~ Material/Design/Craftsmanship
The Darque corset by Coquette is hot and very unique piece. The Eden product page states that the corset is made from Nylon while the tag on the inside of the piece claims that it is made of 100% Polyester. This could be due to the fact that the corset is made up of three distinct black fabrics. The fist is the shiny pvc type fabric that makes up the outside of the corset. It is smooth to the touch, nonirritating and it doesn't have a bad smell. The material isn't stretchy and it can look wrinkly depending how it is worn. The second main material in the piece is on the inside of the corset (the fabric that will touch your skin while it's being worn). This material is soft and nonirritating on your skin, however it also has minimal stretch to it. The last main material is the padding that goes in the bust area. This too is soft, it has an almost velvety feel and has a small give to it like a light foam material. The corset features a busk closure, plastic boning and a lace/metal grommet lace up style back. The busk closure is lined up perfectly and easy to fasten. Overall I believe that this is a durable and well made piece that will last a long time.



~ The Corset
This corset has a total of 10 bones. They're flexible and not going to give a lot of support, which is typical of plastic boning. Broken down there's a set of two bones under the middle of each breast (4), one down each side of the waist (2) and two more sets of two in the back down each side of the grommets (4). Each set of grommets is 10 holes long. The ribbon that laces up the back is black and extremely long. It ties half way down the center with two loops like most corsets should, compared to some that tie at the top or the bottom. There are no modesty panels with this corset, in the front or in the back.

The corset fastens in the front with busk closures that stop right under the bust. The bust itself is a sweetheart style and isn't really part of the 'corset', meaning that tightening the corset will not effect the breasts very much. This is different from the typical over bust style where the breasts are part of the corset and tightening with usually push them up. One thing to note is your breasts may look a bit flatter than usual, though it's nothing very dramatic. There is no underwire as is typical with corsets. Between the breasts there's another set of grommets (three on each side) where you can lace up and tighten the chest area.
It's a thick halter neck style, having two sets of snaps at the end of each band making the neck slightly adjustable.



~Packaging/Care
The set comes in a large clear plastic bag on a plastic Coquette hanger. In each armpit of the corset there are the little hanging strings, so no special hanger is required. It has a tag pinned in the armpit area of the corset that has the company name and three pictures of a model in the corset.
The tag calls for hand wash and hang dry only.

~ Sizing
I believe that this corset is true to size. When fully adjusted/tightened I show little to no back skin. Because of this I believe that this corset will fit up to the highest measurements listed. Coquette's Extra Large measurements are as follows in inches (mine in parentheses).

Size:14-16 (16-18)
Cup:D (D)
Bust:42-44 (38)
Waist:34-36 (34)
Hips:44 - 46 (44-46)

Despite my bust being smaller than the XL size chart measurements, I decided to go with the XL to insure that my hips wouldn't be smashed into the mix. Because of this I think the bust area was a bit loose and that could be why I didn't get the lift that the model did with this corset on. As far as breast support goes, this piece is right down the middle of the road. Because it lacks an underwire, it's not the most supportive. But because of the way it's designed (halter neck, breast area and some support from underneath with the corset)it's not going to leave you completely without support either.


~Overall

The first thing that worried me about this piece was if it would be comfortable, the material in particular. Even after extended use I found that this was a pretty breathable corset. This is probably due to the piece having that second fabric on the inside of the corset, so no worries there. Like most corsets, it's not comfortable to be sitting down in. It's covering enough so I'd say it could easily be worn in our out of the bedroom. It would be great as either bdsm/fetish wear or even a going out top if you have the confidence.

The lacing near the bust makes this corset somewhat difficult to get on and off. If you don't unlace the bust you will have to loosen and pull the corset over your head, which can get annoying. I've used busk type corsets before, but for those who haven't it's a bit different than the hook and eye set up. However because of the great quality, the busks are lined up perfectly and easy to put together. Even if you haven't tried a busk closure yet, I would still recommend trying this one.

The fact that the breast area isn't really part of the corset is really the only Con that I can find. Because of that I'm giving this a four out of five. This is a great piece and if you're true to the size chart you're going to get exactly what you see and expect.


(Sorry for the quality on the last picture.)