I woke up this afternoon (I just started a 3rd shift job last week and it's been kicking my ass as far as schedule goes) thinking I was going to be late to pick my boyfriend up from work. I glanced at the clock and noticed with glee that I have another hour - YES! I instantly ran to the door, knowing the mail would be here by this time of day. The package on my porch couldn't make it inside and open fast enough. That's where all the glee and excitement ended. Really.

Packaging: This arrived in a plastic bag, folded in half. No hanger or anything, but at least SOME care appeared to go into the packaging, because the corset wasn't all wrinkly. The tag is stupid and pointless; it doesn't say anything much on it, it just has a picture of the model in the pink option of this corset and says the brand. It's attached to the zipper with a plastic thing. The INSIDE tag is a bit more helpful, listing care instructions/your chosen size (32...but I feel that's a misprint...more on that later.)

Appearance: The corset looks pretty, laid out, a shiny, silky-looking black. I noticed right off the bones are softer than most plastic boning, but hey, I didn't buy a $27 corset expecting a steel-boned wonder. I knew I should expect the shoestring laces, and honestly, they don't bother me. I figured they'd be more serious and durable than the flimsy ribbons that usually come on corsets. Quality seems great, no bent pieces on the zipper or frays/loose threads. For a cheap corset, it seems like a nice, good quality piece.

Material & Care: The inside tag says this is 100% Polyester, exclusive of decoration, which I assume means the ribbons. Care instructions are as follows: Hand wash cold water. Wash separately. Do not use chlorine. Use mild soap. Do not wring or twist. Drip in shade. Do not iron. Do not dry clean.
All more or less what you expect from lingerie, right guys?

Size: I bought a size 32, because I didn't want to be wearing a bra with this, and because it has the 2 sets of laces I figured if the chest was tight, I could lace that set tighter. Boy, was I ever wrong...but before I get to that, more on the fit. I always have a problem with corsets and bustiers being too big under my belly button and flaring out, so I wanted the smallest size available for that reason, too.
THIS RUNS FREAKIN' HUGE! I wear a 34D bra, and my chest is swimming in this, even laced up as tight as I can possibly make it. So tight that the back looks all bunched up and not even cute anymore. What gives? This is NEVER a problem I have, and certainly isn't one I should be having in a corset! The "Tesa Likes Big Tits" review couldn't be more appropriately titled. I can't imagine what this would fit like on someone with boobs smaller than my own, as I was worried about turning and having my nipples be exposed since it was so loose!

The only plus? This corset is the first I've found since high school that doesn't give me that stomach-gap. It actually fits nicely across my waist and hips. That means little, though, when I have to worry about this sliding off my chest. I guess the zipper is a little bit of a plus - it makes for convenient in and out (not that I couldn't just slide this off over my head, from the way it feels) and helps give you a little bit of shape. I think the zipper helps shape you a minimal amount, and that's way more than the bones do.

Another surprising thing was this corset was actually a decent length on me. I'm tall and my height is all in my torso, and usually I have a problem with everything being too short. This was a little short by the hips/sides, but still wearably short. The front actually covered everything it was supposed to, and went as far down as to meet the top of my pants...success! Sort of.

I'm pretty upset over this corset. It added a big disappointment to an already crummy day. I guess it's going to join the mass of unused, ill-fitting, black corsets in my closet until I figure out what to do with them all...and I'm going to be starting up my quest anew.

I ended up giving this away to a friend with a bigger chest. She usually wears a size or two larger than me, and this seemed to fit her perfectly. Sad but no sense in keeping it when it slides off of me even with a bra. At least she'll get some use out of it!