Red garter waist cincher - cinch discontinued by Leg Avenue - review by J's Alley

I am so sad...I just don't know where to begin here. This is one of the cutest items I have ever seen here at EF; compound that with the fact that I have the Princess Satin Cinch and you will totally get why I just had to have this. What I was expecting was a mini version of the cinch I already own (check it out). What I got was a cheaper, smaller version of that item. Now, just so you all know: While I think the piece is cheaply made, it is very pretty on.

The cinch is satin (just for reference it is a polyester satin), but it isn't that luxurious satin we all associate with being sexy, it's that rough papery stuff that cheap Halloween costumes are made of. The inner lining of the cinch was just a batting, kind of like the stuff on the bottom of your couch, I was totally not happy with that...I would have preferred a fleece or even cotton lining that would be less scratchy against my skin. The eyelets are sewn in with the outside reinforced with metal boning, honestly a second steel bar on the other side would have made the eyelets less likely to break...luckily mine haven't broken {yet}. What I found most amusing was the low quality shoe string that came with the cinch to tie it closed. It was horrifically long, so I cut it in half and laced from bottom to middle, then middle to top for a better cinch in the waist line. I did have to burn the ends so they would stop fraying. To be totally fair, most small waist cinches only have one string that is tied either top to bottom or vise versa (no big deal...I always cut them), they just usually aren't this cheap.

The garters are permanently attached; if you need to be able to take them off, sorry, you can't. It is a simple piece of elastic with a tooth grab to adjust it, and the bottom is the typical piece on all garters to attach to the stocking, and it is covered by ribbon to look nicer. The Leg Ave measurements for a Medium (the one I have) are 25-27 inches on the waist...I got mine to open up to a 34 inch waist, but you may have a hell of a time tying it. I was able to get it to cinch my waist in (at a tolerable discomfort level) about 2.5 inches, I wouldn't recommend more than 2 inches on this cinch though due to durability questions.

The very front and back measure in at 6.5 inches long, meaning, if you're small (like me) and have issues finding a comfortable cinch, this is a great fit. The garters are able to be shortened from about 9 inches top to tip to 5.5 inches top to tip. That is a relatively short garter (for those of you who, like me, have hobbit legs), but they stretch well, so no real worries there. In fact, the garters are the part of the cinch I liked the most; I really liked the clamp on them and the fact that they're elastic. The piece I can take or leave? The "removable" bow. What the hell? It is a pretty satin bow, all big and showy, that is made so you can look more burlesque. Well, that bow...it's safety pinned on. Yeah, a fucking safety pin. I was so underwhelmed at the craftsmanship there is wasn't even funny. I think my exact words were "what the hell is this crap all about?" Yeah, I would have preferred the bow be sewn on permanently; it would have been less tacky.

The boning was mediocre at best. Yes, it is metal boning, but it is thin and flimsy. The boning in the waist comes half way down to pinch the waist and is only mildly affective. A solid metal boning in the waist line would have been better. Also, while there are the typical 10 lines of boning, they are only single boned. This means the boning doesn't hold as well as it could. If there were two pieces of metal at each spot, or even a single piece of heavier steel, the cinch would be tighter and look a lot nicer.


*See experience for the rest of the review.*

To clean it just hand wash it in a mild detergent and either hang to dry it or lay it flat. Don't iron it, the material might melt on your iron. This isn't a hard item to care for, so cleaning is simple...but satin does stain easily, so be careful.

So here is a recap of what I had to change to make me not want to throw this away (and these changes made a huge difference to me):

I cut the shoe string (let's call it what it is) in half and laced it to the middle for a much nicer fit.
I removed the bow, bought a much smaller set of safety pins and used those (it came with a huge 1 inch one), that hid the pin, so it was tolerable.
I am planning on replacing the ribbon with a sturdier one soon, that will make lacing more efficient.

Honestly, I would have totally loved this if those things I did came that way. I might have even considered it worth the money if it had a better inner lining and sturdier boning throughout. Don't get me wrong, it is a pretty piece and looks nice on, I just wish it was a better quality for the money it costs.

The cinch does pull in, I got about a two inch pull from it...I wouldn't recommend more than that. Pair this with some fence or fishnets and a sexy pair of heels...plus some hot glittery pasties...you will look amazing. This is a nice bedroom piece, I just wouldn't recommend wearing it out all the time.

I did find the cinch to be very flattering while not being too uncomfortable (except for the lining). Since I got such a good nip at the waistline I was actually ok with buying this item...it did what it was supposed to, I just wonder how long it will really last.