Corsets ~ What do you know but the corset lives on! I’m not sure you would want to wear one everyday but for special occasions I highly recommend them. I think they are not only figure-enhancing but also fun. There are underbust corsets and overbust corsets. I happen to find overbust corsets more agreeable but that will depend on your personal preference and shape. You can visit any department store to try a few on and determine which style best suits you but I wouldn’t recommend buying a corset from any old lingerie store. They are more for aesthetics (if you know what I mean) and less for actual waist whittling. Believe it or not, there are quite a few places online where you can buy corsets but a word of caution – several of these businesses embrace and encourage various questionable practices. I don’t know about you but I’m not comfortable giving them my business.
Girdles ~
Girdles
are a great way to encourage an hourglass shape. I have to say, these look pretty comfortable…for a girdle, that is. (I do wish they had a more appealing name though, don’t you?) While girdles are much kinder on your pocketbook, they will not have as stunning of an effect on your waist as a corset. Of course, you could probably wear one more regularly than you’d want to wear a corset, so that’s a plus. Girdles come in a variety of control levels so some of the stronger ones might have quite an effect on your silhouette.
Waist Cinchers ~ Waist Cinchers
Body Shapers ~
And the least effective but most comfortable option would be body shapers. Spanx is my body shaper of choice. Oh, how I love them. Alas, they will probably help flatten your tummy more than they will cinch it so they might not be quite what you’re looking for, Annie.
There you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about whittling your waist! I think having a waist like Marilyn Monroe and friends is a laudable goal! Thanks for the question! I had a ball answering it!
Wow! Thank you for such a through answer! I’m going to click around your links and see if I can find something!! I’m pretty sure my husband hasn’t purchased anything for me for Christmas yet, maybe this would be a good idea to offer him!!! Especially since on a missionary budget, expensive undergarments to enhance my vanity aren’t on the top of the list usually! hahaha
I really appreciate you posting about this, hopefully with a combo of actual weight loss and some “waist whittling” I can be as beautifully curvy as Jane!!!
Very informative. I didn't realize women were still wearing girdles or corsets. I'm a bit intrigued.
I have heard great things about Spanx, but you are right, they are not really going to cinch your waist, but they are great for smoothing out the lumps & bumps!
Melissa, I can assure you that in the vintage-wearing and swing dancing community (of which I am a part), girdles and corsets are still widely worn (check out the Fedora Lounge which has great vintage clothing advice, etc.) Real vintage dresses simply don’t look right without the kind of underpinnings they were designed to be worn over. I wear girdles regularly, and have worn a corset a few times (whew!) and you really can get used to them. They fit right into the mood of what I consider to be ladylike clothing. I also love Spanx for non-vintage daily attire. They smooth you out wonderfully, shape you a little, and are, in my experience, very comfortable. The Spanx Higher Power panty even does some reasonable and comfortable waist-whittling.
Ellen…how do you think a girdle would work out under jeans and a top??? Or a more modern cut skirt and top?? I am really looking for something that works with modern fashions but that seriously sucks me in. I have some spanx and they are great for smoothing. I have serious rolling problems with them though, not to mention that they don’t make me look thinner, just less lumpy… bleh
Andrea, I wear a girdle under all close-fitting modern dresses and skirts. I wear Spanx under looser or more casual clothes. I don’t find girdles uncomfortable or incongruous under non-vintage clothing and they certainly work wonders, unlike Spanx which just provide smoothing help. Jeans are a problem, however. I have worn girdles under jeans, but the problem is that it is virtually impossible for there not to be a visible line where your long-leg panty girdle ends, and if you don’t wear a long-leg panty girdle you don’t get the thigh control which is the main reason to wear a girdle under jeans. I wear Spanx under jeans, which provide a little help, but not much. I do, however, urge you to try girdles under skirts and dresses if you really want to see a difference.
Ladies, I must tell you about Shapeez. It is like Spanx but 10X better. They have a tank style bra and bodyshaper in one, made of a deliciously comfy stretch fabric. The real bra keeps your girls right where they belong and sucks you in at all the right places. Yeilds no back fat! I wear mine under just about everything. I wear the long style with my jeans and tuck it in. It cinches my waist, and smooths out my lumps & bumps! Lot it.
I know I’m a little late to this post because I just found your blog. I love vintage clothes, although my specialty is a bit more vintage, ha ha. I am a Victorian enthusiast. I have one custom corset that I made myself at a class. I have one that was done by measurements/mail order. I don’t like that one as much. I have one on order. Corsets can be very comfortable when fitted correctly and worn properly. Most modern lingerie corsets are designed to be laced almost completely closed. A properly laced corset (from coutil with steel boning and/or flexible steel boning) will be open 2-3 inches in back. Overbust corsets are much better for women with a larger bustline, and some styles can be made with shoulder straps. Also, women with a larger bustline should look for a gored bust corset – one that allows for the shape of your bust to fit inside the corset.
I’m enjoying your site and the vintage stuff!