Vargas Girdle Review

So at the time of this writing (ok, ages ago) I just got my Vargas Girdle from Kiss Me Deadly in the mail, and as we all know how much I love lingerie, I thought I really should write a review for you all. Especially considering girdles have become so uncommon these days, the information could prove to be extra useful.
It took six weeks to get this, because at the time of my purchase it was out of stock. My initial reaction is to be a little mad at Fairy Goth Mother for not indicating this on their site, however this was quickly rectified with emails explaining the fact, and some very quick replies. And it came in exactly the amount of time they said it would, so that doesn’t leave much to complain about for the service.

The first thing I should mention is how nice it is when a product looks the same in person as it does in the ads. This is one of those products. There are some very minor flaws, so minor that I didn’t notice them in the pictures, but upon further inspection they were there. I’ll get to that a little bit later.
The girdle is indeed lovely. Mike doesn’t care half as much about my clothes as what’s under them, but I think I got a decent reaction. He seemed to like it, and I was very pleased with it too. It’s vintage and modern at the same time, so I get the look I’m going for without going so far in that direction that I feel like an old lady. It’s a very young and sexy look compared to the average person’s impression of what a girdle is. The only minor things I noticed, that can hardly be helped as far as I can tell, are that the back scrunches down a little, and can create a bit of a bumpy look under the back of your clothes. Also the bottom back edge of the girdle slightly cuts into the rear for a bit of an odd silhouette, but only when you look closely. And just as they say, the bows do flatten will under clothes, but if you’re wearing something a little less forgiving, they’re easily removed. As far as the garters showing through your clothes, I think this is more a good thing than bad. A little hint of the sexy secret you’re hiding isn’t something I can see too many people complaining about, unless of course you’re at work.

It’s also WAY more comfortable than girdles seem to have a reputation for. Yes, it is a little bit scratchy at the garters and a bit of the side seams, but barely. It’s hardly worth mentioning when you compare it to your average ill-fitting bra or pair of high heels.
The effectiveness of the Vargas Girdle is where I find it falls the most short, and unfortunately this is the most important part, otherwise what are you buying it for? I suppose I’m satisfied with the waist shaping, though slight, because it’s pretty much impossible to find something that does this at all besides a corset. Waist-high Spanx will nip you in slightly too, in much the same way, but let’s be honest, they’re not sexy. The Vargas girdle is. So I guess I can’t fairly ask for much more. The tummy shaping, well… honestly I didn’t see too much flattening at all. Since I was able to hook it up on the smallest set of hooks, and you’re supposed to wear a new bra on the loosest ones, I’m left wondering if maybe it’s just slightly too big. Vanity sizing maybe? That’s a subject for another article. But as it stands, they don’t have these in XS, so this is the best I’m going to do. In the meantime I sewed in an extra front panel of non-stretch black satin, and did see a slight improvement.
So I am satisfied with the Vargas Girdle, but I wouldn’t say I’m completely over the moon about it. I have heard better reviews from other women so I think it’s fair to say that your results will have quite a bit to do with your individual body shape. It’s true that Kiss Me Deadly makes their lingerie for pear-shaped women because this is the most common shape, while I myself am hourglass. If this is why I’m failing to see results as good as the other women who have used this, it’s certainly through no fault of a company that knows their market. If anything, it leaves me excited to try out more styles.

Online Shopping, Deadlines, and My First Girdle

Don’t you just hate it when you work really hard writing a post only to find when you go to post it that you’re NOT SIGNED IN?? And you have to write it ALL OVER AGAIN even though it won’t be as good as the first time? Eugh. Anyway…

There’s nothing wrong with waiting to save up to buy something. We all have to do it, and it makes you appreciate the thing more when you finally get it. That’s part of luxurious living, being grateful for everything you have. Unfortunately when it comes to this waiting, sometimes there’s a limit on how long you have and you need more time. Just like with buying things in person, online sometimes things go off the market, get sold out, or a sale that you were depending on ends too soon. I dealt with this a lot lately.

A certain dress I had been wanting since January, the Lizbeth Day Of The Dead dress from Pinup Girl Clothing, finally came back in stock this week. Because of the embroidery it always takes a long time, so opportunities to buy it don’t come along very often. Unfortunately I have also just recently lost my job. BAD timing. And I was assured that even though I start at a new, higher paying job next week, I still couldn’t afford to just charge it.

Something else I had been wanting for a very long time, which is much more affordable, is a girdle. I wanted something that would give me that exaggerated hourglass figure without the stiffness, bulkiness, and severity of a corset. Unfortunately most of them are just more old-fashioned versions of spanx, that hold you in without defined shaping, with all the boning and lacing that you just don’t want showing through a tight dress. The one that I DID really love was the Vargas Girdle by Kiss Me Deadly. It was exactly what I was looking for, and very sexy. I went through my bookmarks to find it, only to find out that it had just recently been discontinued! VERY frustrating. So there I was searching the internet for a site that might still carry it, thinking I very well might have missed my chance, and knowing I would probably miss my chance on the Lizbeth dress. Money sure does suck sometimes.

So thankfully there was one place still selling it, Fairy Goth Mother, which I have been admiring for years but never purchased from before, and which also happens to be the first place I ever saw the girdle. And they were already out of mediums. So I just made it, and now I’ll finally have first hand experience on these intriguing articles of lingerie described in Girdle Zone. Hooray!

Girdle Zone

Being heavily into corsets, I’ve never been particularly interested in girdles. I guess I’ve just always thought of them as a lesser kind of corset, a “corset light”, if you will. Nevertheless the thought of getting one has crossed my mind. Not everyone wants to be bound down to 20 inches at all times, but that hourglass shape is incredibly addicting nonetheless. I just don’t feel right without it.
So it was when I was browsing a message board dedicated to vintage lifestyles and clothing that I found mention of this website, Girdle Zone. I had to have a look.
This site is a lot bigger than I would ever have thought a site about girdles could be. But the fact is there is a lot to do with history, romance, politics, and our senses of self as women that’s all tied up in girdles and the way we perceive them among other notable kinds of underwear. I was immediately fascinated by all the psychology that goes into girdles, and I was pleased to see that they really do hold just as much mental power over us as corsets do.
So you may find that a girdle is a powerful and extremely pleasurable and sexy expression of your femininity, a protective exo-skeleton that grants a feeling of power, or you may feel that you associate them with a repressed pre-feminist time. Either way, you can’t look into the subject without having some sort of emotional reaction. I’ll let you decide for yourselves how you feel about these charged garments.
http://www.girdlezone.org

Foundations: From the Ground Up

It’s hard to look your best when your underwear sucks, and your choice in it can affect the entire look of your body and outfit. Most women don’t even realize that they would look 100% better if only they were wearing the right stuff underneath! So here for your reading entertainment is the always-inevitable underwear post.
I know I’m repeating a lot of people when I say this, but please, get yourself fitted properly for a bra, and go often, because our bodies are always changing. 90% of women are wearing the wrong size, and this can make you look much droopier and heavier than you really are. A good bra will not only lift your boobs, but your entire look and carriage. I know I have one issue in this area and that’s that I’m the same size of almost all the girls working in the lingerie store, so that by the time I get there all the bras and underwear in my size have already been snatched up. But one thing that’s always good to live by, in fashion and otherwise, is persistence. Persistence can get you some very good rewards.
One common misconception is that if you’re wearing white clothes you should be wearing white underwear so that it’s not visible. But actually it is. Quite visible actually, so the best color to go with here is nude. It’s not the prettiest color, but when in doubt, this is always your best option.
Now that I’ve quickly covered the painfully obvious I’m going to get to the fun stuff by taking it a step further. Ever wonder how women of the past looked so elegant and sleek, no matter their size, while so many women today look unfit or sloppy? Women of the past were more prone to wear foundation garments, and that doesn’t mean wearing your grandmother’s girdle. Foundation garments today are not only extremely flattering under your clothes, but can be very sexy on their own. Just check out the gorgeous lingerie by Kiss Me Deadly if you don’t believe me. And think of the extra fun there is in undressing for a partner! It’s totally burlesque.

I think I’ll forever maintain that Spanx are a woman’s best friend. If you don’t wear these already I implore you to try them. You won’t be disappointed. It doesn’t matter how thin you may be already; Spanx are more than just shapers that smooth you out and make your ass extra perky. They also have bras that won’t cause bulges or show under your clothes, flattering bathing suits, and even men’s shape wear in the form of t-shirts. Not to mention they show no panty lines, so if you’re not in favor of thongs these are a great option. Don’t worry about being “fake”. Do you not already wear makeup and at least the occasional pushup bra? Turning our bodies into works of art is something we as human beings have the privilege of doing, so why not enjoy it?

In case Spanx aren’t enough for your tastes, I have something else that just may blow the minds of some of the more mainstream women out there: the corset. Let me dispel the myth right now that corsets are Victorian torture devices, or worn only by dominatrixes while doling out their own torture. I’m not talking about the weakly boned bustiers you can get at your typical lingerie store either, which actually do more harm than good. Not only is a quality corset very comfortable, but it can give you an incredible figure you’ve only ever dreamed of. I could of course go on about this, but there’s just so much to say that I will leave you in suspense until another article. Stay tuned!