Fitting Course Etiquette

Intimate information, like beautiful lingerie should be shared with discretion, but sometimes it is important to disseminate information which make things more comfortable, and beautiful for us all.

Even though I love many of its attributes, I am not an expert in corsetry. I have found many of my favourite items at What Katie Did, and I believe that Ms Katie is a reliable source for information on those items of underwear which have a significant impact on our figures and our confidence.

Recently Ms Katie published a salient account of what to consider when choosing corsetry. I found it an important reference point, and thought I would share it with you too.

You will find the article here, and all of Ms Katie's delightful items here.

The What Katie Did Morticia Corset. (One of my favourites.)

And you will find me here again soon. But if you miss me in the mean time, send me a little message and I promise to respond.

xx

Lingerie and the Woman You Love

As a part of my Honours coursework, my studies assess the effect of subcultures within society. This required a presentation on the particular subculture, and its interrelation with its immediate community.

It is a difficult subject, as there is often little available research on the particular subcultures, and time constraints prohibited the ethics clearance required for interviews which would have enhanced the anthropological aspects of the study.

I am sure many of you would not be surprised that my topic encompassed lingerie, femininity, and feminine agency. The study contrasted the effects of feminism, arguing that its embracing of masculine ideals as models for empowerment effectively devalued women's inherent value propositions, which centre predominantly around femininity and intrinsic female roles. 

Before anyone starts tossing quotes from Greer or Friedan from left of stage, the paper did not refute the important benefits of feminism, nor did it espouse pre-feminism. Instead it valorised the feminine not in response to masculine hegemonic predilections, but as a complimentary proposition to wrest balance between the sexes, and to re-appropriate the feminine ideal.

A presentation on such a subject would require a woman to be appropriately attired. As you know from this weblog of mine, this particular woman dresses in two distinct stages: from her underwear to her outerwear. There were some lovely new items of apparel I was keen to appropriate for my presentation, and a very lovely surprise which I am sure many of you would appreciate, and which I would like to share with you here.

Before we dispense with the formalities, I am pleased to concede that the presentation went extremely well and garnered considerable attention, even without me revealing [exactly] what I was concealing. There were certainly some raised eyebrows at the hints to my undergarments.

First, my ensemble in its entirety:

There is my beautiful cardi, my full petticoat and gorgeous What Katie Did stockings, suspenders, bullet bra and Morticia corset. But you clever readers have spied something else, haven't you ...

What an eye for detail you have! But first you must admire the detail of the beauty here:

and here:

How can a girl resist such divine luxury from her heel to her garter strap?

You can't wait, can you? Yes, you are quite right, it is she ... and it is her original autograph. 

You don't believe me do you?

It is true. I have it here.

Dita von Teese's autographed card. Just for me!

Let me know if you are more interested in my final paper*, than my outer- and under-garments, and I shall send you a copy ... 

... but I know you: Wicked!

xx

* on lingerie, femininity, and feminine agency  - in case you forgot! (pettichrome@gmail.com)

Underlying Intentions

In my last post I had something to show you. Something absolutely delicious and desirous. It was a fabulously overwhelming gift from the friend I mentioned.

It was one of those rare and treasured  occasions when a girl is surprised by something she could have only dreamt of calling her own. I had not mentioned my preferences to anyone, and it was only vaguely referenced here in my blog, so it was a wonderful surprise. What makes my dear endowerer even more incredible is that the selected sizing was impeccably accurate.

Most of you are familiar with my preference for many of the delightful items at What Katie Did. For a few years now I have been secretly lusting over a particular design in their corset range. What a very lucky girl I am to be able to cinch myself with the gorgeous Morticia.



If you have ever received a parcel from this gorgeous boutique, you will know how the pleasure begins as you unwrap your delicate items from the volumes of black tissue, which has been carefully beribboned and subtly marked for posting. Their corsets also come in lavish satin bags for safe keeping.

You can imagine how overwhelmed a girl could be to learn that her divine friend had been busily sourcing both the US and UK collections for such an indulgence. More than this, it was to be a part of an entire lavish ensemble!

After examining it on-screen so often, one would think that I would know the items in my favourite What Katie Did range by touch. But with my eyes averted and my fingers feeling those lines of stitching, soft satin and powermesh I could not believe my lingerie fantasies were being realised. I am entirely enamoured with so many of the items in the delectable Maitresse range. Can you believe what gorgeous things I found?

The Maitresse Bullet Bra

An essential item in a vintage girl's wardrobe

The Maitresse Knickers

Tasteful and glamourous

The most perfect Fully Fashioned Stockings

Authentic, specially made on rare machines, and with a keyhole welt.

and to hold that beauty in place

The Maitresse Girdlette

with six very fine quality garter tabs for a sure grip.

What a very fortunate girl I am. However, at the moment they are being admired in my drawers as I wait patiently for a visit from my very generous gifter.

A girl shouldn't wear them for just anyone.

xx

A Very Restrictive Souvenir

After arriving home last Monday I have been thrown back into my university obligations and have not had time to tell you all about my most perfect holiday. But I did get myself a little souvenir from here:

After browsing a very arousing selection, the Fairy Gothmother herself chose something for me and whisked me into the change room before I knew it. She laced me so tightly in this corset, but in ivory satin.

So tightly that she reduced my waist by six inches. I don't think I have ever moaned in pleasure as much as she tightened those laces so powerfully and without remorse. Well, perhaps not until I arrived in Barcelona a few days later.

I will have to tell you all about it soon.

Be good, my dear watchers.

xx

Of Corsetry

Some of you may be familiar with another of my favourite corsets, (you can see it here: http://petticoatsandchrome.blogspot.com/2010/11/this-may-have-been-of-month-what-katie.html), but recently I have come across something else that is terribly delicious. When one is lured by such a divine colour, a girl is aching to be hard pressed into it.

This corset is also very sensibly designed. The front busking allows one to dress and undress oneself without the  need for a girlfriend to lace her in. (Because unfortunately I have yet to meet a man conscientious enough for the task ...)

It seems too cruel to show you my favourite, when perhaps you may have one of your own. So here is the site for you to peruse. It also has a link to help you choose the corset that best suits your figure.

http://www.fairygothmother.co.uk/Corsets.htm

Despite its loveliness I cannot justify the purchase of such a dear, sweet thing because unfortunately I have no-one to share it with.

I am waiting for my boy and his charger. He must be far, far away on a very important crusade. I should have let him keep my ribbon for luck.

xx

Vargas Dress

Many of you may know all about Alberto Vargas and his gorgeous pin up girls. I first stumbled across one of his prints when I was a young naive girl in my early teens and, without any previous foreknowledge of the artist and his work, immediately fell in love with it and made it the feature of my bedroom.

So beautiful was the woman in the print that I was not surprised to find a gorgeous item of lingerie has been named after him in the form of the Kiss Me Deadly (KMD) Vargas Dress.

Recently I indulged in a little online purchase and purchased a wiggle dress which requires particular foundation garments so it can be worn to its best advantage. I had been seen the Vargas Dress on the KMD site, and now had the perfect opportunity to make her mine.

I have a friend who has two. One being the very tempting red and black release which was made as a limited run. The one she had bought previously was not as shaping as she had hoped, so she purchased this second one a size smaller, and was pleased with the fit.

I was keen to make sure my Vargas fitted perfectly so I found a local vendor who imports them directly from KMD. The sizing is the based on the fitting of your brassiere, so I was pleased they had mine in stock. When I tried the 34D I found it comfortable, but not providing the form I was expecting. The vendor said quite a few girls preferred the next size down, and fortunately they had a 32DD for me to try. After two attempts and some gentle coercion I found it fitted firmly and gave me a silhouette I was happy with.

The difference in size may be because I have what they call a 'vintage figure'. This means my waist is approximately 10 inches smaller than my bust and hip measurements. The Vargas is made for a standardised hip to waist ratio, so because of my 'vintage' shape the next size down shaped my waist appropriately.

I would definitely recommend sourcing a local distributor if you can, to ensure your Vargas gives you the result you desire. If you plan to order online and would like the next size down, you might like to use the following grading system: A bra cup size 38B is comparable to a 36C, 34D, 32DD. If you are like me and usually take a 34D but have a larger hip to waist ratio you might try the 32DD in your shapewear. Ideally though, it is best to try it to ensure the closest fit for both your body and bust.

The Vargas dress has six garter tabs, so it is perfect for accessorising irrisistible stockings with your dress. The brassiere is comfortable and lightly boned, with generous lace finish. My deportment teacher told me that a girl must always have good foundation garments, which should also be beautiful. Whether those boys know or not, we like to dress as beautifully beneath as we do externally. The Vargas is so comfortable I am reluctant to take her off. Because she is so beautiful, perhaps a girl doesn't have to after all.

http://www.kissmedeadly.co.uk/shop/collections/vargasdressesxx