Sian has already been through a lot of the background in this review of her Vollers corset back in June, but some of it does bare repeating! We’ve worked with some pretty fab companies on BCLC, but I think it’s fair to say that this warranted perhaps the most excited email chain to date between Sian and I:

Sian:

No. Way. NO WAY. NOOOO WAAAAAYYYYY!!!

Did Vollers just contact us?! Oh yes, I believe they did!!

Charley:

Oh my god yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my god vollers I just saw the email and started screaming!!!!!!!!

Sian:

GAAAAHHH can you imagine what I was like sat at my desk at work when I read it?!! I watching it all develop too as they followed us on Twitter first and I was AMAZED by that and thought how awesome it was, then when I saw a comment from them, I nearly died.

The reason for our excitement? We first came into contact with Vollers the brand many moons ago whilst reviewing the Rigby and Peller lingerie styling experience. After getting a sneaky try-on of a corset then, a Vollers corset was pretty much top of our dream wish lists. Why? Well, for a start, they look awesome. Classic, curvaceous, and generally rather beautiful. And the fit was amazing—and this wasn’t even a corset designed to fit either of us!

The measurements I sent over to vollers:

Overbust – 88cm

Underbust – 75cm

Waist – 70cm

Upper hip – 87cm

Lower hip – 98cm

And accordingly, I was sent the 1905/21 which is overbust with a low back suitable for wearing under evening dresses or wedding dresses. Even though I don’t have any nuptials scheduled for the immediate future, this was a pretty appealing option to me. I was REALLY keen to try an overbust, having only sampled an underbust from Orchard Corset in the past, and love the idea of this as a piece designed to be worn under certain garments.

The low back is a favourite feature of mine. As you can see from the photos, it just about skims my shoulder blades. The overbust is very low and, as such, doesn’t provide a huge amount of uplift (or that could just be my small boobs). But if I was going to wear this under a wedding or formal dress, I can’t imagine wanting any more of a cleavage than what it gives.

Comfort-wise is scores pretty highly. Fitting to my exact measurements, it can be closed extremely tight without causing any discomfort. I’m not going to say I can go for a run in it, but I’d happily manage an evening do. The busk eyelets are covered by a panel which gives the whole corset a seamless, luxury look. LOVE. It makes it slightly more difficult to negotiate lining up those eyelets (especially if you’re being lazy and don’t want to fully unlace), but I think it’s definitely worth it for the look. The lacing on the back matches the colour perfectly.

Make-wise, it has 16 high quailty steel bones and a steel busk. The eyelets (very sturdy—no worries at all on that count) are supported by four flat steels. It also uses waist tape and a cotton lining, which makes for a comfortable wear. On the outside of the corset is a satin fabric, which looks AND feels like a dream. On the site, it claims a ‘lifetime guarantee’, which must be a pretty low risk claim. This corset feels so incredibly well-made I can imagine wearing it well into my eighties (if only I fit into well into my eighties; here’s hoping…)

And here’s probably my favourite part: the colour. I LOVE the colour of this corset; I think it makes it perfect as a statement piece for a bride or for any other occasion. I’ve never seen another piece of lingerie in this exact colour, which is a very delicate shade of gold. Nothing garish, and almost closer to cream than anything else. It’s so classy, and so beautiful. Full marks here.

I love the look of it so much that I have in fact been experimenting with how and where I can wear this baby out. My favourite option so far is pairing it with this material and dhoti pants (not pictured, sadly). I got these early this year when I spent three months in India, and was dressed by my friend’s incredibly talented designer-sister out there. I came home laden with gorgeous sari fabrics, and I’m just waiting for the right time to pair one with this corset and wear it out. (PS: Shirin, Tashan and Tanya, if you’re reading this post, know that I draped the fabric in a hurry and try not to judge too harshly! <3)

We also couldn’t let this post go by without trying this beauty under a wedding dress. Luckily, I happen to have a rather wonderful example of a 1950s wedding dress from my Grandma. So here it is, looking all cinched and fabulous and YES this has inspired me to look at shorter wedding dresses with that fabulous 50s feel!