I canna' change the laws of corsets!! (massively long)

[Seshat]

A ribcage with the same measurement around may be shaped like an () or an O or an 0 or a sideways 0 or a sideways () ....

And each of those needs a different band.

[Kogarashi]

And using those measurement charts have never worked for me. They all come up super tiny, like in the AA range, which is so wrong it's funny. Once I was sized in a store and told I was a 32 A. After trial and error I settled on 32 C. It passed your test!

I can sympathize. For some reason, people in stores keep measuring me smaller than I actually am. I'm not entirely sure why. My current bras are 38DDD and 40DDD (the strapless one), and the bands fit perfectly. The cups might still be a bit too small, but I'm working toward finding the perfect fit. It's much better than the 36C store employees keep measuring me at. They always seem surprised when I tell them the size of the bra I'm wearing at the time that they measure, like there's no way the measuring system they're using could be wrong (even though I've heard that once you get above C-cups, you have to change up a bit on how you figure cup sizes). And yet if I try on the size they claim I am, I'm spilling out everywhere and can't breathe.

Seshat's advice is definitely spot-on.

[dawnfire]

can someone help me with a bra annoyance. my bra straps keep falling down they can be set at the tightest they can go but they still fall down. (cup and band fit good.)

[Seshat]

What shape are your shoulders?
If you have sloping shoulders (a common thing in women), the only solution might be strap keepers. The bra strap solution is about a third of the way down the page.

That page has a lot of bra-problem solutions. And it was one of the first results from 'bra strap keeper'! Whoot!

[AccountingDrone]

I have been thoroughly enjoying this thread =) I used to make corsetry and clothing for medieval and renaissance re-enactors. Pretty much the advice is spot on for fitting bras, corsetry of various sorts and clothing in general.

You can occasionally find fairly good classes in clothing modification, basic and advanced sewing and such at the better cloth stores that have a large selection of sewing machines for sale, and occasionally at community colleges that have adult continuing education classes [and from private individuals who are seamstresses/tailors] because there are tons of people who have nonstandard body shapes. [Hell, get hooked up with the local SCA and go to a 'duct tape bodice' session sometime. You get into a junk t-shirt, and they wrap your torso in duct tape and cut it off carefully and you have what is effectively a rennaisance corset pattern when done. I have several that I turned into patterns before they got melted in my house fire - I had a basic Elizabethan English, a French 'ice cream cone' and a Flemish style corset, and a modified one for modern German Trachte.] I find the earlier corsets way more comfortable than the 'pouter pigeon' styles of the 1800s and have been known to put on my Elizabethan one for back support on bad days [I have spinal stenosis, and the corset keeps my vertebrae from settling down and putting pressure on the nerves, especially on long car rides.]

[Kogarashi]

Hell, get hooked up with the local SCA and go to a 'duct tape bodice' session sometime. You get into a junk t-shirt, and they wrap your torso in duct tape and cut it off carefully and you have what is effectively a rennaisance corset pattern when done.

I actually have a friend who did that to get a custom-sized dress form. Similar process, except that rather than cutting the duct tape "shirt" into pattern pieces, you instead close off the holes and stuff it to get a dress form in your particular size.

[Seshat]

If you're doing it to get a dress form, wear a bra that really suits your body and breasts - and try to be extra-careful not to cut the bra when you're getting out of it!
Heck, the same can be helpful with duct-tape corset sessions.

If you can't find a bra that's really good, you can use the technique to make a bra pattern. You and/or a friend hold your breasts in place while another friend uses the tape to make a bra which supports your breasts into a shape you like.
A bra made with this pattern must be made with a non-stretch fabric, the weave orthogonal to the floor. Bra wires can be bought at many sewing stores, but finding one which fits you properly is the biggest issue.

[AccountingDrone]

I actually have a friend who did that to get a custom-sized dress form. Similar process, except that rather than cutting the duct tape "shirt" into pattern pieces, you instead close off the holes and stuff it to get a dress form in your particular size.

just google 'duct tape doubles' =) made them before for people also.

like I said, duct tape parties are some of the best fun a group of people can have outside of bed =)

[Seshat]

Just be sure to have a big box of tissues - and a good friend or two - handy if you have body dysmorphia. A duct-tape double makes such a perfect dress form because it IS your actual, real shape (plus the thickness of a t-shirt and the layers of duct tape).

For this reason, even though it is incredibly helpful and (for most people) a lot of fun, please don't ever push someone to have a double made for themself. Invite them to join in the process of making doubles for others, sure, and make sure they know they can have one if they want to. Just be aware that this issue - and related ones - exist.

And they can continue for generations. The source of my dysmorphia is my grandfather. Mum's sisters took after Nan in body shape. Mum had her father's lineage's shape (the valkyrie build - the same build I have). Granddad was constantly on her back for being 'fat'. Then we think, in retrospect, that she developed insulin issues similar to my PCOS, because she built up fat despite eating normally, and so my own childhood was spent watching my mother being paranoid about her weight - and my weight.
And I was told I could never be a ballet dancer, or a gymnast - when I was still in early primary school. Who tells a little girl that? Let the little girl do the foot-safe demi-pointe dances, or do non-competitive gymnastics. It's good for her, it'll keep her graceful and flexible, and even though she's destined to be strong and solid in build, that just means she can also do men's gymnastics. Or support the fairy-built ballet girls with lifts.

(Edit to add: please understand that I use 'valkyrie' for the natural female body type I have, and 'fairy' for the natural female body type my Nan had. I do not intend to overload these with meanings other than the general shape.)

[Reyneth]

Thank you for the amazing information, Seshat (and everyone else who contributed). I opened the post just before my fiancee got in for the weekend so this is my first chance to really dig in. I will absolutely be asking the dress store to see what they have and there is also a lingerie store on that street (it's a MAJOR bridal district) that does have more than just "sexy" nightwear according to their website. So I'm sure I'll find something and I'm excited to start looking, although I wish I had been more dedicated about the gym and what I've been eating - it's a bit scary to buy now when I'm hoping/expecting to lose about 30 more by the wedding! (Do-able, I just have to stay on track.....time to go pack the gym bag)

[Seshat]

This is a very busy time, and one which can also be very stressful. Don't add a crash diet to it, please! Eat and exercise for health, sure, but don't push yourself and don't punish yourself.
Trust your lingerie store people and your bridal dress people to make your body look good. It's their specialty, their particular skill.

Do tell them what you're planning, diet and exercise-wise, and they can schedule you for a fitting and - if necessary - alteration in the last month before the wedding.

As for health: diet and exercise made a noticeable difference to my blood test results. I'm told it shows in the way I carry my body and in my resting expressions. Eat and exercise to improve your health, and that will help your beauty. Don't fret about your body shape; health makes every body shape beautiful. (Even sick/disabled bodies like mine have a level of health we can reach.)

You will be beautiful. Any bride who is marrying the right man holds herself in such a way that she is beautiful.
Your dress, the lingerie you wear under it, the accessories you wear with it - they are ornaments.

[wordgirl]

You will be beautiful. Any bride who is marrying the right man holds herself in such a way that she is beautiful.
Your dress, the lingerie you wear under it, the accessories you wear with it - they are ornaments.

This. This. Absolutely this.

I am really happy for today's brides, because they do have many more options than we were able to provide back in the day; not only are "serious" corsets readily available and more comfortable, but there are options like Spanx and other foundation garments.

And there's a lot more understanding of bra fitting as well. My official title was "fitter" but I didn't have anything like the knowledge that Seshat posted earlier in this thread. I did realize early on that many times, the measurements I took -- and the bra size they reflected -- did not reflect the flesh-and-blood woman standing in front of me. But a lot of times it was just "try on bras until you get one that feels like it fits, and hope it still feels like it fits eight hours from now."

The owner of our store did work with a few of the more "couture" bridal shops in town to build foundations into gowns, and that was always the best bet if it was doable. Sometimes it took quite a bit of doing to get into a gown that had been modified this way - with someone basically crawling under the skirt to manage the hooking and rigging required - but when that worked, it *really* worked. Unfortunately it required several months of planning and an assurance that the bride would stay basically the same shape throughout.

[wolfie]

Unfortunately it required several months of planning and an assurance that the bride would stay basically the same shape throughout.

Of course, if the bride had some upcoming "reshaping" that she neglected to tell you about (planned for pre-wedding implants or liposuction, or was 2 months pregnant at time of initial fitting), it's YOUR fault that the dress doesn't fit properly.

[wordgirl]

Of course, if the bride had some upcoming "reshaping" that she neglected to tell you about (planned for pre-wedding implants or liposuction, or was 2 months pregnant at time of initial fitting), it's YOUR fault that the dress doesn't fit properly.

Believe it or not, the biggest problem we ran into, according to the owner, was that brides lost weight. This was a really significant problem when you were dealing with a built-in, long-line bra to be used under a strapless/low-back dress.

Most bras had three sets of hooks (some had five), and we fitted to the middle set. For a bra that wasn't built in (and in some cases, when it was) you could use an extender to accommodate an ... extended .. bride. But if she lost so much weight that the bra was loose, even when hooked on the tightest set of hooks .. problem. At best, the bust would not be properly supported. At worst, with a built-in, the entire structure of the dress was in peril of heading south. The remedy was to take out the first bra and put in a smaller one, and sometimes that required very late hours.

For that whole part of the business, though, I was really just an interested observer. My boss (and one of the co-owners) handled all the custom work, and it was almost all booked through bridal shops, not through our store. She could actually make custom undergarments, though she really preferred to work with a stock garment and make alterations.

It was a cool store, and provided many solutions for people who needed them. Alas, like many of its kind, it died when the chain lingerie stores got a stranglehold on the market. I worked at one of those, too, at a different time.

[Reyneth]

This is a very busy time, and one which can also be very stressful. Don't add a crash diet to it, please! Eat and exercise for health, sure, but don't push yourself and don't punish yourself.
Trust your lingerie store people and your bridal dress people to make your body look good. It's their specialty, their particular skill.

Do tell them what you're planning, diet and exercise-wise, and they can schedule you for a fitting and - if necessary - alteration in the last month before the wedding.

Thanks. :-) This is actually continuation of a journey I started last year - I need to get healthier, that is for sure. And the weight loss will help increase my chances of getting pregnant when we are ready - which is important because my clock has been ticking for a while. Lost 30 last year in a bit less than 3 months before getting a lingering cough that made anything strenuous too difficult, then a trip to Africa, then the push to finish my MA degree. And now time for the gym again. While I did put some back on during the hiatus, it's all essentially back off now.

So I know the hard work and dedication it will take - it's not a crash diet, for sure! Lots of time at the gym and care about what I'm eating is the process. I just don't want to look back later at the photos and have regrets I didn't do more. I won't hit my target, last year saw to that. But I know I can do about 30 more - and my doctor knows and is on board (she's a good friend also). I know there are no easy fixes - just wish that other customers know it! I'll let the alterations person know in two weeks when I'm there what my plans are, and luckily with a corset back, that gives a little more flexibility in the last week or two.