Hello Darlings~

First and foremost it feels soooo good to finally be composing my entries on a keyboard again!! Yes I broke down sooner than expected and purchased a  PC (rather than a Laptop or Notebook) and currently I using my Crosley TV as my Monitor (via a VGA cable). I'm really liking the concept of using my Retro inspired TV as a Monitor and may just keep it this way for the time being.

KK, with that said and done ~

Around exactly this time last year I began my waist training journey, not necessarily for the sake of having a smaller waist, but more so to achieve a more authentic ‘Curvacious Vintage’ look when I wear my clothes. 

I started out believe it or not with a McDavid exercise waist trimmer that was designed to burn/ sweat off excess water weight that is retained in the waist via heat retention. I wore it under my clothes for about eight (8) to nine (9) hours a day (usually while at work) and although it reduced me to a hot sweaty mess under my clothes…(yuck)…my waist was noticeably smaller in measurement by the end of every day. Of course something like a sweat belt is just a quick fix when it comes to waist training. The water is sweated out but usually, the bloat returned within hours of taking the belt off, which of course

 (for me at least) was due to a dietary issue (too much salt, sugar, bread and dairy).

Once the sweat belt became to…urrrm…sweaty…too wear anymore (seriously how do you wash that thing???), I switched over to a cheapy $20 corset.

OLD PIC ALERT

Naturally, getting into it was painstakingly difficult and as a newbie, it was a torture device to move and sit down in….AND TAKE A CRAP OMG!!!! 

I noticed that that’s a bit of TMI type information that Nobody wants to talk or warn you about, but SERIOUSLY if you want to waist train with corsets, you should know….

Consequences such as organ shifting??? Hey I’m not an expert; Just wear waist trainers at your own risk and don’t overdo it. Gradually tighten the corset at your own level of comfort and definitely don’t try to achieve a wasp-waist or even a considerably smaller waist on your first try on. 

Just GET IT ON!

Learn how to sit, walk and breathe in the dern thing first for goodness sake…

AND TAKE A CRAP TOO!!! Oye, LOL!!!!!! 

Light at the end of the tunnel, within a few months of consistent wearing (4-8 hrs a day) I was able to completely close it, and felt quite pleased with that achievement.

As a bonus, with constant wear of the corset my waist was shrinking. No joke, waist training works! That womanly figure 8 imprint that’s achieved while wearing the waist trainer of your choice, eventually becomes the new natural shape of your waistline. 

Fast forward, to about June of last year (2014), I was in love with the success I was having with my corset, but tired overall of lacing it every day and wearing something so bulky under my clothes. While looking for a fabric alternative on Amazon, I kept coming across the Rago shapewear brand and was naturally intrigued by their lacy, vintage inspired and discreet selection of shapewear. I made my first Rago shapewear purchase on Amazon. And then a second on Secrets in Lace (Retro inspired lingerie company) towards the end of last year.  

This is the first piece that I purchased originally from Amazon.com.

Designed to slim the waist and comes with detachable garters for all of the nylon lovers out there. 

PROS

1.  Its fabric and so much more breathable than traditional corsets. I wear it under high waist pants/jeans/shorts, summer dresses, office attire, casual wear, YES EVERYTHING! 

2.   Its comfortahhh....well...not gonna lie it pinches after a while, but definitely more tolerable than a traditional steel-bonned corset. 

3.   It still gives you a noticeable curves! Its just tight enough to suck you in, honestly first go around I couldn't even button it.

CONS

1.  BIGGEST FAIL!!! the freaking bones have been bending out of shape and coming out!!! The first time it happened, I noticed whenever I wore it I felt sharp pinches, pokes, scratches!! It was so unbearably uncomfortable I finally ran into the bathroom one day while a work to adjust  and low and behold one of the' metal rods (a.k.a. Bones) was protruding and aggressively digging into my skin!!! Yes this happened in about 4 or 5 months of CONSISTENT wearing...but still, what a HUGE disappointment. I was left to either pull the whole thing out or force it back into place. I chose the latter since it was only one, then about a month later it happened again!!! 6 weeks down the line...You guessed it! ANOTHER ONE! Last week??

YES.

Another bone. 

Needless to say, if you're going to wear this frequently, it will probably need to be replaced in anywhere from 6 months to a year.

2.  Unlike the corset, once its broken in there's no tightening it even more. As a matter of fact, I feel that the slimming effects began to slightly taper off once the shapewear has been stretched so much. Don't get me wrong, again like with the corset my waist has adopted the wasp shape the garment has forced it into, it just doesn't hold me in like it used to. 

When I ordered from the Rago Shapewear collection again on Secrets In Lace, I ordered the same waist trainer with detachable garters (to somewhat replace the older heavily used one) as well as a very flirty High Waist Open Bottom Gridle.

Its basically like a super cinching seamless mini skirt that you wear under your body hugging skirts and dresses; and while I love the overall slimming and lifting effect it creates for my hips and tush, the blasted garters are not detachable! Sexy if you want  to wear classic nylons. Annoying if your wearing self grip thigh highs or no stockings at all....

That's it for this post my loves. TTYL

Love Always,

Li.Ree