Leather Bodice for M'Lady

[Beaudan Tocks]

I just made this leather bodice for M'Lady out of some left over elk leather from the Ghillies I made for her.
Of Course the Bodice MUST match the shoes...
I just started making the pattern for it last night and finished it tonight just before bedtime...  M'Lady loves it so much she didn't protest too much about modeling for the pictures in her jammies...   

She thinks it may be riding a little high and is thinking about having me lengthen the straps a touch... How do you all think it fits?

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Beaudan!!  The girls, it seems, need more support.

The straps look like they can be lifted about 2" or so that the bottom of the bodice hits just above the waist line. That way, the girls push upwards. Cleavage, yet with support!!!

[Beaudan Tocks]

Beaudan!!  The girls, it seems, need more support.

The straps look like they can be lifted about 2" or so that the bottom of the bodice hits just above the waist line. That way, the girls push upwards. Cleavage, yet with support!!!

Thanks for the advice Lady Kathleen. I'll run it by her and see what she thinks.

[Syrilla]

I agree with Lady K.  There are wrinkles along the lower back which suggest that the bodice is too long/sitting to low.   So if she is wanting to keep the underbust look, then I suggest shortening the back straps, at least.  It will change how the under arm and lacing sits. 

[gypsylakat]

I have a question, this is actually pretty much the problem I have with my bodice, that it's running too low, It has adjustable straps and they're as tight as they'll go, so If I added two more eyelets on the straps that would help fix it? (It's this one http://www.unicornclothing.com/bodice.htm)

[renren]

It's some great work! Very pretty!

[Beaudan Tocks]

It's some great work! Very pretty!

*Thank You RenRen

Before we start cutting and trying to un-glue the edges (NOT gonna happen... This stuff sticks like you wouldn't believe) we're going to play around with the strap seam at the top of the shoulder and loosen it a bit here and tighten it a bit there...  With this one she's not really going for the big puffy cleavage... she's going for more of a natural look with a Gypsy type of outfit.  I'm thinking about dressing it up a bit with some kind of celtic looking ribbon woven thru some cuts in the leather... Something that could be changed out depending on the colors of the rest of the garb.

[Katie Bookwench]

Before we start cutting and trying to un-glue the edges (NOT gonna happen... This stuff sticks like you wouldn't believe) we're going to play around with the strap seam at the top of the shoulder and loosen it a bit here and tighten it a bit there...  With this one she's not really going for the big puffy cleavage... she's going for more of a natural look with a Gypsy type of outfit.  I'm thinking about dressing it up a bit with some kind of celtic looking ribbon woven thru some cuts in the leather... Something that could be changed out depending on the colors of the rest of the garb.

Very pretty!~ It looks buttery soft and pliable, and quite comfy.

It looks like you designed it to be an underbust style, am I correct?   I see that style a lot at faire, though by and large, at a lot of the Elizabethan venues, this style is not as prevalent. I see it more often at Midieval or fantasy events.

If your wife likes the fit and cut the way it is, then you've got it made. She's small enough busted to carry it off without her chest resembling a fleshy waterfall coming down the front of her outfit.

Perhaps shortening the bottom an inch so it's at her natural waist (for comfort) is in order, but as far as the underbust style, I don't think anyone would be terribly put out (fashion sensibility-wise) if a gypsy had this sort of bodice on -- I can imagine many lovely scarves dressing this outfit up and making it really sing!

It all comes down to two things: Is it comfortable to wear? Do you feel good wearing it?

..well, your wife, I mean....

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

No problem, Beaudan. We are here to help.

Many bodices are designed to rest at or above the center of the breasts to the flatten them, all the while supporting the back as well. A tooled design that can be incoorporated into the bodice would work nicely. Otherwise the breasts just flop. That would not be fun at all.

[Beaudan Tocks]

No problem, Beaudan. We are here to help.

Many bodices are designed to rest at or above the center of the breasts to the flatten them, all the while supporting the back as well. A tooled design that can be incoorporated into the bodice would work nicely. Otherwise the breasts just flop. That would not be fun at all.

No fun for you... or HER maybe...    But LOADS of fun for a rogue like me 

[gem]

I have a question, this is actually pretty much the problem I have with my bodice, that it's running too low, It has adjustable straps and they're as tight as they'll go, so If I added two more eyelets on the straps that would help fix it? (It's this one http://www.unicornclothing.com/bodice.htm)

Gypsy, with an underbust style like that, you're never going to get good support or coverage; that's just the nature of the cut of the bodice.  You could try tightening the straps to see what happens, but a bodice like that is *designed* to sit under the breasts, so tweaking things will only help so much.

[gypsylakat]

Gem, I have an overbust bodice, the bottom edge/waist problem was more what I was talking about

[Beaudan Tocks]

We've decided (when I say we, I mean she ) that she wants to keep this Bodice as an under-bust so I altered one side last night and will alter the other side tonight and post pictures of the results. In the front we took off up to just above the third grommet from the bottom and above the second grommet on the side and followed that around to the back which is about an inch shorter. It was no easy task... once that leather glue is dried and set it is very stubborn...  I ended up using an Xacto knife to kind of fillet the hem open, cut it and re-glued. The first side turned out rather nice and fits to just above the natural waist as suggested.

Thanks to all for the advise.