General
You may have every confidence that
ROMANTASY corsets and elegant garments are constructed with only the
highest quality fabric to insure durability over time and long wear (of
course, laces and braid trims applied to your ensemble are much more
delicate and therefore must be treated with greater care). With proper
seasoning of a new corset according to instructions we include with your
corset, by wearing your corset as outerwear or as foundation wear over
our
CorPro (protector tube), and by carefully dry cleaning both corsets
and garments, you may extend their useful lives, possibly for years and
years.
We offer a wide range of fabric colors and patterns for your choice,
among these six general types of fabrics defined below:
(1) 100% cottons and cotton blends,
(2) satins,
(3) brocades (polyester or silk), and
(4) 100% silks and silk-satins (duchesse satin)
(5) leathers
(6) polyvinyl (PVC)
 Corsets require
the very strongest possible fabric to withstand the substantial stress
of lacing down over many wearings, and the stress of many pounds of
pressure you will place at the waistline as you lace down (please read
below, some well-taken advice from two of our corsetmakers). It is
amazing to realize that  that pressure can even amount to 60 to 90 pounds
during one wearing! Thus, we strongly advise that you forgo choosing
flimsy or delicate fabrics, unless you are prepared for additional
charges for us to treat these fabrics as overlays over a more basic,
structurally-sound cotton corset we construct first. You may see just
that type of construction shown here in the burgundy corset where we
applied a delicate Indian silk chiffon beaded lace over a sturdy silk
duchesse satin corset.
You should start your fabric selection by determining what type of
fabric you prefer, then select your first and second choices of color
and pattern options next, remembering that colors may or will differ
from computer to computer. If you have a specific color in mind, it
would be best for you to first request an actual swatch of fabric, or
alert us to the precise color you envision by finding it on a magazine
page and sending a sample for us to match. You will readily understand
that requesting a "blue" corset israther meaningless when you consider
the following "blues" available in the marketplace: teal blue, sky
blue, royal blue, peacock blue, grey blue, light blue, midnight blue,
navy, and other shades of "blue!" Even "black" can differ; one might be
dark black, another blue black, and yet a third, grey black! Of course,
we are always happy should you decide to leave the ultimate color choice
up to us; we promise to exercise only the highest of artistic standards
on your behalf.
 After you choose your fabric type, here are the color and pattern
options available for our Classic
Line of corsets and our Non-Custom Corsets (such as our "Simple
Pleasures" Cincher, the Four-Panel Underbust Victorian, and other
In-inventory corsets).
The color, and pattern options for our
Elegant Line of corsets are
shown below with representative samples, since the fabric options
available depend on the marketplace and are truly too numerous to show
in total.
Please note that once you select your fabric and your order becomes
final and is placed with your corsetmaker, any change in fabric (pattern
or color) will incur a Change Order fee of $50. Note also that corsets
made for the fuller figure, or fabric requiring careful mirror-matching
of larger patterns, may require an additional fee which we will let you
know, once we have your final selection.
Occasionally, we are able to accommodate our Elegant Line clients who
prefer to supply their own fabric. However, this should never be
purchased nor submitted without first sending us a swatch to test for
suitability and advise you about any evident necessity for
mirror-matching of patterns, or overlay treatment if the quality is not
sufficiently durable without an underlay corset being first constructed,
for which there will of necessity be an upcharge.
Fabrics
-
 Cotton-backed Satin:
A smooth, rayon satin fabric, woven with a glossy-to-shiny face, and
dull cotton back. This is a very popular, shiny and sexy fabric because
of its particular strength and beauty for corsetry. It is rarely found
in typical fabric stores and then, usually in ivory and black. We order
ours from a special manufacturer, offer 14 different color choices, and
hand-dye certain colors. We will entertain your request to dye any
particular color for your corset for a modest upcharge; please inquire.
We typically keep the following in stock: black, red, chocolate,
burgundy, navy, royal blue, medium sky blue, pale pink, ivory, silver,
and white, blue-purple, forest green, and rich peach. Please see
this page for
color samples. We may soon be adding lavender and baby blue.
Other polyester satins of lesser quality may also be available upon
request, but we encourage our clients to select from our cotton-backed
satins if possible. Please note the corset shown at the right; white
threads of wear show through this gold store-bought polyester satin (not
cotton-backed) after only a few years of foundation-wear. It would
likely take many more years for this kind of intense corset wear for
such damage or weakness to appear on cotton-backed satin, if ever. Of
course, your level of wear and care for your corset, will affect this
issue.
-
 100% Cotton Twill, Duck, and Denim: Twill is a
diagonally zigzag woven thick cotton fabric usually with a dull finish.
Denim often has visible channels in the vertical weave and can have a
dull or shiny finish (beware: some denims have a bit of lycra in the
weave and are therefore too lightweight and stretchy for serious
corsetry or waist training). Today denim can often be found in an
amazing and lovely variety of patterns and colors, even with embroidery,
shown right. Duck is a square weave fabric with a matte or non-shiny
finish. View primary color choices for duck fabric on
this page.
These strong fabrics are typically used for corset lining but are
sometimes chosen by clients desiring a "work horse" style corset for
serious waist training, since they will always be more durable over time
and wear than satins and silks. Each has excellent "breathing" qualities
for comfortable wear in hot climates. These top-strength fabrics are
very comfortable, lie flat in the final corset when worn (whereas satin
will frequently show some wrinkling no matter how well made the corset
is), but where a fancy or elegant appearance is not a major factor.
Denim Samples
- Cotton Polyester: This is a blend of cotton and polyester
fabric with a dull finish similar to 100% cotton. It has good "breathing"
qualities, is very durable and is available in more muted colors than
the 100% cotton.
- Brocades: This includes any fabric with a raised, all-over
interwoven design giving an embossed effect, often emphasized by
contrasting surfaces and colors or threads. You may choose a polyester,
silk, or silk-poly blend brocade (such as our popular Chinese brocade of
which we have approximately 100 different patterns and colors, some of
which you may see on
this page.)
  Chinese Brocade Samples
  
Additional Brocade Samples
- Silk: Silk includes (1) Chinese patterned brocades, (2) dupione (a linen-like nubby textured fabric), and duchess satin (yes, it is 100% silk, although called "satin"). We show samples of colors available however you may request us to send jpg images of colors or patterns you don't see here. Only the latter two fabrics are 100% silk, while the former is a blend of silk and polyester, and our most popular choice for a corset because of the wealth of colors and patterns available (you may see several under the section entitled "Brocades" below). There are two qualities of Chinese brocade on the market however, we choose only the higher of those for maximum durability and strength. (Note that some readymade imported corsets in Chinese silk, which we call "wannabe" corsets, may look lovely and use what you think is the same fabric we use, however they do not. They use the lower quality fabric that will shred or wear sooner rather than later.) While we also offer silk dupione (a linen-like fabric) in your choice of over 200 colors, it is not the best fabric to choose for tight-lacing corsets or for those who have a very large hip spring measurement (difference between derriere and waist). We recommend silk duchesse satin especially for wedding ensembles (100% silk) with its heavy weight, matte finish and limited but lovely colors such as blush, cafe au laite, eggshell, and white.
 Silk Dupione Samples
- Metallic and Garment Leather: Very supple cowhides are vat
dyed into striking colors. Metallics glisten and sparkle, while garment
leather colors have a dull shine. Leathers mold well to the body and
corsets are lined with cotton-backed satin. They may be trimmed in a
contrasting color at the top and bottom edges for an additional fee.
Attractive combinations include black with metallic bronze or green,
metallic gold with red, and black with white.
- Heavy Lattigo Leather: This leather is appropriate for more
"fetish style", tubular-shaped corsets. For basic
colors, see lambskin colors below. Upon request we are happy to send
swatches of embossed or painted leathers giving unusual effects, such as
alligator or snakeskin, geometric or nature designs, and other.
- Patent Leather: Some corset companies will work in patent
leather, normally black in color. Because this is very delicate and
difficult fabric to work with, requiring extra tedious attention to
details of stitching and finishing, an additional fee will be charged.
- PVC: Some corset companies construct corsets in shiny plastic
material, normally red or black in color. Sometimes we can
source eggplant, hot pink, race car yellow, bright orange, and other
colors. Please inquire if you have a specific color in mind.
 PVC
Samples
- Latex: Some corset companies construct corsets in latex or
rubber.
- Lambskin Leather: This is the softest, silky leather
available on the market, and because of the high quality and small size
of each hide, typically takes two hides per corset. Therefore, the labor
and fabric cost may double over garment cowhide leather. Finish may be
matte, shiny, or pearlized. Sometimes you may have a choice in finish
for many colors, and sometimes your color choice may be limited to one
or two types of finish. Check out the fantastic array of colors and
finishes possible in these samples.
  Leather Samples
View Laces, Trims, Bodice treatments,
and Lacing Ribbons on the following page.
How to Shop for Your Own
Fabric
You will add to, or take
years of wear off your gorgeous corset, depending on the skill with
which you select the quality of your fabric. Please submit a fabric
swatch in advance of your purchase; we cannot be responsible for the
cost of fabric that may entail an additional charge for overlay,
mirror-matching of patterns, or other special handing or Change Orders.
Note, too, that some corsetmakers choose not even work with certain
fabrics. For example, after we had carefully advised one bridal client,
she went out to purchase ivory brocade, but came back with black velvet
-- a fabric her chosen corsetmaker did not accept. At first, we feared
the cost of the velvet would be a total loss to the client, but we were
able to change her corsetmaker to another member of our team who worked
in velvet, and completed the bridal corset perfectly! Remember that any
such administrative change necessitated by our client's independent
actions, will incur a $50 Change Order fee.
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Regarding patterns, remember that large patterns may not show well on a
corset because the individual pattern pieces are relatively narrow! In
addition, to show a large pattern, extra labor and time may need to be
taken to match both sides of the corset, called 'mirror matching.' Note
how corsetiere Sue Nice has mirror matched the circles in the black
fabric and the red fabric, to the right. Note the same purple and gold
silk pattern matched for one client on the right, not matched for
another client on the left; this is your choice to make, but mirror
matching will or may add an upcharge for additional time and skill
required; please ask in advance of purchasing your fabric."Silk can be tricky. I
use the dupioni silk basically as an overlay and cut pattern pieces in
only one direction of the weave, otherwise the silk can easily split
along the grain. As a single fiber it is the strongest of all, but it's
hard to find a heavy weave silk, most likely because of the production
expense. Of course, cotton being a cheaper natural fiber, is more
cost-effective to use to manufacture heavier weaves. That's generally
why all "work horse corset" fabric, especially for tight-lacing corsets
that are expected to lace down many inches for many continuous hours and
days of wear, is generally cotton. Silk taffetas are usually good
bets for a fancier corset fabric. However, in general I don't like using
regular acetate taffetas. They are hot to wear, and don't stand up well
to wear over time. By the time I treat taffeta as on overlay for
construction purposes, the body just can't breath with that synthetic
'stuff' on the outside." --
Sharon McCoy Morgan
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"The uninitiated
might well think, with the plethora of fabrics available in the large
stores these days, that the corset maker's supplies were healthy. The
truth is, they are not. At the turn of the 19th century, when the
production of cotton fabrics reached its peak, there were 80,000 looms
operated by about 20,000 firms in England alone! A substantial
proportion of that output was geared to supplying a very large corset
industry, and the demand was for high quality, strong cloth. This was
made both for the outside surface as well as the lining of corsets. A
gradual decline in consumption of corset cloth took place during the
20th century, making a nose dive in the 70s and 80s. This had
catastrophic consequences, resulting in most corset manufacturers, as
well as suppliers, going out of business by 1985. Few remain in
existence. The most important aspect of a corset, especially if it is
subjected to tight lacing (Ed. note: tight lacing is generally defined
as lacing a garment so that the natural waist is reduced four or more
inches for six more more hours at a time, day-in and day-out for a year
or so), is that it will withstand usage over many months--if not years.
It is not enough to have a lining material which is strong, combined
with a lighter weight outside--it will not last. The lighter fabric has
to be backed, preferably bonded, so that there is no possibility of it
coming under tension and breaking. The corset maker of a century ago
would not have had problems like this to overcome!
"What we can buy in the shops these days is fine for constructing
dresses and the like, but as a material for a corset you can write most
of them off as useless. I have learned through bitter experience that
even an interlined corset, with a lightweight nylon covering outside, is
at risk of failure at the seams. Supplies of corset weight materials,
specifically brocades and satins, are very limited. In the United
Kingdom the choice is down to only a handful of designs, and these
mainly exist in black, pink or white. Other colors are very rare
indeed. There are isolated sources within Europe, but here I have so far
found only three suppliers of good quality materials--I have paid as
much as $45.00 a meter (about $60US per yard) to get what I need! The
situation with lining materials is totally different. Even though the
demand for corsets by the public in general is now almost non-existent,
corsets still require surgical supports. (Ed. note: not by ROMANTASY's
recent experience: our orders double almost every few years! Imagine the
growing national demand when you consider off-the-peg steel boned
corsets of certain--if not perfect--quality). I was told by a
manufacturer I visited recently that the demand for this type of corset
remained unchanged, so that the coutils (similar heavyweight weaves) are
still easily obtainable. So -- if you are lucky enough to have a corset
in a quality brocade, do not be surprised at what it costs; You are
lucky to get it at all! If your corset is made with anything else, then
it may not survive heavy wear." --
Michael Garrod
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