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How
do I get the corset or costume style and look I want?
Get
your homework done. Start collecting pictures, movie stills,
pin-up photos, comic books, historical
research, magazines
or whatever else moves you. This inspires you visually and
gives us the concrete info we need for patterning and construction.
It’s easier to design for you when you can at least
provide some visual clues. We can replicate any look or cut
you find an image of. We can research cutting information
for any historic period. You get the benefit of having it
custom made so it actually fits you and creates the figure
and persona you've been craving.
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And
please be direct. Ask for what you want. Don't be flakey.
If you're serious about having something made, we're serious
about helping you. But if you are too shy or too closeted
about your interest in custom costumes and corsets and
can't bring yourself to actually commit to an order, please
don't waste our time, thanks. |
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How
small can my waist get?
You'll be able
to reduce your natural waist measurement (on the inside of
the corset) by at least 3- 4 inches, oftentimes more - unless
you're super-skinny, meaning you lack body fat at your mid-section.
You do need some body fat and 'stuff' for your corset
to cinch and redistribute. The 2 or three fabric layers in
your corset add only about an inch or so to your overall "actual"
cinched waist measurement, but what you'll be most impressed
by is the total effect of your new hourglass shaping and your
total silhouette. Also, the durable construction allows you
to keep on lacing tighter and tighter. We usually create your
corset's center back with about a 3-4 inch opening that you
can continue to lace further closed if you wish. If you do
experience some significant weight loss in your midsection
after 4-6 months, you'll be ready to have a smaller sized
corset made for you.
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Recommended
reading:
Any visual source is fair game. Get your visual inspiration
wherever you want! Costume history books are great, as are
comic books, magazines, movies, costume history books and
websites. You can feed your visual imagination by looking
at photos of corsets any place you can find them.
However,
when it comes to the often contentious discussions about corsets
and where you position yourself within these conversations,
for god's sake quit reading other people's bad websites that
cut-and-paste plagairized, out-of-context anecdotes and so-called
factoids about corseting.
If
you're serious about probing into why they've been
worn by varieties of people throughout history, please do
some serious reading. The most scholarly examinations come
from Valerie
Steele, author of The Corset: A Cultural History and Fetish:
Fashion, Sex & Power. This are important books to
read if you really want to parse out the truths about corsets
from their many prurient stigmas.
Steele's
a good authority on these subjects because she sifts the many
myths about corsets from the culturally and historically situated
facts. Then for some real fun, if you want your brain fully
colonized by aesthetic principles underlying perceptions of
beauty, sexuality and personality (which naturally also inform
corset fashions and their appeal, at least in my view), I
recommend you read Camille Paglia’s Sexual
Personae: Art & Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson.
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Why
are corsets so popular now?
There seem to be plural answers, so I'll summarize
a few explanations. As a maker and enthusiast of fashion (the
ultimate spectator sport) it appears that the answers involve
historical fashion cycles. Some things just never go out of
style, plus items resurge from time to time. There are also
the ad populum arguments made by the corsets themselves when
worn by celebrities and notable figures. Some answers also
stem from individual consumer notions about status, conformity
and individuality, plus cultural forces far beyond anybody's
individual control, no matter what anyone says about free
will. Anyway, precisely cut, well-fitted clothing historically
has almost always indicated status (and no, spandex
doesn't fit within this construct---I can remember a good
designer pal who always joked, "spandex is a privelege,
not a right"...and he was right!). The fashion
pendulum keeps swinging and it seems that every generation
gives us at least a few iconic figures who repopularize the
corset and its variations.
Combine
that ideal, that "artificial silhouette" the costume
historians love to call it with a mega-star or supermodel,
and there's just nowhere to run and hide. The corset is tough-as-nails
apollonian armour that simultaneously contains feminine fleshy
vulnerability- whether one is male or female. It simultaneously
empowers and conquers the body. I guess that's why
I make them because I make them really well. I'm interested
in perfection and structural integrity, and it's fun to watch
clients see themselves instantly whittle and smooth away their
midsections. I personally love working with my hands, conquering
materials and hardware, and I like being of service to people
so I 've witnessed this episode countless times. It's faster
than any infomercial with pills offering weight loss promises.
When someone gets laced in a really well designed and well-
made corset, he or she is enjoying a sort of instant gratification
not available with any other body-mod product. It's fascinating.
We
have people like Gaultier, Madonna and Vivienne Westwood to
thank for repopularizing corsets in the 1970s and 1980s. We
have even more pop stars to thank currently, plus Hollywood’s
period costume dramas and films such as Moulin Rouge and
The Matrix for bringing corsets to our attention. Also
consider Underworld, that amazing cats and dogs film
which juxtaposes beasty, unsartorial werewolves against couture-clad
vampires. Cultural products like these, not to mention the
incredible resurgence of burlesque, fifties culture, Bettie
Page fans and pin-up photography around the globe all seem
to have inspired a bigger population to seek and wear corsets
and corset-like fashions, now perfectly acceptable as outerwear.
Add
to this the burgeoning goth, cyber and romantic cultural waves
in which corsets always play starring roles, and it's clear
that corsets aren't fading from the cultural landscape anytime
soon. There is something analogous going on here akin to our
existence in the world of language, from which there is absolutely
no escape. It's like one of my favorite cultural theorists
who has a famous quip that I'll misquote on purpose, "You
don't speak the language, the language speaks you."
I think it actually goes, "The subject does not speak.
The subject is spoken." Corsets now are just a prominent
part of the fashion lexicon, the fashion vocabulary. Try creating
sentences without the words 'and' or 'the' or 'it' and see
how far you get. Corsets are going to be worn by a lot of
people, especially lately since they've cross-hybridized with
every subcultural fashion group I can think of.
Now
that many seem to see culture becoming more global, westernized,
mass-identified-- even safe, generic and bland than ever,
there are individuals who feel a need to resist. People seek
increasing ways to individualize their identities through
clothing and dress. And to a lot of people, a corset still
seems kind of edgy or racy. It carries weird and usually false
historical baggage and stigma- much of it about oppression
of women and so on and almost all of it dead wrong. So many
people I talk to, especially clients, are clueless, really,
about how mundane and common corsets have actually been for
hundreds of years. They're really quite boring, like bras.
Ok, I guess unless they're on a really hot Victoria's Secret
model, right? Then people pay attention. But ninety-nine
percent of the women I know wear bras and no woman I know
thinks she's being oppressed because she's wearing one. Anyway
there's this human urge to call attention to one's body, to
adorn it, clothe it or inscribe it. You've seen this with
body modification and tattoos. It's no longer shocking at
all in most urban places.
One
interesting writer I really enjoy, Baudrillard, says we're
in an era now where nothing about the body is obscene
anymore- nothing- unless it involves a dead body,
and that the body, anybody's body, is the "final frontier."
Isn't it cool how much it sounds like that old Star Trek mantra?
We no longer have the whole American continent to explore
and tame, so we've turned to ourselves and it's our bodies
which must be charted, mapped, conquered, marked, furrowed.
In his view it's a way of averting death, and death is the
only real pornography. Death is so taboo in the west. A corpse
is completely obscene and in the west we are dead-set against
death, so we create all these mini rituals and processes to
keep death at bay. Not that anyone really knows they're doing
this when they're working hard and dressing for success and
so on. There's also a fun body of research and theory about
the goth culture that explores this theory, since the goths
so obviously spend a lot of money to look like "they
just craweled out of coffins," to quote the Aquabats.
Anyway,
how better to achieve this goal than by customizing one's
own appearance, by turning to the professional services of
an experienced artiste. The irony of all this, of course,
is that corsets aren't really unique, moreover, the more people
choose to wear them (or the more corsets choose to "speak"
their wearers, if you like that model better), the more out-of-fashion
or passe' corsets will begin to seem. I don't think we're
quite at that point yet. At least I hope not because I still
have a few good years left in me to build neat corsets and
costumes and to dress people, and I don't want to work myself
out of a job just yet. I think we're in the throes of endless
fascination with this look and approach to dress. We're living
in postmodern times and it's perfectly acceptable for wearers
to pick and choose, to mix and match.
Anyway,
fashion cycles may change, but quality service and personalized
attention are timeless and crucial for anyone working in the
dressmaking or custom clothing business. In a world of generic,
throwaway clothing, many self-selected individuals recognize
the value in investment garments such as custom corsets and
highly-fitted or personally tailored clothing.
The
individuals we design and build custom corsets for view them
as a pleasure, a way to pamper themselves, a way to achieve
a more aristocratic silhouette and elevated social ranking.
It's a nice change from the oversized off-the-rack clothing
that adorned the grunge crowds of the 1990s and currently
drapes our urban frat boys and gang-bangers.
Because
a real corset does not stretch it must be
custom fitted to do what it's designed to do, and that requires
your visit to the custom corsetiere. If you are feeling sort
of blue, generic and anonymous out there in the everday world,
your next visit to your friendly neighborhood service professional
such as your hairstylist, manicurist, interior designer, therapist
or dressmaker gives you a lift. We are professionals who devote
our time, attention and consummate skill needed to make you
feel it's all about you. And it is!
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I'm
new to corsets, what's involved?
First: Don't be nervous. It's just clothing.
When it comes to wearing them, experience is your best teacher.
Real corsets (not crummy lingerie imposters) are high fashion
and they're the ultimate in cool. Practically speaking, corsets
are beautiful, custom, strapless bodices that don't fall down
because of their perfect fit and their structural integrity.
They don't slump, bubble-out or pooch the way the crummy,
stretchy lingerie 'corsets' always do.
A
real corset does not have plastic boning or plastic stays.
A real corset contains many spring and/or spiral steel stays
which create that wasp waist you've been craving. A real corset
is strong enough to keep your figure contained. Lingerie corsets
cannot do this, so quit buying them and invest in real one.
You can choose when and how you want to wear them, and you
won't get hurt because you decide how tightly to lace up.
Lighten up and experiment with your wardrobe. Unlike getting
tattooed or pierced, corsets are not a permanent commitment,
although once you've owned a good one, they are rather addictive.
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Is
wearing a corset the same thing as tight-lacing?
The answer depends on how one defines this term as
well as oneself within a big continuum of examples, habits,
history and social constructs. Wearing a corset in the first
place implies that it's probably going to be laced tight (to
give your body at least some of that figure control you've
been craving), but it is not necessarily the same practice
as "tightlacing."
By function and definition, your corset is going to be tighter
than most of your other clothing. Thanks to some of our language
that "medicalizes" behavior, even during historical
periods when most women (and even lots of men) wore stays
or corsets as part of simply being fashionably and appropriately
dressed, "tightlacing" has always implied more of
a minority or sometimes even a so-called 'deviant' or 'specialty'
practice. Again, please read Steele's The
Corset: A Cultural History and Fetish:
Fashion, Sex & Power for all the details about
how this "tightlacing" term has been bandied about
within commercial, fetish and scholarly circles over the years.
It's fascinating stuff.
However-
and this is what you really want to know-- from a
technical and engineering standpoint, our goal as a custom
studio is to make real corsets that absolutely
withstand the rigors of real tightlacing, whether or not you
see yourself and your habits in those terms. Our mission is
to make each and every corset as tough as possible- to hold
up beautifully under the perpetual stress of you wearing it
frequently, as tightly laced as you can get it, should you
want to lace it that tightly and that often, whatever "that"
means to you. I know, I know, it sounds like Bill Clinton
discussing the definition of "is"....
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Who
is Salt Lake Tightlacer?
"Salt Lake Tightlacer" is
not a person. It's a label- our brand on on the collection
of corsets and related accessories we produce out of this
studio. The name simply had a good ring to it.
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Do
you make bondage gear and fetish corsets, etc?
Yes, but we don't show many of these online.
We're trying to keep things on the website a little more "artistic'
and in the pinup/PG-13 category, which is also why you'll
never see too much nudity or anything like sex toys or videos.
Clients
ordering certain projects can be understandably reluctant
about being photographed in or even having their specially-comissioned
restraint corsets, matching dildo harnesses, locking chaps,
or cuffs and collars, etc, photographed on mannequins or dress
dummies, to be put on display for the public, so we respect
your privacy!
Among
theorists, there's often discussion about a certain type of
sacredness that becomes tightly associated with particular
objects and items used in ritual, liminal experiences (not
just in BDSM cultures or activities but in many
cultures throughout history in many times and places), and
these costumes, objects, props, language or settings may only
be viewed, handled or talked about by the priveleged few,
whoever those particular people happen to be. Just ask any
good, temple-going Latter Day Saint or Mason to reveal details
about the rituals or objects he or she interacts with or what
happens in temple rituals, and usually, mum's the word, at
least for the true-believers.
The
construct of the sacred has been used to explain some of the
secretiveness and voyeurism around many items, including fetish
clothing, because for many in the BDSM lifestyle, sex is only
one aspect of all the things that may be physically or psyhologically
going on. So, um, anyway, as a designer and a human being,
I respect that. And... not everyone's an exhibitionist. However,
every person you see modeling something on on our website
has given us their permission. But yeah, we do make lots of
really titillating stuff that will never
be shown indiscriminately.
As
a rugged individualist, I'm not really much of a "joiner"
when it comes to being "in" a leather or bdsm community.
Instead, I position myself as a confidante and a dedicated,
skilled craftsperson from a long line of people who are damn
proud of how well they build things.I
usually do take process snapshots so I can document and remember
how I've made something, in case I need to make another one,
change or improve on the design, etc., but the
public will never be allowed to see many of
these items.
So I bet I can almost guess what your next question is, and
here's some inside info: If you want something made, I never
ever make judgments about you or your lifestyle.
Really! In fact, it's not just that I'm liberal, for lack
of a better term. I am. But the bigger truth is (and you might
actually be bummed out to hear this), I actually care so little
about your specialty interests or childhood experiences or
backstory or fetish fantasies and gender identity work, that
I'm sort of blase' about all that, and sort of yawning on
the inside, and basically just want to get busy creating your
new harness, corset or costume- that is, if you have money
and are serious. That's the source of my
true obsession, one could say (I know, I'm such a
geek).
And
in case you're wondering, my own lifestyle is pretty mundane
and academic. If you imagine that I'm some kind of wild dominatrix,
you are dead wrong (but you seem to have
an active inner life, don't you). As the proprietor of this
studio, I am a workaholic and a slavedriving control freak
when it comes to things being beautifully designed and perfectly
constructed. Period.
When you come for a visit or a custom fitting, it's all
business--very professional. You needn't feel compelled to
reveal your darkest secrets or get specific about the 'how'
and 'what' your new creation will be used for. I don't give
a hoot about any of that. But I do need to be ecomical with
my time. I've been known to charge some clients, especially
male cross-dressers, a steep hourly rate just so they can
show me all their 'dress-up' goodies, shoes, falsies, hip
padding, etc. So if you feel you must play show-and-tell,
then I'm charging you a consultation fee. I'm good at making
small talk if you want, but I don't really care. I just want
you to be a satisfied customer who owns an incredible new
wearable creation that looks spectacular, fits and functions
the way it should, and makes you happy. Just bring in your
ideas, sketches, photos and color wishes, and let's get to
work.
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What’s
the connection between corseting and weight-loss?
There's a growing trend here. There has been lots
of interest in this lately with many clients asking for my
perspective. I guess not surprisingly, some of them have undergone
or are planning to schedule stomach stapling, lap bands, gastric
bypass or other weight-loss related surgery. There is a combination
of strategies that can work for you, given mitigating factors,
and I've seen firsthand results in several clients.
But this first: I am not a physician. I don't play one on
tv, either. By reading this blurb here or commissioning work
from me, you are agreeing not to pursue me legally if your
corset doesn’t help you lose twenty pounds in several
months (crybaby)...but here’s my advice: Tightlacing
can be an integral part of your
weight loss success. But here’s the rub- and you must
follow these instructions TO THE LETTER: You must wear your
corset tightly laced every single time you eat and you must
not cheat. In other words, do NOT sneak down to the fridge
or eat at any other time when you’re not wearing your
corset tightly laced. Period.
Again,
in plainer terms: If you wear a properly fitted, tightly-laced
corset every single time you sit down to
eat, it automatically controls your portion size. Really.
You simply get too uncomfortable to pig out the way you typically
might if you were not wearing your corset. Ditto with beer,
soda, and other fizzy or carbonated beverages. They make you
so uncomfortable that it’s usually too difficult to
drink more than a third of a beer or soda. There's been some
medical findings suggesting that many small meals throughout
the day can help a hefty human lose weight faster than eating
just three big meals per day, or skipping breakfast- that
sort of thing- AND a corset can HELP you do that 'grazing'
on little portions you keep handy.
I
can attest to these facts because I’ve been to fancy
dinners and galas that had awesome catering and open bars,
and tightly corset-clad, I couldn’t eat or drink anything
near what I can when I’m just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
So, in some ways it's a damn shame to wear one to a well-catered
party! I’m about 5’4” and 130 lbs, so your
experience is going to be different, depending on your weight,
height, and tolerance for the discomfort of having your torso
squeezed while you try to eat. Good luck.
I
made a corset once for a client who came to see me about five
months later. I was amazed to see that he’d lost over
twenty pounds! He came back to get a smaller, second corset
made. I was astounded to see that the grommeted back edges
of his corset touched, when just months earlier they were
about 3 1/2 inches apart, even when tightly laced. I asked
him how he did it and he told me he cut way down on his drinking.
Of course you already know that alcohol has lots of empty
calories and contributes to that beer or wine gut you’re
trying to get rid of! And guess what? If you're tightly laced,
it's all the harder to overconsume! Especially with the fizzy
or carbonated soft drinks, beer or champaigne.
Let
me level with you: I know you are a consumer who constantly
reads articles about weight loss and health. And of course
you already know that you must get at least an hour of exercise
and some good cardio every day. You know this. Yoga and real
stretching are also awesome for your physical and mental health,
(I try to do these myself on a regular schedule and highly
recommend them) -just NEVER exercise or do yoga or stretching
while wearing your corset, of course.... A couple of years
ago I tried walking briskly for only four blocks to an outdoor
festival, tightly laced, and boy was I in
pain. I hadn't experienced a stitch in my side that bad since
my gruesome childhood track-and-field experiences.
If
you're the type of person who can demonstrate this rigorous
kind of self-discipline, you will be astonished at how much
weight you can shed simply by controlling your portions. The
next step, obviously, is to take your corset off for at least
an hour every day, get your fat ass up off the couch or out
of your cubicle, and get vigorously moving for at least an
hour. If you’re into the thrill of wearing corsets because
you enjoy the change in the way your body feels once the laces
are either tightened up or loosened, you’ll also probably
enjoy the release of setting your body free for an hour, too,
so you can get your stretching, crunches, push ups, and walking,
biking or running done. The endorphines make you high, they're
legal, you won't spend a fortune on them, and they won't wreck
your life like a drug addiction will.
What
several clients tell me is that exercise AND tightlacing are
an exhilarating complementary combo, especially for sensation
junkies. Never eat for at least 45 minutes after a work out.
Water is ok. Take a shower, dry off, get your corset back
on immediately, and get tightly laced up quickly before you
get a chance to snack, sneak down to the refrigerator, or
go to lunch. That’s my advice, now quit slacking and
get to work!
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Can
you introduce me to other people who are into corseting and
like to play?
Nope. The purpose of this studio does
not include providing a referral, networking or dating service
and it will NOT hook you up with other people or groups who
share your interests, so please don't ask. If you are looking
for friends in the BDSM or leather lifestyle, go out and find
'em on your own. They are out there and if ye seek, ye shall
find. As professionals, my associates and I respect, protect,
and honor the privacy of ALL our clients and friends.
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How
did you get started making corsets?
As part of theater costuming, I've made them
for many years, both as individual pieces plus as integrated
components inside other costumes. There's a fun narrative
that circulates in design circles. A common gripe is that
sometimes when you design a production with period costumes
requiring proper corsets or undergarments to achieve the correct
silhouettes, certain pesky, unprofessional actors may stop
wearing them, ruining the look (and this is usually after
you’ve gotten on a plane to fly back home or leave to
go work on other productions). If that production lacks an
ethical stage manager and a firm wardrobe supervisor who exert
enough authority, bad actors sometimes just get their way.
This story is in no way limited to corsets but includes all
kinds of costume items such as wigs, shoes, hairpieces, etc.
It's mostly happened to me and other designers I know well
with wigs. And it's usually with female actors who somehow
think their own hair is better or that their own desires take
precedence. It's really unprofessional in that it totally
subverts the hierarchy of the "schooled" production
team. There's a food chain, and it must be honored.
But
I digress, about the corsets: To circumvent this problem you
build the costume to fit over the corset. If the actor doesn't
wear the corset, the costume does not fit and it may not even
fasten. You can build corset components into costumes, too,
leaving the actor no way to compromise all your hard work.
Designers build costumes this way all the time, especially
if they don’t feel ideologically chained to the notion
that actors psychologically need each individual layer of
“authentic” wardrobe elements to be able to perform
well onstage. This approach can also really help when quick
changes are needed. The steel stays and tough construction
inside the costume exert plenty of influence on actors who
need accurate period silhouettes. When you build the corseting
into the actual costume itself, actors either wear the costumes
you’ve designed and built, or they go on stage naked
(well, ok, I’ve never actually heard of this
happening, but it’s always a funny story to tell!).
Anyway it helps avert problems with pesky actors, heading
them off at the pass.
In
2000, I’d been managing the costume shop for a ballet
company in Princeton, N.J., when I learned that both my parents
were facing cancer at the same time. I decided to move back
to Utah after having lived in Monterey and Santa Cruz, California
for over six years, in New York City for a few years, and
New Jersey for one.
Once
back in the west, I just had the crazy notion one day that
northern Utah was ready for a custom corsetiere, and I put
my shingle out. It all started as a fluke, really, a glib
little line, "she also makes custom corsets" which
a local alternative paper printed up in an article about my
custom slipcover business here in Salt Lake. (Yep, I've
made custom slipcovers professionally for about 15 years,
too- I used to own Santa Cruz Slipcover before I moved to
New York. You might think of slipcovers as beautifully-fitted
custom tailored costumes for furniture!).
Anyway,
corset clients started coming out of the woodwork, and I don’t
mean that in a disparaging way. Individuals and groups here
wanted and needed them, and I've been providing this service
for more than seven years now. I consider it a privilege to
serve communities who, I think, have been largely underserved
and previously haven't had quality resources to turn to. Since
the best quality costume design and construction often comes
out of university costume shops, and because most of these
shops neither build for nor rent costumes to 'nonacademic'
performing groups, I open my doors to all subcultures and
lifestyles. I'm proud to do it.
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Why
wouldn't you sell me the one I tried on at your studio?
It either didn't fit you correctly or it was a sample we needed
to keep. Your body is unique and that corset wasn't cutom
made for you, and you need one that is. You are not allowed
leave with one that doesn't fit. Even if you really, really
liked the one you tried on, it just wouldn't be right, though
this is always a risk when we send samples out to area stores
and we don't have as much control over who is doing the fitting/selling.
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I
live outside the area- how do I place a custom order?
If you wanted to get a haircut, would you try to do it by
email or phone? Would you put your head in a box and Fed-ex
it? Dude, get your body here. If you're going to be traveling
through or visiting the area, great! Email some measurements
in advance and your wish-list or clippings if you like, and
we'll talk, maybe do a fitting when you get here. As artists,
my associates and I are doing everything we can to add to
the reasons that Utah is a true destination state, and it's
working. Ok, aside from this rant, we can make them without
a fitting. But you get the best results overall when you can
do a fitting, alright?
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Do
you have rental corsets and costumes?
Rental costumes... usually some seasonal staples
such as Santa Suits, etc.
Rental corsets... usually not. However I do loan them out
to certain friends, which means you have to become my friend
and then we'll take it from there.
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Can
I provide my own materials and hardware?
Yes. You are invited to bring in fabrics, metal
findings or other items you've collected or inherited to imbue
your projects with unique features, emotion and nostalgia.
One
rather bittersweet example occurred a while back, when we
made a corseted bridal bodice and skirt out of some silk fabrics
that a client’s father had purchased and given her after
his many business trips to Hong Kong. He had passed away before
she became engaged, so her fabrics and dress became a visual
and visceral personification of her memory of him. He couldn't
literally be there to "give the bride away," yet
his presence was still part of the event in material form.
Another
recent client asked us to build her a custom
corset using fabrics her husband tie-dyed, and he is becoming
a well-known artist in our area who laminates tie-dye onto
solid boards as stunning visual art. This project was really
satisfying because it was a welcome shift from seeing or using
tie-dye in its more stereotypical forms (think big t-shirts,
sloppy, hippy, Grateful Dead-y looks of the past), and the
creation of a trim little corset out of it with patterns matched
perfectly in front and back had big payoffs in compliments
and inspiration. Projects like this one will definitely help
tie-dye stay fresh as a fabric-art to wear, and we plan to
make more.
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What
fabrics do you carry?
Lots, though obviously not as many choices as
fabric stores offer, however, we do offer some unusual rubber
materials, vinyls, brocades, and other fabrics you might never
have considered. You are welcome to discover and use any of
the fabrics in the studio that are not already in use on someone
else's project. If you want to match a fabric you've seen
in a photo, we can help you locate it or something similar.
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Where
do you get your materials?
As fabric omnivores, my designer friends and
I collect and use everything we can get our hands on to experiment
with, whether it's fabric from local vendors, internet sources
and overseas, or fabrics that may even have fallen off the
back of a truck. If you've never ordered brocades from Thaisilks.com,
try it. You'll be addicted, too.
I
buy coutil from a vendor in California. Steel stays and busks
from another vendor in California. We try to buy our grommets
and many other hardware findings locally from our upholstery
suppliers and tack shops, plus from luggage companies. Interestingly,
but I guess not surprisingly, ninety percent of our clientele
prefers silver or nickel busks, grommets and other hardware
rather than brass or gold-toned metal findings (I’d
bet you a nickel that if I were doing this type of work during
the 1970s, the preference would be the exact opposite!).
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Why do
I need an appointment?
We're busy here. Walk-ins are simply tough to accommodate
sometimes. We have many clients and we also sometimes work
on multiple projects or locations at the same time. Our in-house
designers do outside jobs and work in a variety of other creative
fields, plus we have families, just like you have, also demanding
schedules. You need an appointment. Even if it's a costume
or corset emergency. Just use your telephone. We can probably
see you quickly even if it's not immediately.
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What's
your background & education?
Born in Las Vegas, Air Force brat, lived as a kid in Colorado
for 10 years, first moved to Utah as a high schooler in 1979,
then lived all over the place including both coasts then wound
up relocating in Utah in 2001. Lifelong interests in building
costumes, animatronics, design, puppetry, fashion, etc. Bachelor's
degree in English- Master of Arts in Performance Studies-
Master of Fine Arts in Theater and Costume Design. Schools
I graduated from: Weber State, Utah State, New York University.
Been working as a professional designer and cutter-draper
plus teaching college courses for 16 years.
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Do
you wear corsets?
Almost never. Well, every once in a while. I save them for
specific occasions such as parties, galas, promotional events,
openings, speeches or lectures, gallery stroll, the opera,
the ballet, etc. You’ve also heard that old chestnut,
“the cobbler’s children have no shoes.”
I create lots more custom clothing for other people than I'll
ever make for myself. Just the way it is.
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Do
you use commercial patterns?
Commercial patterns are teriffic starting points
for many items items such as skirts, jackets, blouses, and
so on. I say this because I'm proud to say I'm trying to work
smarter, not harder. Why would a designer want to reinvent
the wheel when you could combine commercially available patterns
with a set of tagboard slopers plus your draping skills to
quickly draft and adapt what you want?
I have found, though, that contemporary commerical
corset patterns (such as Butterick, McCalls, Vogue, etc) share
many of the same problems with retail or off-the-rack corsets,
which is that they are generally oversized and usually oversimplistic
in design. Plus they are usually NOT long-waisted enough either
(even for petite customers), and they don't give enough overall
surface area for abdomen or tummy control, which is what every
corset-seeker seems to want when he or she comes to our studio.
So we have to do some adaptation or redesign, or even start
from scratch.
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Some
commercial patterns can be adaptable for a variety
of figures, but they're still not always great. I
start from scratch for many projects.
Plus
it's so interesting to research historic corset patterns
(such as the one on the left) in museum books. These
are patterns which have been traced or graphed out
by costume historians, the people who are priveleged
enough to handle these old, often very delicate items.
Often, these patterns and layouts originally appeared
in trade publications, such as tailoring and dressmaking
manuals, that are then collected, sometimes reprinted,
and reflected on by contemporary costume historians.
I
can take these graphics from museum books and resize
them to create toilles or mockups to fit on modern
people's bodies, and get things rolling from there.
When I do this, in addition to drafting and adapting
my own patterns for corsets, it gives me a lot more
control over the finished item's final shape and fit.
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What
forms of payment do you accept?
At our boutique: Visa, Mastercard, debit card, cash, or even
check (if we approve your check in advance). We invite you
to put your custom order on layaway and divide your payments
over time or among different credit cards or bank accounts.
It usually takes a couple of weeks to get your custom corset
order filled anyway because we're always so busy.
Our
online catalog currently uses PayPal, which is FREE to you
and good for our current needs while we're shopping around
for a new online merchant service
Ebay owns Paypal and it is the most widely recognized online
payment system in the world. When you buy items from any website
that uses Paypal, you can use any credit card or even your
personal checking account. Paypal is easy-to-use, flexible,
and saves us both time and money.
It's safe, guaranteed against fraud, and Paypal doesn’t
cost you a cent. Not one penny. You don’t
even have to sign up for a Paypal account to pay. If you've
never used it before, just click here–
it only takes a minute and is very easy.
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Does
your website show everything you do?
Nope. There's a ton more, including over a dozen years of
costume design for theater and dance productions and lots
of miscellaneous projects now owned by private collectors.
We also have LOTS of stuff in the boutique that does not appear
in the online catalog, so it's helpful to visit in person.
As of 2010, there are creations by more than 20 artists and
designers in the boutique and it's hard to keep things current
online. Our sister site, Salt
Lake Slipcover, showcases our "custom costumes for
furniture" hehe. Primarily, what you see here are the
best-sellers, unusual items and funny outtakes that make this
creative process so much fun.
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Can
I be an apprentice or an intern?
It's complicated. I have to meet you and determine if you
pack the gear to serve in my beloved corps. Over the years
I've realized I need to run this shop more like a business
and less like a school that provides a cheap education to
those who are interested. It just depends. Anyone I'd even
consider as an intern these days (meaning 2009) needs to already
have at least ten years' sewing experience, plus working knowledge
of how to read and interpret commerical patterns, plus some
drafting and draping experience, plus know how to do alterations,
etc. Actual costume shop experience is a big plus. You also
would need to have 10 years' experience sewing on a variety
of home and industrial sewing machines, including walking-foot
machines, sergers, etc. Anyone with less experience than this
is a time suck and a liability for me, and I don't mean any
offense by this. I just don't have time to give individual
sewing lessons anymore. I also have to be extremely picky
about any outsiders my creative partners and I decide to allow
in our workspace and offices.
Since
our studio and boutique have grown so much in the past few
years and now incorporate more designers, commissioned artists,
consigners and the marketing/order handling needs for all
this, my responsibilities have grown to the point where I
simply don't have the time to take someone under my wing unless
he/she is truly exceptional and shows me a level of seriousness,
loyalty and dedication. You'd just have to convince me, somehow.
We've had nearly a dozen young people try the ol' apprentice
route, and most of them just don't last (even the feminized
or crossdressing men who say they really
want to be "of service" can't hack it). The twenty-something
year old girls seem to get the most frustrated. The idea at
first to them seems so enchanting, so fantasy-land. It's all
"let's play dress-up" and "what pretty fabric."
But then the reality sets in. The actual demands of meticulus
cutting and control over the machines and the stitching give
lots of people fits unless they've sewn and made clothing
for years. If someone has the tenacity to learn cutting and
sewing on their own and sticks with it for about ten years,
then they're ready to come work here.
I
still have my soft spots. Although we've never applied for
official nonprofit status, we've hosted various groups from
volunteer moms with civic ballet organizations to children’s
theater groups to belly dancers to roller derby teams and
burlesque performers, and worked side-by-side with them in
the studio to guide them in cutting, stitching and building
great costumes, almost always on modest budgets. Individuals
from these groups give us some of their volunteer time with
our projects as well, so we all benefit.
If
you do become an apprentice or intern in a professional costume
shop such as ours, you get hands-on as well as visual learning
experiences. In our shop, you'd perform many duties, such
as cleaning and organizing, essential to running a studio.
You'd observe how I draft patterns, cut, drape, stitch, and
proceed during custom fittings, and you'd do most of these
activities, also. You'd observe how I work with clients and
how I manage a thousand things at once.
In
exchange, I'd get your needed help with cutting and stitching
projects, paperwork, shopping, errands, plus cleaning and
organizing. Basically, you'd have to be my bitch, but it's
fun. Friends, interns, and apprentices often extend their
assistance to hosting open house nights at our studio and
managing our monthly gallery stroll events. Our work together
on any given project is as much a social experience as it
is a focused, technical pilgrimage.
I've
enjoyed providing apprenticeship opportunities to individuals
who might otherwise have never discovered costuming in a university
setting, and I also enjoy giving courteous, quality service
to what some pejoratively call "fringe" or amateur
performing communities. I earn part of my living as an academic
(I teach theater and writing courses at Weber State University,
in Ogden, just north of Salt Lake City) and I'm sometimes
dismayed at the elitism in those circles. I'm a frequent witness
to even my own colleagues in the humanities who take it upon
themselves to write "about" "other" communities
and subcultures (in sometimes rather sensationalizing or exploitative
ways) while not exactly working cooperatively "with"
them on anything tangible or meaningful. I just think that's
so supercilious and dishonest. Anyway, that's my soapbox.
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Do
you need more artists, models and photographers?
SURE! Just ask. But please be patient. If you're
a paying customer who's placed an order, your corset or costume
project automatically gets into the schedule faster and you'll
be modeling it a lot sooner! It takes lots of spare time (which
there never seems to be enough of) to create new corset prototypes
and samples to send out to artists, photographers and models.
If
you are a client, I can usually arrange to get you a complimentary
photo session with my favorite photographer. He owes me.
If
you're friends with a good photographer, we can collaborate.
If you're a 2-d artist, painter or illustrator, I want to
meet you, too. Nothing's as cool as giving a blank corset
"canvas" to an inspired painter or illustrator,
then being blown away with your fantastic creation. Call and
let's meet over coffee so you can show off your portfolio.
The next gallery collection I'm curating is one that shows
more customized corsets.
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