Happy Saturday darlings! Okay, so this is possibly one of my favourite collaborations to date. I was quite fortunate to be asked to review an amazing piece, the Orchard Corset 426 Longline!
Before we get started, I wanted to dedicate a little paragraph to talking about body confidence in relation to corsets. I love corsets as a dramatisation of the figure, similar to how make up is the dramatisation of the face. I’m an every-now-and then corset wearer, sometimes I wear it every day for a week or two, sometimes I wear it for special occasions. I’m not tight-lacing to change my body, although there’s nothing wrong with that.
I do love my body in a corset, but I also love my body out of it. It’s just exaggerated, and doesn’t mean that one way or the other is good or bad. So now I’ve got that out of the way, welcome to a very full review of my Orchard Corset experience!
Choosing My Corset;
Orchard Corset has a wealth of information to help you decide what corset is best for you. From how firm or squishy you are, to how to measure yourself and even how to work out what length you’d need. Before I’d even chosen the corset I was going to review, Amber had sent me everything I needed to work out what was going to work with my body type. These videos are amazing, even as a semi-seasoned corset-wearer with corset-fitting training, these were incredibly helpful.
For a frame of reference, here are my measurements;
- Underbust; 41”
- Waist (taut); 39”
- Waist (squished); 36”
- Upper Hip; 56”
- Torso (upright); 12”
- Torso (sat); 10.75”
Together we worked out the 426 was the ideal shape, and I was asked to choose between the standard and the longline shapes. I will say that I was advised the longline may not work perfectly, and Amber would not ordinarily suggest it for a torso length under 11″. I chose it regardless, since I wanted a corset that would sit further down on my stomach than others.
It was also suggested to me to go for the 426 design with hip ties. These allow a little extra room for the hips as you get closer and closer to closing through training. It also means that you can allow easy readjusting throughout the day as your stomach expands or deflates. It’s good for loosening after eating a whole pizza to yourself, haha!
Seasoning My Corset;
The first thing I did after I opened my 426 Longline was re-lace. I’d read on other reviews about Orchard Corset lacing a hole above the middle, and my personal preference is the lacing meets in the exact middle. Then I got excited and tried to see how far this bad boy can go!
Obviously, I did as you usually do with corsets – for just over a week I wore it loosely laced for roughly an hour in the evenings. Each day, as it got used to my body shape and I got used to it, I laced it just a tad tighter.
Then came the real test! As you might have seen on my Instagram stories recently, I’ve been wearing my 426 at work. Why work? I’m out of the house between 11-13 hours of the day, I move a lot, and I have to bend and carry boxes around now and then. I wanted to see just how well this corset could cope with daily activities. This is always the best test for me, and I found that it was incredibly comfortable for wearing for long periods of time!
How I Feel About My Orchard Corset 426 Longline;
I love this corset, I really do. My other corset is a ReStyle.pl corset, which is super curvy in the hips, possibly moreso that this. However, this 426 is insanely comfortable in comparison! I’ve worn it for up to 13 hours in a day and it’s not affected my daily movement.
Laced tightly like this, the corset is perfect – but my daily wearing isn’t as tight as this. The 34″ would’ve been just that touch more comfortable, and you can see in the photo above the modesty panel doesn’t quite meet at the back even at it’s tightest.
I’d also like to put emphasis on Orchard Corset’s warning of the length of the 426 longline. I stupidly forgot that my torso from my underbust to waist is smaller than average, and although it’s a longer corset in the stomach, it’s just a tad too high! It doesn’t affect the wearing, however it does force me to sit a little too upright, which can feel awkward at times.
Final thoughts;
This is an amazing corset, robust with twelve steel bones plus a steel busk. Ideal for tight lacing and corset training in a smaller size, but I’d go for the size up for daily wear. Would I get another Orchard Corset again? Absolutely! I have my eye on the mesh 426 standard in a 34″ now I know my ideal sizing.
What do you guys think?
Orchard Corset’s corsets come in an amazing range of fabrics and shapes, most in sizes 16″ – 46″, which is an amazing size range. If you’re interested in purchasing a corset, simply send them an email to get a personalised recommendation!
Hairflower; Handmade
Dress; Boohoo Plus (Old, similar here)
Bra/Harness; Simply Be (Old, Similar here)
Corset; C/O Orchard Corset (Disclaimer)
Bangles; Vintage and Splendette
[…] like to be honest up front – I’m wearing my Orchard Corset 426 longline with this dress. I’m going to try and wear it more since my posture has turned to mush. And […]