Review for Versatile Corsets / Corset Connection, Sadie Corset

Notes & Disclaimer: I can only vouch for this particular corset, as I have not yet tried out their other styles. I am not a professional corsetiere, just an average Josephina who can tell the difference between a cheap, poorly made, ill fitting corset and one that feels good. An off the rack corset, no matter how well made, will ALMOST never fit you as well as a custom corset made to fit your individual curves. This seller DOES offer custom corsets.

Price & Shipping:

On the site, the Sadie corset, listed as $219, on sale for $199 as of 08/30/10. Shipping is $15.95 USPS Priority or $29.95 USPS Express.

I was lucky enough to receive this fabulous corset for free, in exchange for advertising. This does not effect my review in the slightest. If there are any negative aspects whatsoever, I will spare no snarkiness!

Elevator Music:

My corset was shipped insanely quickly. I barely had time to tell anyone that I was expecting it and there it was.

The Unboxing:

It was packaged very neatly and securely. When I opened it I was a bit surprised. It’s quite short. It looks longer on the model. I was disappointed initially, because I like long line corsets. I want to apply pressure to the floating ribs as well as my waist so that I can have a more dramatic hourglass figure. A short corset does have its advantages though. It was laced perfectly and loosely so there was no damage to the laces.

The Adornment:

When I put it on the first thing my boyfriend said was, “It doesn’t go with anything.” Men! Their fashion sense is so limited. It’s my only white corset. The dragon brocade is beautiful. I have so many dresses that would look better with a white corset than any other color. Plus it feels so light and is so short, it can easily be worn beneath clothing. It’s almost too pretty to do that though. It feels amazingly comfortable. It's the only corset I have that I can wear with an underwire bra and have no discomfort, because it starts a good 1/2" below the bra. Definitely a good corset for anyone under 5’4”, or someone who doesn’t want a lot of pressure on their ribs or hips.

Overall + & -

Pros

Well made, sturdy corset

Steel boning & busk

Waist tape

GORGEOUS fabric

Fast shipping

Great customer service

Cons

Not really. If I was picking one from their site, I’d have gone for a longer style. But now that I have the Sadie, I wouldn’t give it up with out a fight. It’s so versatile. (no pun intended)

The Bottom Line

It’s an excellent corset. Well worth the price. There are miles between the quality of this corset, and that of the bargain corsets. After extended wear, the busk in the bargain corsets begins to shift to the side. If you are only sleeping in the them and wearing the good corsets out, that’s not a huge problem. The bones begin to poke through the cheaper corsets after a month of 23/7 wear. If you know how to sew, that’s not a huge problem either. But if you want a good corset with no DIY involved, go for a higher end corset like this one. They have many styles that you can get custom made to fit you as well. The main draw of getting one like the Sadie off the rack is that if it’s in stock, they can get it to you very fast. If you have a few weeks before you need it, then you can get it custom made.

Customer service at Versatile Corsets and Corset Connection is excellent. I asked many questions and received prompt, friendly replies. Both companies are owned by Nancy Lynn, but they are managed separately and run by different people. I initially emailed Versatile to inquire about their corsets and spoke to Nancy, and that’s how I came to receive a corset from Corset Connections’ stock. They chose to send the Sadie in the White Dragon Brocade because the fabric is no longer available. They have it in many other colors though! It looks amazing in black.

Both sites have sales going on now, so if I were you I’d take a look. Their corsets are a great investment if you’ve tried bargain corsets and are ready for the real thing.　

HEY where's the video???

I am still very sick, my throat is so sore that I can't even talk. Sorry!

Very Late Update

To everyone who has shamed me for taking so long to update this blog, I apologize. There are many excuses, (illness, busy life, TONS going on) but let's just leap right into what is going on now, corset-wise:

I have lost another inch off my waist

I have a few new corsets

I have been tapped to write a blog for TrueCorset.com

I have received a corset from Versatile Corsets to evaluate for you all (and advertise)

I honestly do not know which new thing I am more excited about. It’s crazy. How did I lose another inch off my waist? By keeping up with the waist training, eating as I’ve been and exercising for 30 minutes a day while out of the corset. The other 30 minutes I spend bathing, moisturizing and fussing at my hair. Then I realize I can fuss at my hair while in a corset, so I quickly lace up.

One thing that I feel may have really pushed me to losing that last inch, is getting help from my boyfriend to close the corset. For weeks I could wear the corset closed, but it would only stay closed if he tied it. You can see in a previous picture how taut the corset looks when closed. It’s frustrating to have to wear the corset looser when you KNOW you can wear it tighter, because you don’t have anyone to help you (as frequently when I am lacing up, he’s not home.).Very recently I was lacing up before bed, and he was asleep so I didn’t ask for help. And it closed so easily I was stunned. The next day when I was changing it was just as easy. I measured myself and indeed my waist is now 27”, down from 28”. I lost 3 pounds as well. I really do think that being able to wear my corset tighter helped a lot.

As to the new corsets--and why I have not yet reviewed them--the first one is from an eBay seller, and I received it shortly after the last review. It arrived damaged and had to be exchanged. This took a while. The second, also eBay, I purchased because it was too fabulous not to, and it’s a 22”. So I can’t review it, because I’d have to wear it for a while, and I looked hilarious in a 22” corset. Way too small. So I probably won’t be able to review it until next year. The third would be the one I was given by Versatile Corsets. I am taking my time with that review, it’s going to be epic. I’m torn between wanting to hold that corset to a higher standard considering its market value, and wanting to wax poetic about it because it’s so pretty! I will be reviewing it very soon.

And lastly, the writing for TrueCorset.com. It will be very similar to this one, except obviously no advertising or reviewing other companies. It will mainly be about tight lacing, why I do it, what it entails and how it's changed my life. They saw this blog and liked it. They thought their customers would be interested, so they asked me if I would write for their website. I accepted and will soon be writing reviews on their corsets on this blog as well. I don't have one from them yet, but they look good. My introductory post on their site is here. This may not be terribly convincing after such a long time with no updates, but I do plan to write for my personal blog and the TrueCorset.com blog simultaneously. I love talking about corsets & tight lacing, so having two venues for it is pretty thrilling.

Thanks for your patience, and I'll try not to go for weeks between updates again xD