Trend – Will there be more or less Fabric Now?

Dear Reader,

I often ask myself this question nowadays: Where is the current trend heading?

Although I said I would research the topic “how to measure correctly” for you, that has been postponed until next time. Today, I will delve a bit more into product knowledge and trend analysis: Where is the trend heading when it comes to suspender belts? Will there be more or less Fabric Now? It will actually be both, MORE and LESS!

Let’s start with MORE. In recent months, the trend towards corsages and corsets has re-emerged. For orientation, in English it’s “Corset” and “Korsage,” and in French it’s “corset” and, wonderfully, I think, “petit bouquet de fleurs” for the corset. Perhaps someone was inspired when naming the new category at Vicky’s Nylons, the waist cinchers?! Similar to the suspender belts with city names, like “London,” “Paris,” or “Venice,” which I’ve already introduced to you; or the girdles that bear female first names – do you remember “Denise“? – the new waist cincher is now named after a flower, “Black Rose”, and I know another one will follow soon. Let me briefly introduce “Black Rose” to you:

“Black Rose” has 6 detachable garters and thus becomes a corset if needed!

But what is the difference between a corset and a corsage?

When we think of a corset, most of us, like me, probably have the following in mind: a sleeveless and strapless top, covering the bust, with integrated reinforcements and lacing at the front or back, with the purpose of making the waist appear particularly slender and the breasts particularly large. That is precisely what defines a corset, but distinctions are made between demi-bust corsets, underbust corsets, and waist corsets, all of which have lacing and shape the waist. Only the portion of the upper body that is covered and shaped differs. The overbust corset covers the entire bust and therefore must fit precisely, especially at the décolletage, to look good. It is also more suitable for ladies with a larger bust. The demi-bust corset ends somewhere between the upper edge of the bust and the nipples, making it bolder, but also highlighting the breasts more. The underbust corset and waist corset both end below the bust; the waist corset already at the ribs and it only begins above the hip. The waist corset is more like a wide belt at the waist.

Corsets are now available in all possible colors, fabrics, and designs, to be worn underneath as lingerie or over a blouse as a fashionable garment. The question then is, what exactly is a corsage? A corsage is meant to appear alluring, while a corset is meant to shape the figure. Therefore, corsets are usually designed as lingerie with boning and strong lacing and are discreetly made for wearing under actual clothing, whereas corsages are finer and more elaborate, but not as firmly constructed, to appear alluring. Nowadays, it is probably more up to the manufacturer’s opinion whether they call it a corset or a corsage. The important thing is that it looks good and emphasizes femininity.

The history of corsets and corsages is also truly fascinating, lovely to read and look at, but it would go beyond the scope of today’s blog, so more on that in another blog post.

Here I provide you with my sources for corsets and corsages; these are websites that are really worth checking out!

www.marquise.de

www.le-corset.de

www.paradisi.de

Now let’s move on to the “LESS” trend. Things are getting a bit shorter and less defined here. A few months ago, I started searching for suspender belts on Pinterest, as well as on other media, and came across a range of “suspenders” or often, more accurately, “accessories” that sometimes consist simply of a single band… Or very little thin lace, or even just straps or ribbons. Here you can see an example:

https://www.farfetch.com

Here, less is truly more, and you increasingly see “corsages” made of bands, essentially “jewelry,” as they serve no other purpose than aesthetics if they don’t even have garters to hold up a stocking. The straps, bands, or chains naturally come from the bondage scene but are now incorporated as a stylish detail into modern lingerie.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found a term for this type of underwear yet. What do you think? Do you believe a new category is emerging, or is it a passing trend? Or have you already read or heard a name for it? I look forward to hearing about your experiences… you’ll find the comment section at the bottom of this page.

So, I’ll say Ciao until two weeks from now; perhaps by then I’ll know more about it, and of course, I still owe you the topic of “how to measure correctly” 🙂

I wish you a Happy Easter and wonderful holidays
Yours, Julia