h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thankyou, an interesting read .

I must aquire some other corsets!

can I make them?

well, now you mention it!

I have an email from Zantic with your up to date range. I have a couple of 'ahem' problems to iron out with pennies at the moment, but as soon as it's sorted, I shall be placing an order my only problem is making a choice (shame)

I can send the even more updated (soon to be online) range if you like.
I too need cash! haven't had any orders for months since I have been cloistered doing the website. So by all means spread the word.

Good article. Dont put down our own UK corsetiers though we have some talent here too. Voller's are excellent for off the peg items, cant say Ive owned an axford's so cant comment. Recommend a corset shop in Camden that offer fittings of off the peg and made to measure corsets. Shop is called Fairygothmother, staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Corsets are such a fitted item they really do need to be tried on. Selfridges also have Voller corsets but only a few.

Nicola

Hey, *I'm* a UK corsetiere!

Trouble is... 'excellent for off the peg items' is not excellent for corsets. If badly fitted- and we all know how women moan about standard sizing- they can cause health problems, and I know a few people who have had problems with Vollers' since they are beyond the range of standard-sizing. Also, what they are charging is- I think- scandalous for an off the rack item.
I looked closely at some Axford's stuff, and was not impressed; the boning channels were very wide, and the ribbon sewn on so the stitches were visible, which looks sort of cheap for a £100 garment.
Mostly I am annoyed at the monopoly they have, and the fact that they are overpriced.
I thought Fairygothmother was retail only... or is that just their website?

Really must get the pennies sorted and get my a** together to order my costume Mandragora...

Zantic

No they custom make too, though i think at least half of what they have they buy in from Vollers, Isabella etc, so the usual mixture of victorian/Edwardian styles and there own period ones. The reason I like them is they stock from 18"-40" as standard, so there is always something new to try on, the staf are knowledgable and helpful. Ive been wearing corsets daily for 12 years, and collection vintage ones, so its a passion of mine.

Have you ever tried to talk corsets to Coco de Mer, not only do they charge £600 plus for a waist cincher, they dont even know how to put one on!

My Vollers have lasted well for off the peg, my PVC (oh er Mrs) is 6 of more years old now. I wouldnt push them as perfect, but the corset size for someone wanting occasional wear they have some nice designs.

I have a passion for the Baku corsets , Fairygothmother have some very sturdy underbust corsets in from them that i go drawl over now and then. Dont think they have them on their site though as they only custom fit those.

Your corsets look nice, do you retail any of them in London? (ever the shopper!)You really out to get Fairygothmother interested (I should be on commission,lol). Do you do any exhibitions maybe?

Nicola

Hey Zantic stranger... I am getting my a*** together to attempt making a straight-front. Complex... though surprisingly I found that an old pillowcase I was chucking out was actually made of coutil (bloody hard to find outside of mail-order, and pricey) so it did for my new embroidered corset after I'd shaken all the feathers out of it.

I didn't know that about Fairygothmother. Does it mention on their site which ones are their own? I get tired of going to 'corset' sites and seeing nowt but Vollers'- regardless of quality, it's good to see individual designs.
I've not been to Coco de Mer, I doubt they'd let me in... even the local bridal shop was very rude to me so I tend to avoid classy places. (I'm not a leper or anything ) I suspect people willing to pay that much are the only ones seriously shopping there, rather than going just for a laugh? Bless 'em; who probably wouldn't know if their waist cincher was upside down or not.
I don't think it's just Vollers' that's overpriced. To me, just about everything is; £40 for a tiny weeny little plastic-boned top from Principals? And don't even *mention* Monsoon! I see something from there, then I wait 18 months until it's 70% off.
Baku I like, especially the fabrics. Unusual that they use interfacing, though, that must be the only place I've come across doing so. Do you own any? and how big's your vintage collection?
At the moment I am only doing online sales, but I have people come for fittings. I rarely get to London and can never find a bloody thing when I am there... I have only had the site since last August, but am steadily increasing 'brand-awareness'... I am one of the designers for LittleDeadRidingHood (also new, not yet operational) which also has Ashes Clothing on board; and 'RealCorsets UK' sent me a form email but they neither credit the designer nor link to them on their site, so I won't be going with that. I do some events- or try to- I used to do the Birmingham fetish market, but they have 'no spaces' (which I suspect means, 'Rawhide has a stall here now so bu**er off.'); I was looking at doing the Bristol one (I didn't get a response from Camden) but it depends how long it takes to get there.