Thank you for the corset love! Now I need to find an occasion to wear it as my lifestyle is somewhat less corset-worthy than it was a few years ago.
I hadn't thought to pair it with a pencil skirt, but Isis did point out that it works with the pencil skirt. That could be a good combo for a birthday dinner in a couple of months.
I want to try it over my polka dot blouse or a silky black collared blouse with jeans for just going out in the evening.
If I wore it to a more costume-y event (say Bay to Breakers - race in San Francisco to which people wear crazy outfits) I could see it worn with a solid colored ankle skirt and matching ribbon. The ribbons are pretty easy to swap out.
Probably the next chance I'll get to wear it is to an art gallery open house. The open houses are pretty casual but artistic flair is at least winked at.
This is obviously a very impractical fantasy life piece which is going to be saved for special occasions.
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about corsets and while I'm certainly no expert, I can tell you that a properly fitted corset is comfortable and lets you breathe, sit, walk, etc. They are way more comfortable than pantyhose or a shaper and I had no issues dancing vigorously Bollywood style in my wedding corset. For me, wearing a corset just feels like a nice, secure hug.
Steph, the name of the shop is Dark Garden, which I'm going to bet you've heard of, since you're also a Fluevog patron. They are pricey but their work is high quality and they have an excellent reputation on yelp. I'm a sewing/workmanship snob and I haven't seen so much as a crooked seam or dangling thread in either of my two corsets.