[timarie]

Been here, done this. Ended up fired before finding a suitable replacement. I certainly hope things go better for you!

You are quite different from me in this, I'm all legs. What height I do have, anyways, and I'm really not tall at all at 5'4".

Note that if you buy from the same place as Misty, that'll be fine, but if you buy from TT, you'll have to do it a little different. I can't really do the whole video thing, and the TT instructions are slightly confusing, but if anyone would like me to, I could try to clarify the TT instructions and amplify them with some wisdom of my own experience.

The difference is that they make recommendations based upon a 4-5 inch reduction, which is considered a more "normal" and not as drastic a reduction. When we're pushing for 6-7", we're pretty much pushing for as tight as we can possibly go.

Thank you! And yes! This is all VERY exciting! The other day at school, it was the end of the day, and I'd taken my smock off, and one of the other girls were like, "Dang Abi, that top really looks good on you, and your physique!" And I was all oh, thanks, and then was about to explain that while yes, my top that day was really nice and flattering to my overall look that day, the real deal was that I was tight-laced underneath... But we cosmetologists are all part squirrel, you know, and the opportunity passed. Oh well. Now I feel guilty that the other girls think I have such an hourglass shape when I actually don't yet!

Ugh. DO NOT LONG-WEAR EDWARDIAN. EVER. Don't even think about it. Heck. Just don't even buy or wear one period unless you really need to for some kind of period costume, and then ONLY a couple hours tops at a time! Those beasts are HARMFUL!

Thanks a lot for your response, Abidrew. I have since heard back form Corset Story and, with a ton of volleyed emails (they must cringe to see my name now), did find the same thing as what you mentioned above. However, I struggle to understand it. According to their explanation, what I gathered is that, for the 6-7" reduction corsets, the waist sizes which they recommend are ONLY waist sizes obtained AFTER having waist trained for sometime already. Basically, that 6-7" corsets are never, and should never, be designed for beginners. So, the 20" corset designed to give a 6-7" reduction is recommended for someone who is NOW (after having corseted for some time already) 24-25" in the waistline. If I was to ignore this and use a 6-7" reduction corset as a beginner with a 27" waist, should I go for the 20" corset (despite their strange size recommendation system)? Their reasoning just seems so silly to me... because, for a beginner, the 6-7" reduction corsets can be tightened only an inch more than the natural waistline just as a 4-5" reduction corset can. But who knows--I do not own a corset yet, so I may be missing something here.

Sorry to hear about your being fired. At least you have a better placement now! It seems that sometimes these things have to happen in order to bring along the bigger and better things in life. When one door closes, another one opens. I just have been given an opportunity for a job interview for a job that will be a heck of a lot less stressful than my current job and may pay a little better. Finding a less stressful job is a priority for me right now, just so that I can get my head above water again. This may even allow me to go back to Grad school! My interview is this Friday

Oh, I WISH I could say I was all legs! And yes, once I found out how long the Edwardians are, I took them off my "to be considered" list.

And wow, that is one sure-sign way to know that the corset is working its wonders on you! Getting compliments already? And hey, if they don't know, they don't have to know Just think of it this way, you worked to get your waist down to that size, so it IS yours to compliment. No need to push the compliments off onto your corset It's like me pushing off a compliment made towards my glutes and quads by saying, "well, really, it's because of the wonderful equipment at LA Fitness." Um heck no, you bet I'll be taking that compliment, thank you! You put out the effort, you deserve the compliment. The corset is just the tool you used in conjunction with your effort to make that happen. Now, if someone asked me how I managed to get those glutes and quads, I would tell them... and I am sure you would do the same with the corset. Just saying, there is no need for you to feel guilty just because you received a compliment, because you worked for it And as far as you not having an hourglass shape yet... you will soon enough! For how long have you been corseting now, Abi?

And I think if you were to come up with a more detailed and clarified lacing instruction to provide for members of the forum on this thread to lace a TT corset, it will definitely be very helpful! As many people I am sure will be considering TT, it will make the process so much less uncertain for new tight-lacers to consider purchasing from TT if they know that they have access to a guide written by a fellow experienced lacer to lacing TT corsets. I think that is a great idea, Abi!