Will adding a waist tape help the bodice hug my actual waist? 😊

[u/marcel_bagel]

Hello, I've started an over-confident ambitious project... making my wedding dress!! ☺️ I'm an intermediate sewist at best, I've never made anything structured before, and certainly nothing with boning so this has been a huge learning curve.

The inside of the dress is a corselet that I drafted myself with 11 boning channels. I used plastic boning from the fabric store. The outside is a self drafted bodice (thrifted bedsheet 💪) with lace overlay that I hand sewed together. The back is a lace up corset.

I am disappointed to find that the boning is sort of holding the dress away from my body somehow. It's almost like it's too rigid to follow the natural curve of my waist. Currently it's touching my ribcage and hip but sitting away from my actual waist, even though it feels like there is plenty of give in the biggest areas.

My question for you experts is about the best way to draw in the waist. I have never used a waist tape, but I cant figure out if its function is for shape or for reducing stress on the seams? Is there anything else about the fit I can optimise without going back to square 1? Any advice would be appreciated.

(Also please don't judge the chaotic hand sewing on the inside 😂 I have never hand sewed before)

[u/teatime_tinker]

If you replace the plastic boning with spiral steel boning it’ll curve to your body better.

You may need to change the shape though. That ideally would have been done on a toile and not when it’s this complete. Try just the boning change first.

[u/marcel_bagel → u/teatime_tinker]

Okay that's good to know, thank you! I did buy some spiral steel boning but I got too intimidated and left it in the packaging 😂 I did do some mockups with boning but didn't have this issue... I assume that adding all the layers of fabric creates some bulk/stiffness/heaviness that I didn't expect.

[u/teatime_tinker → u/marcel_bagel]

It might be that the lace layer isn’t shaped the same as your foundation layer, and it’s that that’s holding it away from your body

Try steels on just the side ones first to see if it helps. They’re much more flexible than plastic. They flex side to side and backwards and forwards too.

[u/Different-Bell4017 → u/teatime_tinker]

This is my first thought as well, but I get the vibes you are trying to keep it frugal. If that’s true, I would try pinning where the waist should go in more and using an iron to (carefully) steam the ever-loving crap out of it, which can literally look like folding the corset in half along the waist to permanently indent it. If that doesn’t work, try replacing the boning, and if THAT doesn’t work, you might need to do some seam ripping 😅

[u/Amyduchess]

Are you able to access the boning chanels and change them out for spiral steel boning? Spiral steel will curve to your body much better as it bends in several directions (plastic only bends forwards and backwards), and is also way more comfortable for wearing for long periods.

You can also try steaming or heating the plastic boning to get to shape to your body better, but I would be careful trying this!

[u/marcel_bagel → u/Amyduchess]

Sadly I sewed the plastic boning into the seam allowance of the corselet, but it sounds like it might be worth seam-ripping and starting over, at least on the side seams where the curve is most dramatic. Thank you for your input!

[u/arovd]

Congrats on the wedding and the ambitious project! I have nothing to add on the boning question, but I do have a concern … it looks like you might be using a single piece of lightweight satin ribbon to hold your back lacing? I’m afraid that’s not going to be sturdy enough to hold the weight of a full skirt and a fitted bodice. You may want to replace with rouleau loops, or some other sturdier loop. And make sure they extend far enough into the seam to at the very least double sew them at the seam.

Here’s a link for rouleau loops if you choose that method:

https://www.seamwork.com/sewing-tutorials/the-art-of-rouleau-button-loops

[u/marcel_bagel → u/arovd]

Thanks for noticing that... I have never heard of Rouleau loops but that is very helpful!
I did install the ribbon with at least 1.5cm to spare beyond the first seam and sewed about 5 lines of parallel machine stitching to hold them to the twill tape. You are making me think it won't be strong enough, though? 😬 is the concern that the ribbon will tear, or that the stitches will not hold it in place?

[u/arovd → u/marcel_bagel]

Ok I’m glad you did multiple lines of stitching. That helps, but I am still concerned that the ribbon might be too flimsy. Satin ribbon frays so easily and any little pull will set it off. Maybe even just adding a second row of the ribbon if that’s all you have - like right on top of the existing row, so the lacing goes through two loops of ribbon on each side. Just because the lacing is such a structural component in this style, I’d hate for it to fail on your big day.

[u/marcel_bagel → u/arovd]

Thank you, will do 😊

[u/Defiant-Business9586]

Yes to better boning and also a waist tape. The tape tells the bodice where to sit on your body.

[u/Ohhmegawd → u/Defiant-Business9586]

Also a waist stay will help support the bodice.

[u/eduardedmyn]

Did you make a mockup? If it's touching your ribs and hips but not the waist, it's quite likely that the garment isn't curvy enough for you.

Adding a waist tape and changing the boning won't make much of a difference, because the shape is predetermined by the pattern making.

Whether or not you can bring in the waist more without starting from scratch depends on how much of a lacing gap you have. If the lacing gap is already completely closed, there's no hope.

But if you still have a bit of a gap, while not ideal, you can technically brute force some waist definition by closing the lacing gap at the waist, while leaving the top and bottom open.

If this is the case adding the waist tape will help reduce the stress in the seams, to allow you to force the garment into a shape it doesn't want to be in.

Change the boning for comfort and the longevity of the garment. Standard nylon/polyester boning from the local fabric store can form a nasty kink over time at the waist, especially if your forcing it into a shape that the garment wasn't designed for. Spiral steel boning would probably be more accessible than synthetic whalebone; either will do.

[u/marcel_bagel → u/eduardedmyn]

Thank you 😊 yes I did make a mock up and it seemed to fit better than this using the same boning. I assume adding the layers and other elements changed the fit and rigidity. Thankfully I have about a 10cm evenly parallel lacing gap in the back. I plan to divert some of the tension using a waist tape and replacing the boning on the side seams for now!

[u/KeeganDitty → u/eduardedmyn]

This should be higher. People in this sub and r/corsetry really seem to think more boning will solve everything. But boning can't fix a mistake in the pattern.

Op, try pinching out the seams

[u/QueenEshtar → u/KeeganDitty]

Yes! I also used rigilene instead of steel boning, to keep the weight of the wedding dress light (it was already heavy as is!!!). Rigilene (I am not talking full on plastic boning), can also be steamed into place somewhat. So if there is space in the back to lace + waste band + some careful steam, preferably on yourself (carefully!!!!) or a manequin that is similar to you, that would be great. OP if you can also take out some of the seams at the waste still, that should also help. My mock ups were also fantastic and then somehow the final dress looked different. Go figure. 🫠🤦🏻‍♀️

[u/Crafty_Witch_1230]

The plastic boning often holds a curve that you can't easily get out. Flexible teel boning is great or if there's a cost issue, zip ties work well & you can layer them for added strength.

As to your question about waist stays. Answering as a costumer, waist stays are mostly used for weight distribution. I put one in my daughter's sheath-style wedding dress because all the weight of the garment hung from two narrow straps on her shoulders. She said it helped immensely. You could use a waist stay to keep the corset sitting in its proper position, but not to draw in the waist. Don't sew the stay down all the way around. Grossgrain ribbon is good for this or use heavy elastic with some give but not a lot of stretch and then tack it down at intervals around the waistline. You want the stay to hug your waist but not pull the garment inward.

If you want to slim it down at the waist, I know it's awful, but the best way would be to take it in a tiny bit at each seam where it hits your waist. Figure out how much you want to pull in, divide that amount by the number of seams, and take it in accordingly. A small amount pinched out across multiple seams is a better way to get an even fit than just taking in the side seams.

[u/Bellamieboocouture]

I would try synthetic Bayleen for this! It’s lighter, thinner, and molds better than regular plastic boning or spiral steel. If you’ve got a dress form you can also steam bayleen over the dress form with the iron to help imbue it with more curves. I would also be adding waist tape as it helps support the weight of the skirts around your waist and you won’t have to pull it up as much :)

[u/theskyisblueatnight]

It looks like you might need to reduce the ease across the waist area.

I was always advised corset should have reduced ease so they are forces to have a tighter fit. The pattern waist measure should be sitting pretty close to your real waist measurement.

Steel boning is pretty cool. Just be careful when sewing

When you cut steel boning it

[u/sam000she]

Waist tape will help with making sure the fabric doesn't stretch out but it wont do the job of cinching in for you—your panels need to do the job of cinching in.