Recently I noticed that all my formal outfits and most of my sexy lingerie is black. Black. I know they say everyone needs a little black dress but I've taken it to the "N"th degree. So, when I saw this available on EF I decided to give it a go.

When it arrived, the 1st thought I had was how light and flimsy it is made. The fabric in the back is the thinnest chiffon-like-mesh and the lace in the front is lighter and thinner than netting used in bridal undergarments. There are 3 lace panels in front and 4 sheer mesh panels in back. The baack has 2 rows of 16 eyes and 1 row of 16 hooks. The rows are 3/4" apart so you can adjust the size to suit you. 7 plastic "bones" are sewn in this to give it some support. Under each cup there is a thin wire for support. There are thin adjustable elastic straps on each shoulder. Neither the bones or the underwire do their job very well. There is no support. A sheer g-string with elastic is included. The g-string is generously sized and comfortable.

Ruffles decorate the top of each cup and 2 rows of ruffles run down the front. The ruffles are made of the same sheer fabric as the back. There is a large bow (3" across) on the outer edge of each cup. The bows are made of cheap looking and feeling satin ribbon. I wanted to remove the bows, and I did, but much caution was needed because in order to cut the stitching I was very close to cutting into the lace. I wish the bows had been pinned in place like other companies do.

The nicest part of this is the garters. Surprisingly, they are made of heavy, soft, velvety elastic. They are detatchable, adjustable and the hosiery clamp is covered by a nice piece of pink satin ribbon. Why the company was so meticulous of the garters and not the main garment is way beyond me, but go figure!

I'm on the fence how to rate this. It is pretty, looks nice but is made of inferior materials. I don't expect it to last long and I don't think I will get $25 worth of wear out of it. Time will tell. Since it fills half of what I expect (looking and feeling good) I want to give it 2.5 stars. In this case, I am rounding down to only 2 stars because I want people to take a 2nd look before ordering.

I ordered the XL. I am 5'4" tall, 165#, size 12/14 and a 36D. This corset is huge. It measures 39" unstretched at the waist. There is a lot of give and stretch to this flimsy garment so it would easily fit a woman wearing a size 16/18. For a change, small women would have problems with this. I am returning this and asking for a medium. In my follow up I'll let you know how that turns out.

Because of its lightness I would ignore the company's instructions to machine wash in cold water and hand wash and lay this flat to dry. In a washing machine I am sure it would get damaged.

I still like the way it looks and feels when I am wearing it, probably more and more each time. It has held up well and the stretchy lace has not only kept its integrity, but it has gotten softer over time (and washings). I would bump it up to 3 stars. I like it more but compared to other pieces in the same price range, it still doesn't cut it.