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What Katie Did ‘Morticia’ Corset

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What Katie Did are a UK-based brand, who specialise in recreating a huge variety of vintage lingerie. While they sell everything from stockings to shapewear, what I lusted after for a long time was their selection of corsets – specifically, their Morticia corset. However, given the Morticia’s price tag of £159.50, I was sure that I would never be able to try it. What I wasn’t counting on was their post-Christmas sale, allowing me to bag my very own Morticia at a very reasonable price! And yes, I did mean post-Christmas – this review has been a long time coming! As you might have guessed from the above picture, I did recently have a just-for-fun photoshoot, so that gave me the push I needed to get around to writing this review.

WKD Wrapping and How to card

The Morticia is a steel-boned longline underbust corset, made specifically for very curvy figures. Most average corsets won’t have enough space at the hips for those with a large difference in their waist/hip measurements, meaning that the corset will cut into the hips once laced. To avoid this, the Morticia is made with gored hips, which means it can accommodate a waist/hip difference of 10+ inches. In my case, my waist measurement tends to fluctuate between 28-31 inches, while my lower hips are approximately 42 inches, theoretically making the Morticia a good bet for me. In these pictures I am not wearing anything under the corset, but for proper wear another layer (such as a vest top) should be worn underneath, to protect both your skin and the corset lining.

WKD Morticia 24 -  Gored hips close up

Corsets are sized by their tightest waist measurement, so a size 30 should close down to 30 inches. This means that if you want to reduce your waist, you need to go smaller than your own waist measurement, usually by around 4-5 inches. Going by this suggests either a 24 or 26 would be a good size for me. I had heard that the Morticia is easier to reduce in than many other corsets, due to being made to accommodate hips. Because of this, I decided to go straight for a 24, though I think a 26 would have been plenty small enough for me. One important note: you shouldn’t try to lace a new corset tightly for the first few wears, as it needs to be broken in. Significantly tightening the corset straight away can damage the corset or cause injury, so make sure you give it some time before starting to really reduce.

WKD Morticia 24 - On off comparison

The corseted picture is from the initial try-on, so it isn’t quite on properly, but I think you get the idea. The Morticia fastens with a steel busk at the front, and laces at the back with sturdy cord, which I somehow didn’t think to get a picture of. I think in this picture my waist measurement was around 31 inches, reduced to 29 inches. I didn’t take a comparison picture at the time, so the uncorseted picture is from this month (as you might be able to tell looking closely – anyone for a game of spot the difference? :P ). The Morticia gives a fantastic, visibly smoothed out silhouette, and I was surprised at how different I looked even though the measurable difference was only 2 inches.

WKD Morticia 24 -  Clothed on off comparison

The appearance of the corset under clothes. I do find under thinner clothes that the seams/boning in the corset are visible, so some may find it necessary to wear an extra layer (such as shapewear) on top of their corset. I would also make sure you put on any hosiery and shoes before putting the corset on, or make sure you have someone to help you  - I found that I had a lot of trouble reaching my feet with the corset on! Despite having a fantastic appearance, I did find that I had fit issues with the corset, which I think are visible if you compare my regular shape to my corseted shape. My proportions can be difficult to fit into pre-made corsets: I am very short waisted (2-3 inches from underbust to waist), with high hips and a long rise.

This is a very long corset, with a waist to underbust distance of about 6 inches, which means that if I do put the waist at my natural waist, the upper part of the corset digs into the underside of my boobs. If I place it low enough to not dig into my boobs, the waist of the corset sits much lower than my actual waist, which wouldn’t be as much of a problem, but it does move back up.  I found it slightly more comfortable putting my bra on over the corset, as this stopped the corset pushing on the underwires, but it instead created empty space at the bottom of the bra cups when it moved up. Despite the gored hips, the corset can be uncomfortable on my upper hips due to how high they are, but I didn’t have any problems with the length of the lower half itself – I found the length and longline shape to give good coverage and shaping, and I didn’t have any issues with my belly being pushed out the bottom.

IMG_0017 (bands)

The Morticia really is a gorgeous, beautifully constructed corset, but the proportions just aren’t quite right for me. The corset measurements are listed on the item page (under ‘Details’), so if you are considering any of their corsets, I would recommend measuring yourself and making sure your proportions are reasonably close to them. For those who are more long-waisted, the Morticia could definitely be worth trying – I’ve seen it work on so many beautiful ladies, and I’m sure there are many more who will love this!

Measurements:
- length along front busk 13.25″
- underbust to hip 10.75″
- side length from underarm to waist 6.75″
- side length from waist to bottom 5.25″

For more reviews of the Morticia, check out Fuller Figure Fuller BustCurvy Wordy and Invest In Your Chest.

Afternote: As some of you may have noticed, I have recently followed in the footsteps of some of my fellow bloggers and added links to my PayPal and Amazon wishlist in the sidebar. I have written about my reasons for doing this here - if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to get in touch.


Brastop Awards 2013

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BrastopAwards2013HeaderBrastop are one of my favourite retailers, stocking high quality D-K lingerie at bargain prices. They have grown and grown over the years, and today, Brastop are launching the Brastop Awards.
There are seven awards for different categories, with the winners to be chosen by public vote. You can select as many of your favourites as you like in each category, with the option of naming any other bloggers you would like to add recognition to.

Categories:
- Best for Lingerie
- Best for Swimwear
- Best Lingerie Blogger
- Best Sports Brand
- Best Brastop Model
- Best for Maternity Wear
- Best Celebrity Curves

To my surprise, my little old blog has been nominated in the category of ‘Best Lingerie Blogger’! I am very flattered to have even been nominated, especially considering the other blogs in the category – I definitely have some big competition! I’m not going to get my hopes up for winning, but if you do enjoy my blog or find it useful, I would love it if you could vote for me.

To vote, go to the Brastop Facebook page any time before the end of 23rd October. Thank you!

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Aren’t You Sweet?

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The Dotty Spot from Bravissimo is one of my all-time favourite bras, which I have previously reviewed in both the Black/Café and Aqua/Red colourways. This will be a fairly short post, as I covered the bra in-depth in my first review. The design disappeared for a few seasons, but it returned this summer in a wonderful Red/Ivory colourway (eep)! I adore polka dots, and the combination of red and white never fails to make me feel like a sexy Minnie Mouse. On that note…

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…Okay, I just wanted to throw in one of my holiday snaps :P This is one of the sets I wore while at Disneyland, featuring the wonderful Dotty Spot, some semi-matching La Senza knickers and the obligatory Minnie ears. At the moment, my usual size is 30K (30KK in Bravissimo Alana, 30JJ in Panache Jasmine), but the Dotty Spot runs slightly larger than most other Bravissimo balconettes by about half a cup. My older Dotty Spots fit about half a cup small, so I decided to try this colourway in a 30K, expecting it to be perhaps half a cup big. My sizing guess was right – I get some slight wrinkling along the upper seam in this size, but not enough to size down without getting overspill. If you are between cup sizes, you may find you need your smaller cup size in this bra.

I do find that I’m slightly too full-on-top and centre-heavy for most Bravissimo balconettes, as they are more suited to those with more outer/bottom-heavy breasts. This means I get slight wrinkling at the bottom and overspill at the centre, but these are really just minor issues with the shape. I think it would be best suited to those with a mid-width root, a lot of projection, and even to bottom heavy breasts.

Dotty Spot Red 30K close1watermarked2

I was happy to find that this colourway retains all the wonderful qualities of the previous ones. The cups are constructed of a gorgeous polka-dot laminate material, which is very secure and supportive. This bra definitely brings you up and centre, with a lot of projection and a beautifully retro pointed shape. The pointiness may not be to everyone’s tastes, but I am personally a big fan, as I find it to be quite youthful under clothes. The straps are fully adjustable, and the true-to-size band fastens with 3 sets of hooks and eyes. I did find that the first eye I fasten the band onto has already started coming loose, something which shouldn’t happen, however, in my experience, Bravissimo will return or exchange any bras that start doing this. The wires are fairly standard for Bravissimo, so fairly mid-width with a narrow but high gore – I could personally do with slightly narrower wires and a lower gore, as they are about a thumb too wide at the sides and can irritate in the middle due to me being close-set. I didn’t have any issues with the sides being too high, which was a huge relief to me. Overall I found this bra to be great, both in terms of comfort and appearance, and I would definitely recommend trying it if you like the style.

The Dotty Spot is currently available for £29 at Bravissimo, with a size range of 28 E-J, 30-38 DD-K.

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Halloween Lingerie

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Halloween is probably one of my favourite days of the year – the costumes, the scares, and (of course) the sweets. To get into the Halloween mood this year, I’ve been looking around for some fabulous Halloween-themed lingerie. So, since it’s just a few days away, today I thought I’d take a minute to share some of my favourite pieces.

1. Emerald Angel Monster Movie Set

1. Emerald Angel Movie Monsters

This is one of the sets that I have had the hugest crush on for so long. I loooove pin-up and rockabilly fashion, so this combination of the elegant girdle and quirky monster material is right up my street. Unfortunately I can’t see a halterneck bralet working for me, but the girdle is a very tempting possibility!

Movie Monsters Bra/Cami Top and Girdle/Garter Belt, both available from EmeraldAngel on Etsy.

2. Spiderweb Tights

2. GravityUS Spiderweb tights

It’s just not Halloween without an abundance of spiders. These tights are spooky but cute – if I had these, I would be tempted to see if I could wear the picture on the back with a below-knee skirt, to get the appearance of spooky seamed tights.

Spiderweb tights available from Gravity-US on Etsy.

3. Skull Garter Belt

3. Voluscious Skull Garter Belt

There are so many things I want from this shop! This girdle/garter belt from Voluscious is a bit more subdued than some of the other items on this list, which means it could easily be worn at any time of year. This could be a great option for those who want their shapewear to be a bit more fun, but without being too out-there.

Powernet with Skull Print 4-clip Garter Belt available from Voluscious on Etsy.

4. Pentagram Harness

4. Hopeless Pentagon harness

I can’t get over Hopeless Lingerie’s designs. I love bondage and fetish inspired lingerie, and Hopeless Lingerie’s pieces (particularly the harnesses) provide a great way to get the look even with full-bust bras. This pentagram harness would look great with a plunging black dress.

Black Satin Elastic Pentagram Harness available from Hopeless Lingerie on Etsy.

5. Spiderweb Embroidered Bra

5. ASOS spider bra

Sadly only a small-bust option, but it’s so perfect for Halloween that I had to include it. This would be great for anyone who likes their clothes to be a little more dark and gothic.

Spiderweb Embroidered Bra available from Kallisti by Marios Schwab on ASOS, 32-36 A-D.

6. Crystal Skull Choker Strap

6. Esty skull choker strap

One of the few items on this list that I actually own! This choker strap attaches to the centre of your bra, giving the harness bra look without the restricted size range. The skull comes in lots of different colours (red, pink, green and orange), which adds just a bit of fun to an otherwise minimal piece.

Black Satin Choker Bra Strap with Crystal Skull available from Esty Lingerie.

7. Cobwebs Halloween Bodysuit

7. Knickerocker Hallowen bodysuit

Here’s one that gets right to the point ;) This bodysuit features an orange base with black spiderweb print, and can be worn either as loungewear, underwear or outerwear. Personally I think this would look great worn with a leather jacket and long, sheer black skirt, though the cold weather might not agree with that idea!

Halloween Bodysuit available from Knickerocker on Etsy.

8. Bat Suspender Tights

8. ASOS Bat Suspender Tights

Another item to celebrate Halloween without going all out. I love that these could either look like plain black tights under a regular dress, or be shown off in a mini or some high-waisted shorts.

Bat Suspender Tights available from ASOS.

9. Skeleton Overbust Corset

9. Sweet Carousel Skeleton corset

This might only be everyday outerwear for the very confident! This is definitely a high quality corset rather than a dress-up piece, so it might not be one to get just as a one-off. I would personally wear this with a red high-waisted pencil skirt, to give it an outerwear look without going over the top. Adding a black sheer top over it could also help to tone it down a bit. For most people, this could be worn as unusual shapewear, or as part of a bit more sophisticated skeleton costume.

Skeleton Overbust Corset available from Sweet Carousel Corsetry on Etsy.

10. Spider Nipple Pasties

10. Emerald Angel Spider Pasties

Finally, these nipple pasties. These come in a variety of colours, and could be fun to wear as a little secret under your clothes (if you can go braless). In my fantasies, they would be great for a creepy burlesque look. Or for a gothic mermaid costume. Is that a thing? That should be a thing.

Spider Nipple Pasties available from EmeraldAngel on Etsy.

Are you looking forward to Halloween? What are your plans? :)

Cosy in Collectif

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I spend a lot of my time wearing pretty dresses, which means that for the past year or two, I’ve been looking for a good vintage-inspired coat to cover up with through autumn and winter. Most of my dresses are knee length and full-skirted, so I really need something with plenty of bust room, as well as being long enough to cover my dresses without crushing my petticoats. Last year, I bought a Trashy Diva Courtney Coat Dress (worn here), which, despite fitting well and being stunningly beautiful, was just a bit too formal for everyday wear.

This autumn, I was very happy to see that vintage-inspired brand Collectif Clothing had introduced a new style: the ‘Dietrich Swing Trench’, initially available in blue, beige and black. I wear a lot of black, red and blue, so I thought the blue colourway would be an interesting neutral colour for my wardrobe and a great way to wrap up, but it was out of stock whenever I looked. Not to be defeated, I bought a gift voucher during one of their sales…and waited. After months of checking, some sizes reappeared, and I just managed to order one in a size 14…only to get an email saying that they had sold out, and the blue colourway wasn’t going to be restocked again. I was gutted. However, upon hearing how much I wanted the coat, the wonderful Siobhan phoned around and managed to track one down for me! Here’s how it looked on me…

Coat full 1 WMThis is the first time I wore this coat, so it’s a bit crumpled, but I think it’s clear how good a choice this coat was! I received the coat in a size 14, which I find to be slightly loose on the waist and slightly small on the bust, so I would say the size chart seems accurate. The buttons aren’t straining so it’s still completely wearable, though I’m not sure if I could wear many layers underneath. It’s also slightly large on my shoulders, but this may be more due to me being narrow-shouldered than the size itself. I think I would fit best in a size 16, for bust room and for layering space.

The coat is made from a heavy cotton with a polyester lining, which makes it a good choice for chilly autumn weather. I don’t think I’ll be able to wear it when the cold really sets in, but for cold rainy days, this coat should fit the bill. I was worried that the full skirt would lead to many Marilyln moments on blustery days, but I was relieved to see that the heavy material meant that it didn’t blow up/open too easily. I don’t think I would wear it on the windiest days, but it isn’t going to fly up at the slightest hint of a breeze. The coat is a bit more of a light grey-blue in most lights, so not quite as bright as it appears in the stock pictures. It has a gorgeous white/blue floral lining, which adds warmth and makes the coat feel wonderfully high quality.

Coat full 2 WMI’m wearing the coat in these pictures with a retro floral dress and a petticoat, to show the fullness of the skirt. Just ignore how the shoes totally don’t match :P I love all the little details on this coat – the epaulettes, the cuffs and the gunflap are all small additions which keep an otherwise plain coat from getting boring. My only complaint with this coat is the length of the waist belt: I found the belt that comes with this coat very short, to the point where I have trouble fastening it into a tight bow, let alone a neat/pretty bow. I think the belt needs to be significantly longer, both for practical and aesthetic reasons.

Collectif have since released a red version of this (which I’m wishing I had), as well as a warmer blue check version for the colder weather. They also have some lovely thick coats for winter, such as the gorgeous Anastasia coat & cape – sigh! For now, though, the Dietrich coat is a gorgeous piece, which should be a great option for autumn and spring weather. The Dietrich Swing Trench is available for £95 from Collectif Clothing, in sizes 6-22 (UK). There are still limited sizes left for the blue colourway, so be quick if you want to get your hands on it!

What are you keeping warm in this autumn/winter? Do you have a favourite bust-friendly coat?

Songs for Self-Love

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I have recently been listening to a lot of music centred around body positivity,  self-acceptance and self-love. Whenever I’m having a bad day – whether poor body image, low self-worth, or just not knowing what I’m doing with my life … Continue reading

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Troubleshoot your Bra Size

Collectif Basics (Part 1)


Pretty in Panache Jasmine

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When I was first fitted as a 30JJ, it was relatively easy to find bras that worked for me. Somehow, going up just 1-2 cups has made so many of my favourite bras unwearable, and forced me to look around for a new favourite bra. I covered some of the bras I tried out back […]

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Two years of blogging!

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Well that crept up on me. Yet again, I can’t believe that I’ve been writing this blog for two years – it feels as though it’s been a few months at most! I really don’t know where the time has gone!  This year I started to write more social commentary and opinion pieces, which I […]

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The Problem with Fitspo

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Trigger warning: Discussion of fitspo and thinspo, “motivational” images, body shaming, and diet culture A new year has just started, which for many people will mean making resolutions for the year ahead. By far the most common resolution I hear people making is to lose weight and/or get fit, and lots of women will turn […]

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My Blog’s 2nd Birthday: DD Atelier

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DD Atelier is a Russian retailer, dedicated to creating clothing to fit and flatter a full bust. They provide a wide range of clothes in a variety of styles, from evening dresses to casual shirts. Their clothes are available in sizes 65-85 (approx 23-32″ waists) and three bust sizes of D, F and H (allowing […]

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My Blog’s 2nd Birthday: Large Cup Lingerie

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Large Cup Lingerie are an online retailer, specialising in sexy and well fitting lingerie for curvy figures. LCL contributed to my blog birthday celebrations last year, and I’m so pleased to have them on board again! Founded in 2010, Large Cup Lingerie are dedicated to providing fun, fashionable bras for curvy figures. They aim to […]

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My Blog’s 2nd Birthday: Charnos Lingerie

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Charnos Lingerie were founded in 1958, and have been dedicated to creating beautiful and elegant lingerie ever since. A part of LF Intimates, they aim to provide luxury quality at affordable prices, delivering stylish and sophisticated styles without compromising on fit. Charnos covers 30-38 A-H, 40 B-FF and 42 B-F, with matching briefs available in […]

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My Blog’s 2nd Birthday: Lepel Lingerie

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Lepel is a sub-brand of LF Intimates, and could perhaps best be described as the little sister of Charnos. They offer a gorgeous range of beautiful and feminine lingerie, including both young, flirty designs and sophisticated basics in a range of 30-38 A-G, with briefs available in sizes 8-18. The Fiore is one of their […]

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My Blog’s 2nd Birthday: BiuBiu

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BiuBiu is a full-bust clothing retailer, creating a variety of clothes cut for curvy figures. Stocking everything from casual tops to work clothes at very reasonable prices, they have become a firm favourite in the full-bust community. Their sizing is based on waist and bust measurements, covering sizes 34-46 (waists from 65-102cm) with three bust […]

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My Blog’s 2nd Birthday: The Winners!

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I hope that everyone has enjoyed my little giveaway! This year’s giveaway resulted in an impressive 1500 comments, with over 10,000 entries between all of the giveaways! Once again, I’d like to give a huge thank you to my readers, sharers and supporters, as well as all of my wonderful sponsors. None of this would […]

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Taking on the World with the Panache Sport

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At the start of this year, Panache contacted me to ask if I would like to participate in their new year fitness campaign, Support Every Move. The campaign was very successful, including a crowd-sourced workout playlist on Spotify, a motivational pinboard on Pinterest, articles about fitness and music, reviews of the Panache Sports bra and […]

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Guest Post: Cake Lingerie’s ‘Ginger Macaroon’ Set Reviewed

Dressed to Impress with Curvy Kate’s Ritzy

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Curvy Kate‘s Showgirl cuts are some of their most popular pieces, combining gorgeous designs with amazing cakes-on-a-plate style cleavage. Until recently, most of Curvy Kate’s Showgirl cuts were only available in 28-30 D-J and corresponding sister sizes, and the small cups and loose bands meant the actual size range was smaller than it seemed at […]

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