Cosplay WIP - West Witch CorsetSo, this is draft number two of...

[momijizukamori]

Cosplay WIP - West Witch Corset

So, this is draft number two of this corset. I’m using McCalls M7330, which is the Yaya Han overbust corset, because I didn’t want to try drafting one - this is my first time making a full corset.

The biggest starting problem is that the sizing is hilariously wrong. My natural waist is around 35″, which puts me between a 20 and a 22 according to the pattern. Knowing something like this was likely to happen, I looked at the finished garment bustline (the only meaningful measurement given) and picked the D-cup size that was closest to my best, which was a 16

The draft pictured above? Not the 16 - that turned out to be too big to be worth taking in. This, instead, is the 14, which is the smallest size I could cut on the pattern I bought, and if you full-size it, you will notice there is still gaping at the top back and bottom front, even after lacing it totally shut down the back. The waist on the 14 is 34″, and the waist on the 16 was 36″. I’m going to have to take it in another 3-4″ to get actual waist reduction, as well as fixing the gaping. Apparently this pattern assumes that everyone has giant bulges on their back?

Comments

[momijizukamori]

Well, part of the bra situation is that women are frequently taught the wrong way to measure, combined with the fact that many major manufacturers encourage this as a way of getting away with making a smaller range of sizes. Which is true of this pattern too, actually - it only has cups for A-D, which is doubly ironic given the designer is extremely busty and almost certainly drafted a seperate cup pattern for the corset she's modeling for the pattern reference photos.

[silveradept]

...seems to be one of those things about fashion that nobody believes that there are curvy people that want to look good, too. Despite the proliferation of curvy people looking quite good in a lot of outfits.

[momijizukamori]

Also confusion as to what 'curvy' actually looks like, to people who've bought the Victoria's Secret lie that only pornstars have DD busts.

[silveradept]

...I am clearly out of touch with that reality, then, because lived experience and noticing actual people says way otherwise. Do we need to force fashion designers to only work with women that don't fit their ideal body shapes?