAYS sell them, like the Whirling Turban dress I got and still haven't managed to flog. What a complete waste of money huh?!

What a great web site, thanks for the link!
Due to an illness, I've had to go on high doses of prednisone, a steroid. Wow, does it make me it, which was the end goal, but now I've eaten way too much, and have had some serious weight gain. The doctors are happy, because with the illness I have, it's actually good for me to have extra weight on for the next time I get sick. But, I'm still getting used to my new "figure". I like to say that I have curves. I will walk in confidence with them! But, I've had to buy a whole new wardrobe, and new girdles. I did buy a few from Rago, and they are very comfortable. I have pretty bad stomach problems, so wearing anything that puts any pressure on my abdomen can not only be painful, but also dangerous. The girdles I bought are looser than I would like, but they give me just enough tummy control without causing to much discomfort. I know I could have gotten them smaller for more control, but I had to be careful. I wore them all this weekend, and didn't even feel them.
They are also very well made.
Wow, I could play with that website all day!

Underbust corsets

Landgirl, if you'd still like to wear a corset go for the underbust style,
http://www.corsetmaker.com/C/victunder.html
She has several styles and does beautiful work. You can find them on ebay as well.

Daisy I'm sorry to hear you have health issues. I hope the new year will be a more comfortable one for you!

Nikki

This forum has a seriously bad effect on my purse you know - I am suppose to be spending money on others (Christmas is only a few weeks away) but I still fall for the links everytime. I am going to have to start boycotting some of your posts

GOK said:

Ignore me please - this is a mini postette to remind myself to read through and contribute properly later on!

Click to expand...

lol I wondered where you were gok!

I am suppose to be spending money on others (Christmas is only a few weeks away)

ROFL! I know, I'm in the same boat.. I should stay away from this board until after xmas.. I've already been surfing ebay for vintage things I don't need right now. And bought the shoes last night...
Ok, no more for ME...have to buy presents!!
Nikki

I swear someone has already posted this question - only I can't for the life of me find it now, but I have a question about RAGO shapewear:

For the Powermesh Girdle, should I order a size smaller? My Rago waist cincher is a 32inch, my natural waist - but it does say it is cut smaller. The girdle doesn't say the same, so should I go for a 30?

It's hard not having a local retro underwear shop around the corner!

fleur said:

lol I wondered where you were gok!

Click to expand...

fftopic:

Fulfilling client orders for most of last week, much of the same this week, plus interviewing cleaners. Honestly, I wonder if our foremothers had so much trouble engaging staff? Don't clean loos. Don't iron. Don't clean the cooker. Hopefully, I may have found the right one now though - will see next week when she starts.

How have you been, my lovely?

Meanwhile, back at the topic....

It seems that my dodgy shoulder has dictated that I have to stop work for today, so it gives me the ideal opportunity to catch up here.

Corsets - as a professional corseti?®re, I am ultra-picky about the garments and how they fit. I can look at someone and tell immediately what is wrong with their corset (assuming that there is something wrong of course!). I realise that sounds incredibly big-headed of me but it's merely a statement of fact, not an idle boast. I see all kinds of horrendous mistakes and frankly, it makes me cringe.

I was at an event last Saturday, where there were lots of corseted ladies (and some men too) - if I am perfectly honest, out of the 50 or so that I saw, only two fitted properly and I suspect they were bespoke garments.

I could go on forever about corsets....but I won't bore you! Suffice it to say that a properly fitting corset should never be uncomfortable or give one unsightly spillage....at all.

Girdles - a few months ago if you'd asked me my opinion, I'd have said they were fine for others but not for me. However, all that changed recently when I decided that if I was going to be making the stuff (in response to client requests), I ought to know how it felt to wear it. I'm now hooked!

I bought a complete scarlet satin set from KatieD and quite a bit of NOS vintage lingerie, so I could get a real feel for it and I have to say that I love it! Or rather the shape I get from it.

I adore my Rago cinchers (I have a normal cincher plus a cincher/girdle model) - they do amazing things for my figure and are very reasonably priced. Katie's Maitresse girdle, whilst looking beautiful, doesn't pull me in as much as I would like (therefore ideal for those days) so I bought a Cr?™pe Suzette one. In fact, I bought two. That's how good they are. My goodness, they have industrial strength pulling in power! Shame they don't look very sexy. I do feel a bit like my granny when I wear them! On the plus side, they are really, really reasonably priced.

So now I am a total convert. I was actually surprised at how comfortable the CS girdles are - I did expect that with that much strength they might be a bit hurty after a while but no, I can wear them all day and just feel....hugged! The downside is that now I have to take my wiggle skirts in a couple of inches. Hard life isn't it? lol

Oh, bullet bras - who asked about the sizing? Was it even this thread or am I going ever so slightly mad? Whatever! I have found that I take the same size in vintage bras as modern ones.

~landgirl~ said:

I swear someone has already posted this question - only I can't for the life of me find it now, but I have a question about RAGO shapewear:

For the Powermesh Girdle, should I order a size smaller? My Rago waist cincher is a 32inch, my natural waist - but it does say it is cut smaller. The girdle doesn't say the same, so should I go for a 30?

It's hard not having a local retro underwear shop around the corner!

Click to expand...

No! Go for your normal size! I thought I'd go for a size smaller (a 28") but discovered that the 30" is perfect and nips me in a treat, whilst the 28" was almost impossible to get on!

GOK said:

No! Go for your normal size! I thought I'd go for a size smaller (a 28") but discovered that the 30" is perfect and nips me in a treat, whilst the 28" was almost impossible to get on!

Click to expand...

Is this for the RAGO underbust girdle? I did read in the whatkatiedid sizing that you should hold your tummy in and have the tape measure real tight when measuring, when I do this I do come up as a 30 - now I dont know what to get!

Personally, I find the Ragos to be quite big in the waist. The three I have all had to be taken in. However, I am quite the pear shape and my baum is WAY bigger than my waist will ever be.