Not an Itty Bitty Waist of Time! - Orchard Corset Review

Hi all! I hope you've been well! Today's blog has been a long time coming. It's the first of two corset review blogs I am planning to do. How exciting, huh? My biggest issue when writing blogs isn't coming up with the context of a blog because I have plenty to say and write about. My biggest issue is writer's block. Losing the motivation to write on occasion even though I really want to. It also did not help that after posting my last con blog, that I and several other press members were subject to constant harassment. All is well and I am alright. As a result, that is also why the Lvl Up Expo blog has been delayed so long as well. It will be coming within the next couple of weeks or so. With that being said, away we go with today's blog!

So today I am reviewing the CS-426 Longline by Orchard Corset in Black Satin size 30. I received this corset after being featured on Orchard Corset's Waist Training Before & After Results for waist training in my CS-201 waspie corset. Although this corset was given to me for being featured, I always give completely honest reviews and will tell it like it is.

For those of you that don't know how corset sizing works, the size number is how small in inches your waist will be. My natural waist on a good day is 36" now, and with this corset, I can comfortably size down to 30" (It is actually too big for me now, and I will need to get either a size 26 or 28, depending on fabric). Yes, I can still breathe & eat, contrary to popular belief. I also do most of my photography in my cosplays while in this corset. I have been waist training for about two years now and have become quite adapted to life in a corset. People wear corsets for a multitude of reasons. Some people wear them for the dramatic hourglass aesthetic, while others may wear them for cosplay, pin up, and/or burlesque aesthetics or for medical reasons like bloating, posture, back pain, etc. The list goes on. My main uses for my corsets are cosplay, pin up, anxiety, and bloating. I also wear a corset about four days out of the week.

So, this is how Orchard sends their corsets to you, wrapped up like a burrito. I like their sticker because it reminds me a bit of the Tree of Life, but that is another story. Anyway, all of their corsets are already laced up for you, so you just slip it on, and let the seasoning begin!  You can also purchase new laces, and Orchard has many YouTube videos teaching you the way of the corset.

I was recently on a Cosplay and Corsets panel at Comic Con Revolution Ontario in mid May with my friend Crystal Rose Creations and a few other lovely corset wearing ladies and we gave tips and eased tensions about corset wearing during cosplay. My cosplay/personal IG is @bosshachi_08. On there you can find various pictures of me in my well seasoned corsets. Seasoning is the best way to get your corset to fit your body in a safe and proper way. Word to the wise, the proper way to season a corset is to have it feel like a warm hug, not like a vice grip or like someone is trying to squeeze the life out of you. If you feel pain, dizziness, or difficulty breathing, loosen up your corset, and discontinue usage in the meantime. Actually, the reason why I like wearing corsets is because that hugging sensation is calming for a person prone to anxiety. Also, consider inquiring with Orchard's sizing department to find a size suitable for your body type. Squishiness, along with torso length factors into a lot of how sizing works and how corsets will look on you as well.

Pre-opening

How it looks straight out of the wrapping paper

Never before worn and unwrapped!

My first time wearing this corset! and one of the few times it was on the outside of my clothes :)

One thing about me is that I absolutely LOVE stealthing in my corsets. Stealthing involves wearing your corset under your clothes so that it is not visible. I will seldom wear this particular corset on the outside of my clothing because it's so long and it does not work well with much of what I wear as an "outside" corset. While I do not go to great lengths to hide that I am wearing a corset, I like the satin because it is smooth and the clothing clings to it well. I personally see no reason to hide the fact that I have a corset on, even if it is under my clothing, and will actively tell people I have one on.

Stealthing as Lucoa from Kobayashi's Dragon Maid at Los Angeles Comic Con 2017 - Photography courtesy of @jackofalltradesx11 :)

Cosplaying as Gijinka Butterfree from Pokemon at Anime Impulse 2018 - Photography Courtesy of @tammohawk.photography :)

Pin up Aesthetics for a photo meet (This look went on to be published in Sex Kitten Pin-Up Magazine)

Unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end. After about six months of usage, my corset's boning started to come out of the fabric. This is the second corset by Orchard that I own that has had this problem. I think a simple solution is to use tougher fabric to hem the edges with because otherwise, it will keep coming apart like this. My other corset by them is the CS-201 in Grey Cotton, and it also came apart in the same fashion around the same amount of time - except at the closure hooks. It might be a coincidence, but it still makes me sad.

Boning coming out of the back of the corset :(

CS-426 Longline - 8/10 stars.
Pros -

• Natural hourglass (probably the thing I love the most about Orchard's line <3 )
• Great for Stealthing
• Comes in other styles: Leather, PVC, Cotton, Mesh, Brocade, with/without hip ties
• In fact, I would still love to get a mesh corset strictly for the hot California summer and those conventions that I cosplay at.
• Standard option for shorter waists
• Option for plus-sized women 
• Hashtag #orchardcorset and the name of the corset (#cs426 or #cs426longline) and they will feature anyone on their page, not just "famous" people like other companies.
• Orchard Corset also holds weekly, weekend contests to win a free corset on their facebook page - great for those that are frugal or cost-mindful like me to have a shot to win a corset. :)

Cons-

• Can be pricy - Ranges from $70-80$ for standard and $76-$86 for longline
• Boning comes out of the fabric after about half a year of continuous usage
• I have a long waist, but smallish hips, which somewhat made it look a little awkward in the back at times. 
• Can make your skin sweat, bruise, itch with certain bras regardless of tightness.
•  However, they have offered a fix for that with their new bamboo corset liners that go under the corset. I am curious to try one out since they are only $9.99 and I am cheap. :')

Anyhoo, that's all I got for you guys today! If you have any corset questions, or have any brands you would like to recommend that I check out in the future, let me know in the comments below. :)  I also have the patterns to make my own corset, I just need to the time and the money haha.


Till next time,

Hachi