All of these are great ideas, great tidbits of advice, and have given me plenty of things to ponder! But perhaps I need to clarify a few things so we don't get too far off track, or just keep re-itterating the same things over and over.
First, I'm only on the preliminary research steps, nowhere near even drafting out a pattern let alone going beyond. I have my concept, and while it is rather unique and new (from what I can tell so far, that is) - it is focused more on fitting the modern woman's measurements and shape than it is on style. It's not new in the concept, however the use of that concept might be. (Sorry if that's vague!) Because the corset is a historical garment, one that completely fascinates me as well, I will do all that I can to incorporate the history into the design. In terms of style, period, decade, etc - I say that I want a Victorian style, in comparison to Tudor/Elizabethan or 18th century stays (completely drastic styles and ones that unfortunately won't work with my concept at this time.) Which decade or specific look within Victorian eras? That, I honestly do not know! I have general sketches in my mind but as far as settling on a specific decade, I need much more research. Everything right now is general and broad - I'm trying to amass as much information as I can in order to create the best style and design that 1) works with my overall concept, 2) is marketable, and 3) sells. Concept: Without giving anything away, I will be using both hip and bust gores. Yes, it would be more challenging to make up, but for the overall goals of fitting the modern woman, I believe the extra effort will be worth it. (I can easily be wrong, but only trial and error may tell!) Marketability: My ideal market is a bridge between the historical re-enactors and fashion. After all, the past influences the future. If, however, once I have the pattern worked out, and start testing it and making some test corsets, they end up appealing more to the fantasy/renaissance, or even goth scenes then I will adapt and start marketing to them instead because one of the goals is to make a return on my investment if possible. I also accept that I will probably alienate some people simply because of the style, and some perhaps because of the concept itself. But if the first design is successful, then I can adapt and hopefully add additional styles that would bring those people back into play. Lastly, to touch on the issue you bring up with gores and fit vs shaping the body. It is a valid point, and will definitely be a fine line (if one even exists) that I will have to decide. While I agree that the corset shapes the body and provides the support, you can't squeeze a women who wears a DD bra into a corset designed for a woman with an A cup - even if all their other measurements are the same. Or perhaps it is and my concept might have to be thrown out. My research and trials (along with help from those of you who've gone through this or are familiar with the concepts, etc), will ultimately decide where things go. Sorry if I repeated things I've already mentioned - I'm trying to clear up any misunderstandings and establish better grounds to continue. And I do promise, I will TRY to keep emails short as well! Michael Deibert OAS AAS LLS _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
