Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Unrelated Things

In my endless quest to a) improve skills b) improve garment functionality and c) make things totally challenging and unknowable, I have decided to add a little twist into my Ginger skirt project, penultimate of the Spring Basics Palette projects.

By twist I mean twists, more accurately, in the form of spiral steel boning:

Photo courtesy of On Pins and Needles

Why recreate the same skirt you love, I say, when you can make a bias cut version with a different waistband that's tailored? Yeah, that's really keeping it simple.

At any rate, I watched Gertie's yellow dress, boned-bodice project
with interest, though I was totally freaked out by the level of complexity involved. More recently, she revisited the concept on a waistband, using the Ginger skirt as her muse. That, I thought, is something I might get with in the course of time. Truth is, for all of my love of my Ginger skirt, having used a very stiff denim, and given that my lower abdomen is not flat, I've got a bit of bunching where the skirt rises up to meet the waist as I walk. I intend to ameliorate this by using a fabric with better drape next time (the cerise wool blend), by making the straight (rather than scalloped) waist band and, you guessed it, by venturing into the world of waist boning.

Ah, I can see a corset in my (distant) future.

(On the topic of where and how I've purchased the boning and tips, stay tuned. What I will tell you is that I bought Canadian. And - hilarious, I'm sure you'll agree - I paid through the nose for shipping given that the outlet is 2 hrs away and the vehicle is Canada Post. Let's just say I'm waiting for some clarification and to see the size of the package / contents within.)

Item above is vaguely related to my next item, I suppose, about the Freya Nieve long line bra and the Freya Nina plunge.

The world of lingerie is never dull here. In short, I bought the Nina set and then decided to keep the Nieve after first trying to replace the Nieve with the larger cup size - only to find that it's completely gone everywhere now that it's sale season and that colourway has been discontinued.

The long version is that I couldn't get the Nina as a replacement for the Nieve and also get the 20% discount that was being offered on the bra on Figleaves. I either had to a) buy the Nina and return the Nieve - which means I'd pay shipping on the Nina (5 pounds 50) and return fees on the Nieve (8 bucks CDN) or b) buy the Nina as part of my return but pay the full price aka somewhat more expensive than option a).

Now, the price of both of these sets together comes to $130.00 CDN - less than I'd pay for one of the bras alone at a B&M store here. So, any way you slice it, the discount is deep enough to mitigate a return and new purchase.

I was all set to return the Nieve but I couldn't stop trying it on. Every time I did I'd notice that the gores don't sit flat against my chest - but that, in every other way, this bra is awesome. By awesome I mean "inspiring awe". My boobs look so spherical they're mesmerizing. And so pushed up they're practically hitting my chin.

This leads me on a diatribe about the merits of padding. Don't get me wrong, I don't love the concept and I'm much more about the natural shaped breast (not that every bra isn't artificially shaping one's breasts in one way or another, but you know what I mean). But I can totally understand how the younger women love it. It's very, um, youthful. And the padding really is a means to an end. It doesn't so much increase the volume of one's chest as it molds it into a modern cultural ideal. I'm still trying to understand what's doing what. Is it the vertical seaming that contributes to the shape? The longline? The padding? All of the above?

Point is, I couldn't bring myself to give it back. I wore it today and, while I felt like Jessica Rabbit, it was fun under a very modest crew neck. Its practicality may be limited, but it's an experiment I'm not done with yet.

The purchase of the Nina is merely a function of my indulgent tendencies. I couldn't let a floral/animal/pink combo get away.

So, I figure if you don't care about waist boning, chances are you care about push up lingerie. Please feel free to share your thoughts about either of these threads. I want to hear them.

19 comments:

  1. I for one am interested in both topics! I saw your tweet about the 20% sale over at figleaves and innocently thought I'd have a look. I ended up spending over €200! but it was unbelievable value- 4 bras and 2 pairs of matching pants for each.In my book that's a great deal! I'm really enjoying the lingerie articles you've written over past few months, its one of my favourite topics. Good underwear makes every outfit. I was for years being wrongly sized as a 36b when in fact i was 32e, I don't think it's over the top to say that the right bra can change your life for the better. It give me confidence and comfort. Eithne

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    1. Oh no, I'm an enabler! :-) I hope you love your new purchases. So glad to hear you like my ramblings about bras. It really is a passion.

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  2. I ordered a slew of bras from brastop yesterday (by slew I mean like 5), and I'm hoping that all of them put my tits up under my chin.... ;-)

    As for boning, I have too much of a sway back for it to be comfortable. I ruin the plastic boning within an hour, and then it just hurts. I'm scared to try steel, because I'm just not sure what will happen. Good luck with your skirt though, I think the end result will be awesome. :-)

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    1. Wow, I wish these vendors would cut me in for promotion :-)

      I imagine I will work with the steel boning (which is flexible, but not too flexible) rather than the plastic I also bought, cuz I hear it keeps its shape better.

      Thanks for your good vibes.

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  3. Well, it sounds like it's fun to wear even if it's a bit outside your usual comfort zone. And the Ginger skirt plans sound FUN! :) Good luck with figuring out the shipping... I think I know which store you ordered from, but I haven't ordered yet myself (although I do drool over the website regularly)

    @CGCouture, if what makes the boning uncomfortable is that the plastic goes out of shape, spring steel might be better. Not that I have much experience with either ;). If the garment itself is the right shape/fit, it shouldn't be uncomfortable (well, unless you go crazy tight-lacing, but I suspect that's not what we're talking about...)

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    1. Oh, I'll tell you about it. Spoiler alert: It's Farthingales Corsetry.

      And on the topic of boning - that's what I've heard too... Natch, this skirt waistline is not like a corset, just looking for a bit of extra structure.

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  4. Oh! I'm into both topics!

    Steel spiral boning is amazing - it's supportive, flexes in all directions and goes back into shape after wearing. So, it moves with you, how you bend - no being stabbed in the ribs or any soft places by distorted plastic. I used it for the first time last summer in a bodiced jumpsuit and have sworn off all else. So, I hope you like working with it and wearing it! It was easier than I expected.

    As for the lingerie, well, sometimes a gal just needs to get her Jessica Rabbit on, amiright? And it's fun to try a new silhouette. ;-)

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    1. Glad to hear it! I've heard that the spiral boning is the shit, so I'm intrigued to try it. You should try the Freya long lines. Would suit your shape excellently.

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  5. Ooh I like the sound of the boning on the waistband. A great couture touch! Can't wait to see how it turns out.

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    1. Egad! It is a bit couture! Can't let that freak me out. :-)

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  6. I'm interested in both too. I haven't gone into boning but I am interested.

    Your comment on Canadian shopping has me curious, can't wait for the update. Pretty sure I know where you are talking about, I drool too and then never quite commit to ordering.

    Bras are always interesting. I avoided padded bras (really don't need more padding) but the shape can suck you in.

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    1. Sera: Update to follow. And the padded bra phenomenon totally eludes me, but I'm trying to be open-minded.

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  7. Hi Kristin, I'm mostly offline until after the trip and wedding, but am checking in here and there. It's good to see that you're still totally into sewing projects :). I can't imagine a project involving steel spiral boning. You rock!

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    1. Susan: I've been thinking about you, hoping that the planning is going well. Can't wait to see new posts from you when you've got your wedding all sorted and ready. xo

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  8. I'm intrigued by both topics. I've never used spiral steel boning, and when I used boning, years and years ago, I didn't know about it. I would think that boning could be comfortable whatever your shape if you get the fit right, but I'm just guessing here.

    I look forward to more.

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    1. I am very worried about how I'm going to cut it to size. No doubt I'll need to go out and get some new tool. But if it works, it will be excellent. I mean, when it works!

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  9. I love padding. I want that awe-inspiring bra!

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  10. Neither boning nor push-up are in my vocabulary, but I love reading about it from people whose lives can accommodate it. Your posts about lingerie are great, K.

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