As soon as I saw this corset for the first time, I put it on my wish list. It reminded me of something I imagine of woman of the Victorian era would have worn (at least, if the boning had been better). I have always loved the look of corsets, but never purchased one before. When I saw this, I knew I had to have it.

I was so excited to finally order this little beauty. It is a beautiful deep red satin, with almost a purple/burgundy undertone. A black lacy floral pattern runs through the satin. Black trim adorns the top, the bottom, where the boning sits, and trims the front hook and eye closure, as well as the back where you find the laces. The laces remind me of thin shoe-laces. It comes with optional, adjustable, black shoulder straps, enclosed in a little plastic bag, as well as black garter straps.

I was sure I would need the 1x2x, but I was shocked to find that when it arrived, even laced as tight as it could possibly go, it was still too loose and I could turn it around on my body easily. There is no XL available here at EdenFantasys currently, but the staff here is so helpful and were able to help me return/exchange for the next size down, which is a L. I wasn't quite sure if a L would fit me, but with the laces, I figured there would be some wiggle room. According to my measurements (44", 36", 44") I should wear an XL or 1x in Coquette's lingerie, and I am right at the bottom of the measurements for a 1x2x. I have a very hourglass figure, but (what I feel are) small breasts for my size. I was able to fit just fine into the L of this corset, which is intended for at most 40", 32", 42". There isn't any stretch to the material, but the laces do indeed give a little extra room for a few more inches...you'll just have to remember that you might have less fabric and more laces showing the back than you might like.

To put this on, I opened the corset and spread the laces out as far as they could go. With the first corset I received, the laces were a single loop, so I could pull the corset as far open as possible with no worries about the laces slipping out. With the second, it seems as if it might possibly have been returned by someone previously, and the laces were cut. This wasn't really a big deal to me, and if I hadn't seen the larger corset, I wouldn't even have known. To prevent the laces from coming out of the little holes, I just knotted them at the ends before pulling the corset open. Once I opened up the corset all the way, I wrapped it around my body, and laid down on my bed to hook the front. It was a little tricky to manage all of the hook and eye closures myself, but I was able to do it. I took this on and off several times. The more I practiced, the easier it got.

Once on, I grabbed the knots I'd made at the ends of the laces, and pulled tight. I was actually surprised at how tight I could pull the laces on this. Tight enough to wrap around my mid-section and tie in the front if I wanted...but I decided not to torture myself and just tied them comfortably in the back. I did find making a bow in the back to be a little difficult, working with four laces to make one bow. I am not sure if I am disappointed in the boning, or not. It's not at all as stiff as I expected, but this does increase comfort...especially for a first-time corset wearer. I did try to wear this under clothing one day, and the lack of support in the boning made it buckle and bunch up a bit from regular activity. I feel that it's a piece suited more for show than to actually hold up to regular use as a waist cincher. It takes some getting used-to to be able to sit while wearing this too.

There were a few stray threads here and there on this corset, mostly on the trim. They were all easily snipped off and didn't make me unhappy with the quality. It really is gorgeous. Hand wash in cold water, and hang to dry.

See photos here:
Lace & Satin Corset

I still like this, though I don't wear it very often. I have worn it under clothing to give me a little help in tummy control, and wore it for a photo shoot. I'm glad I purchased this.