Black side-zip corset - corset discontinued by Escante - review by HouseWench

When I saw this on EF, I was in love! I've been looking for a corset like this (shapewise) for a while, and its affordability won me over!

It came in a clear plastic bag, already laced, with a little tag. The laces look like nylon shoestrings, but it comes with two of them, one for the upper half and another for the bottom half. I got the smallest size, 32. My bust tends to wander between 32 and 34, so I'll update this after I put on a little more weight. It fit my 24" waist pretty snugly! It's a bit wide around the hips (33" for me), so I think someone with hips of 35-36" would probably fit best. Around the chest it's a little loose, which could mean it either runs larger in the chest, or that I recently lost weight. I don't get nearly the shelf that the model in the photo does, but I do get some nice curve-peeking-over-the-edges effect with a little readjustment. The straps are fabric in the front half (built into the panels), and adjustable in the back. Since they're built in, they're not removable. It's 14" in the front and 11" in the back

This black side-zip corset is surprisingly well-made for its price. It's made of a single layer of a thick brocade, and it's pretty sturdy! All the seams and channels look good and are sewn securely. As its name implies, it has a zipper along the left side, which I could see being a bit awkward to zip up for some people. Fortunately since I'm slim and can't seem to do things the normal way (I take things out of my left pocket with my right hand all the time), I didn't have any difficulty with it (though I recommend moving your left boob out of the way before you start zipping). The zipper is made of black plastic, and blends in well with the brocade. It takes the place of one of the (plastic) bones, though, leaving you with an odd 7. The bones, while flexible plastic, do provide some noticeable support and feel nice along the back, like an affectionate hug! The lacing in the back is a couple of silky smooth pieces of rayon or nylon with black grommets set in. I found a couple of the grommets were unevenly spaced, but it took me a few minutes and a caliper to figure out exactly what was off. To my disappointment, there weren't bone channels near the lacing, so you'll have to take care to prevent wrinkling when you tug the laces.


I saw the back requested in comments, so I took a photo to show you!



Overall, while not quite what I expected, I can't say I'm truly disappointed. It's comfortable, nice looking, and affordable. If you are considering corseting but not sure how well you'll like the sensation or want to ease into it, it's a good purchase. It would also be good if you like the sensation of a corset while traveling, due to its flexibility, breath-ability, and how unlike a 'true' corset, it won't get you held up at airport security!