Hey everyone!! I just thought I'd share something that's a huge part of my life (besides my sims, lol). I'm a tightlacer. For anyone who doesn't know what that is...a tightlacer is someone (man or woman) who wears a corset in order to make their waist smaller...but the title is usually reserved for someone who wears a corset for more than just a few hours a day (usually more than 8 and up to 23...yes, a lot of tightlacers sleep in their corsets) and is able to bring their waist in more than 4 or 5inches.

I've been interested in period clothing for as long as I can remember...my interest going from Khemet(ancient Egypt), to Elizabethan/renaissance, and now to Victorian. But what I've been most intereseted in through all of that is corsets, and the feminine form they create. Now, I have a natural hourglass figure, thanks to my great grandma, but for some reason, I've never truly been happy with how I look until now!

I'm thinking about making a blog to track my progress, but until then, here are some pictures so you guys can see.

My natural waist is 29inches...I'll get a pic when I can of me without my corset...

When I first started...my waist was about 26 or 7 inches in this pic...sorry for the low quality, my friend took it on her phone....


Now...my waist is 23 3/4inches in this pic taken a few days ago....


Doesn't really look like much of a difference...but it is! lol I made that corset...it's the same one in both pics, but my chest is so large that the tighter I laced the more they would pop out! lol So, I had to break down and cut the top part off and make it into an underbust. Which is fine, because they're better for tightlacing anyway.

Anywho!! I hope you enjoy...or not...whatever...just thought I'd share a little bit about myself.

Cheers!
Akasha

That's cool. I wondered what those 3 were,had and idea. My great grand mother had a 22 inch waist way back when. I have some pics of her back then in her wonderful looking dresses. Love the Victorian times.Thanks for sharing a part of your life with us.I'll share the history of my poem after the judging.Feel like a I need to after I wrote it. Also I just saw my pic. Awesome! First time I saw it after posting. Thanks!

I can see the difference in the pictures...does that hurt?

Wow! Looks like it's hard to breath! Is it? But it does you give you that hourglass figure.

If done right, tightlacing doesn't hurt and doesn't inhibit breathing. It's done so gradually that you don't really feel it. I'll admit that it was a little uncomfortable at first, but there's a period where you have to get used to the corset and it get's used to you. After that, it's a breeze!

Oh, and it doesn't do any more damage to your organs than being pregnant...the mums here know what I mean....

And I'd love to hear the history behind your poem Bubby!

Oh you...female dog. That is amazing! It looks like it would hurt -- it's intriguing!!!

Yay!! My new corset was shipped Monday! So, I'll put up a pic when I get it!!
*does happy dance*

Happy for ya,still I don't know if I could get used to it.

I can't wait to see it

I don't know if I could get used to that either, but you have me wondering how small I could get my waist. My natural waist is 25...it would be nice to have a shape other than popsicle stick

wish I was a popsicle,right now I'm more like a mars bar. It's getting better though.

wow that looks painful! i dont like feeling like a stuffed sausage or so my mother says! you look good in it! well your body looks good since i cant see your face >.< haha now i feel like putting on pajamas and eating some icecream.

EEEE!!! My new corset came!! It's sooo cute!! But because the boning and busk are so much thicker than my old one, it measures a little higher than the old one.

I'm now at 24 1/4inches, but it looks better.


The back...wait until I can close it!

still looks painful to me but i love plaid

Looks good

It really gives you a lovely hourglass shape. Your waist is sooo tiny.

Oh wow Akasha, that's crazy. I couldn't imagine doing something like that, I've got a crazy low tolerance for pain. I guess it pays off if you want that tiny waist though.

holy cow. you want to get it closed????? wow. i stand in awe right now. um good luck? looks painful.

holy crap! ah.. i remember when i had a waist that small... 3 kids ago lol.
lucky dog i love the way corsets look, i think they are very sexy. i dont have one tho, i dont think i would like it. i have asthma, so i think the very slightest constriction would aggravate my breathing.

i have a faux corset my ex made for me tho. its really more like a tank top that has ties in the front lol.

im to fat to even consider a corset! but you've got an awesome shape goin on there hahah!

i still think you are crazy! but dont worry, we still love ya!! lol

That's totally amazing I've always wondered about corsets, my style of dress is oddly gothic sometimes I'd love to add a corset to my wardrobe.

But like Kelle said, I too might be a bit too fat for a corset...though maybe it might force some of the excess tummy fat into my bum.....I could totally deal with that lol

I love that hourglass shape....its definatly giving me something to think about, loose some weight and go for a waist like yours through corseting before my wedding.

How long have you been doing this for? How long was it till you started noticing a change in your natural shape without the corset on?

I've been corsetting full-time since January. But my waist is naturally about 10-11in smaller than my bust and hips, so it's not really that much of a difference...it just sucks me in. lol And there's not really much of a difference when I take it off yet...I think the only difference being that I can actually sit up straight for a long period of time now and Rufus(my gut...my friend KT named it in HS. lol) is disappearing....although, I haven't lost any weight...maybe I'm just able to suck it in now without knowing it....

Also, no one is too fat to wear a corset! lol I personally think it's an essential piece of underwear that every woman should wear! It holds you in and up! lol And even if you don't have much of a waist, it'll give you one. ;)

I believe I need some in and up. lol. wouldn't really know how to shop for one.Size wise I mean.

If you ever decide to corset, do your research first. Find all the info you can. Here is one of the best reference sites http://www.staylace.com/. It has a list of damn near every site about corsetting and corsets known to (wo)man! lol Including where to find them and where to find supplies to make them. It also has a Q&A section with answers from real (unbiased) doctors.

If you can't find a shop in your area that has real corsets, then go online and search for a good one...I got mine from http://www.orchardcorset.com/ and I highly recommend them(they're in the US, but I think you can order them from other countries if you have paypal...just remember the prices are in USD). And know that corsets are expensive! The cheapest one I've found was $89 on sale for $69. And that is extremely low compared to a lot of places that sell them for a couple hundred! O_O But corsetting is a life-style and so you can't skimp on it.

Also, you should never start with one any smaller then about 4in than your natural waist size. For instance, my natural waist is about 28in, so I started with one that was 24in when closed. Corset sizes come in 2in increments, so 18", 20", 22", etc, all the way up to, I think, 40in...unless you get it custom made.

And even if you're not interested in tightlacing, it's still interesting to read about. ;P

Thanks, I'll take a look when all my kiddies are napping.