If I am wearing it on my shoulders how do I put my chemise on and tie the drawstring? Before the bodice or after? And do you typically keep your skirt higher to keep it under the bodice? And when I am tightening my bodice, how do I get the bosum to be full without having the majority pressed against my chest and only the top half pushed up and out? Or is that normal? Lastly, for the ladies, ahhemmm... when I have my bodice tightened and the chemise is off shoulder, showing adequate cleavage (my darling husband is a boob man) by nature of the bodice, my nipples are right there (again under the chemise) but still...I feel like I should have some pasties or something...it that normal? Being voluptuous, I am not used to going out without a bra on and that chemise, even though it's linen, feels so thin, my husband says its fine, but I don't know if I trust him...I mentioned he is a boob man, right? Thank you!
I will post a picture before I leave this afternoon!
Ladyhawke, I had to laugh about your post. Not trusting your husband, since he is a boob man, may be a prudent thing. ;)
I suggest putting on the chemise, skirt, then the bodice, mostly tightened. Get things situated, off shoulder, things lifted into position, skirt tucked up under the bodice edge, THEN tighten the rest of the way.
The move you'll need to perform is called the ELM or Elizabethan Lift Maneuver. It's the process of lifting your breast from underneath with a sort of scooping motion to position it to it's best view, without revealing too much. :o Reach across the front of your body with your right hand to lift your left side, inside the chemise, starting near the armpit, pull towards the center and slightly upwards. Repeat on other side.
Be sure to check that you haven't lifted too far but pulling the chemise down slightly to make certain your are covered. I have a ruffle on my chemise, as long as I'm below the ruffle, I'm good.
How much you lift is up to you and what you think looks attractive. I like full, but not spilling over the top. Other women with larger tracks of land prefer to have it all out-because they can. Go for it.
LOL! Thank you for that! I am going to attempt dressing in a short bit and then will post a picture!
Laurie
You dilemma is why I like square necked chemises. There is not much adjustment required once its on.
As for one of the other issues, as long as you can look in the mirror and not see the puppies' noses, your adjustment is probably good.
Now, I know that you were most likely directing your questions to the ladies of the realm, however I have to agree with DonaCatalina. If you do not see the puppies' noses when looking in the mirror, you should be alright. HOWEVER, as the husband of a rather buxom woman, I feel I can offer you some advice. If you are concerned that they may decide to "peek" out, you might consider one of the following tricks;
1. electrical tape (available in multiple colors), simply place a piece or two in an X pattern and you will be covered.
2. liquid latex, available in a flesh tone, however this one is not as advisable because once the jar has been opened, it tends to dry out if you do not use it frequently enough and that can be a waste of money.
3. when doing the "fluff", as suggested by Marietta, lift from the outside in and that can keep the un-mentionable areas from becoming a topic of conversation.
Quote from: DonaCatalina on August 15, 2008, 10:29:39 AM
You dilemma is why I like square necked chemises. There is not much adjustment required once its on.
As for one of the other issues, as long as you can look in the mirror and not see the puppies' noses, your adjustment is probably good.
LOL!!! :D
Quote from: PurpleDragon on August 15, 2008, 10:39:01 AM
Now, I know that you were most likely directing your questions to the ladies of the realm, however I have to agree with DonaCatalina. If you do not see the puppies' noses when looking in the mirror, you should be alright. HOWEVER, as the husband of a rather buxom woman, I feel I can offer you some advice. If you are concerned that they may decide to "peek" out, you might consider one of the following tricks;
1. electrical tape (available in multiple colors), simply place a piece or two in an X pattern and you will be covered.
2. liquid latex, available in a flesh tone, however this one is not as advisable because once the jar has been opened, it tends to dry out if you do not use it frequently enough and that can be a waste of money.
3. when doing the "fluff", as suggested by Marietta, lift from the outside in and that can keep the un-mentionable areas from becoming a topic of conversation.
Thank you for the advice. I am attempting to post my pic now.
Here is my pic...the cleavage is a little low, and I will probably adjust it slightly before tomorrow...but for my second attempt at dressing, it's not too bad. And, I am rushing to leave, ....we head to Sterling in 30 minutes!
(http://www.thehawksnest.org/Ren1.jpg)
You look lovely :)
Now, as I explained, if you fear exposure, you may also look into some of that wonderful double-sided garment tape that helps keep things in place ;)
Thank you! :)
Off to the Faire....
Ladyhawke, just to let you know, my cup runneth, well, WAY over!
I took to buying niftly pasties to hide my "shame". Red flames, black and red stars, silver butterflies. You can get the really cool ones at one of those naughty stores. They sell them for the, um, dancers...LOL
I think the TRF pasties are legend now!
Quote from: blue66669 on August 15, 2008, 01:45:09 PM
Ladyhawke, just to let you know, my cup runneth, well, WAY over!
I took to buying niftly pasties to hide my "shame". Red flames, black and red stars, silver butterflies. You can get the really cool ones at one of those naughty stores. They sell them for the, um, dancers...LOL
I think the TRF pasties are legend now!
~whistling innocently as if he has never "witnessed" the legend first hand~
Quote from: PurpleDragon on August 15, 2008, 01:49:15 PM
Quote from: blue66669 on August 15, 2008, 01:45:09 PM
Ladyhawke, just to let you know, my cup runneth, well, WAY over!
I took to buying niftly pasties to hide my "shame". Red flames, black and red stars, silver butterflies. You can get the really cool ones at one of those naughty stores. They sell them for the, um, dancers...LOL
I think the TRF pasties are legend now!
~whistling innocently as if he has never "witnessed" the legend first hand~
Grumbles to self... Some women have all the fun, and some of us have to struggle with what we have :(
grr my bf wouldn't let me out of the house... bedroom... if i had pasties on!
Hmmm theres an idea....
I read before that your chemise should be a half inch above your pups noses.
Puppies noses! I love it! LOL ;D
And I never knew the hoisting and tugging I did to fluff the girls into position had an actual technical term: Elizabethan Lift Maneuver. I like that - sounds important.
Quote from: gypsylakat on August 15, 2008, 09:05:25 PM
grr my bf wouldn't let me out of the house... bedroom... if i had pasties on!
Hmmm theres an idea....
I read before that your chemise should be a half inch above your pups noses.
That depends on what era dress and style. It was improper for a noble woman to show her assets and it was proper to "flatten" them and be very modest and to keep them covered up. Things really changed latter on when woman started showing their assests more.
A great example to to look at paints of the queens and other nobles of King Henry's time and early Elizabethian.
Another suggestion whilst doing the Elizabethan Lift Maneuver (I love that name!) - bend your waist as far as you can without falling over and then do the lifting and shifting. You can do that to settle yourself into your mundane bra as well.
LOL, my mom told me that YEARS ago. "Bend over and shuffle them in better."
I pat them when I'm done.
Quote from: Silverbee on August 16, 2008, 02:27:38 AM
Another suggestion whilst doing the Elizabethan Lift Maneuver (I love that name!) - bend your waist as far as you can without falling over and then do the lifting and shifting. You can do that to settle yourself into your mundane bra as well.
When I bought my first VS bra several years ago, the saleslady told me this too, so now I bend over all the time, in garb or regular bra. It really works!
Quote from: Lady de Laney on August 15, 2008, 10:18:52 PM
Quote from: gypsylakat on August 15, 2008, 09:05:25 PM
grr my bf wouldn't let me out of the house... bedroom... if i had pasties on!
Hmmm theres an idea....
I read before that your chemise should be a half inch above your pups noses.
That depends on what era dress and style. It was improper for a noble woman to show her assets and it was proper to "flatten" them and be very modest and to keep them covered up. Things really changed latter on when woman started showing their assests more.
A great example to to look at paints of the queens and other nobles of King Henry's time and early Elizabethian.
Hence the reason Elizabethan corsets are designed the way they are, to compress rather than accentuate.
Chemises in period either graced the shoulder or sat on the shoulders, they didn't go off the shoulder. One of the reasons I like to point out what was done in period is not because everything should be H/A but because our ancestors already figured out all the problems that people keep haivng with their garb. ;) Everyone was always fully covered when it came to showing or not showing. The only ones that weren't were the Venetian Courtesans and the Venetian women themselves towards the very end. However, even then, it looks like it went, undershirt, corset, chemise, then low neckline dress....and that was 1590's and only in Venice. High necklines dominated pretty much everywhere else. (Doublets, high necked dresses, ect...)
Loosely lace yourself into the bodice. Lift while you are only loosely laced, hold with the free arm where everything should be, and then pull down on the laces as hard as you can. You can let go and tighten more after that.
I call it the Fluff and Stuff ;D
I'm very concious of mine. I don't normally like showing it off for fear they will fall out. There are times I like petals but depending on the edge of the garb you will more likely see the pasty.
My issue was cafeage. After getting their noses rubbed raw one year on a non-garb top I went back to wearing them.
I did one day of TRF with them on and had more trouble keeping the petals from being seen then actually having fun showing them off. The next day i didn't wear them and had more fun. The girls stayed where I put them.
On a side note, it also depends on your bodice/corset. My elzabethan I just show a hint of blossom. My wench, as long as I'm fluffed right, then laced in right I don't move. (My hubby has a shot of me with a traveling gnome sitting in my clevage as his personal laptop screen shot , and I wouldn't let him show that if I didn't think I was covered enough) My victorian corset I'll wear pasties because of where the top of the corset hits.
Any suggestions on how to stop my slight worry about chafing issues?
Well I know my one friend uses bandaids underneath her chainmail, it blends so if it peeks out a little bit you're ok, plus it's pretty narrow to they would be less likely to say hello to the world anyways... they'd certainly stay on, and you might even luck out that by the end of the day they'd be ready to fall off because of sweat so no painful removal?
I'm tellin ya, bright red flames and silver butterflies are the way to go. I think I left all means and methods of modesty sitting at the gates with the Beefeaters a LONG time ago.
Quote from: blue66669 on August 18, 2008, 10:45:48 AM
I'm tellin ya, bright red flames and silver butterflies are the way to go. I think I left all means and methods of modesty sitting at the gates with the Beefeaters a LONG time ago.
LOL, you crack me up!
Who would of thought puppies noses and pasties would be mentioned in the same thread...LOL.
I had a great time. My husband used the term ELM all weekend, "honey you need to do an ELM." :)
I bought some chain maille...totally not h/a I am guessing, but I like the headdress. I am now looking to add to my garb for next year and have fun with it.
I think the biggest struggle I had was getting comfortable with speaking, I just can't wrap my head around it I have all winter to work on it.
SRSLY!!! Who needs to talk when you let the puppies bark for you? You need a fresh drink??? Bend over and bat your eyelashes while jiggling your empty cup. You need food? Arch your back in the direction of the food booth. You need privies? Well, um, can't help ya there. But hey! You can get just about anything you need without speaking if you point the puppies in the right direction.
Quote from: blue66669 on August 18, 2008, 04:23:25 PM
SRSLY!!! Who needs to talk when you let the puppies bark for you? You need a fresh drink??? Bend over and bat your eyelashes while jiggling your empty cup. You need food? Arch your back in the direction of the food booth. You need privies? Well, um, can't help ya there. But hey! You can get just about anything you need without speaking if you point the puppies in the right direction.
And people wonder why we LOVE this woman here in Texas ;)
Quote from: blue66669 on August 18, 2008, 04:23:25 PM
SRSLY!!! Who needs to talk when you let the puppies bark for you? You need a fresh drink??? Bend over and bat your eyelashes while jiggling your empty cup. You need food? Arch your back in the direction of the food booth. You need privies? Well, um, can't help ya there. But hey! You can get just about anything you need without speaking if you point the puppies in the right direction.
BU, BUT, But... what if we are not indowed with puppies? How do we get free drinks and food type stuff? I cry FOUL, it's not right that some of us don't have cut little puppies to show and take for walks. If this is how it works at TRF how am I to get free drinks and food... Toki buying them for me does not count.
Dood, joos what joo gots! So maybe your puppies don't play well with others. That's totally fine!!! Give em all a little flash of the ren-porn, you know, some "ankle action". Oh, and don't forget to toss your hair.
LOL....
OK, as much as I'm enjoying the silliness....let's stay on topic, please...
Quote from: Lady de Laney on August 19, 2008, 12:44:47 PM
BU, BUT, But... what if we are not indowed with puppies? How do we get free drinks and food type stuff? I cry FOUL, it's not right that some of us don't have cut little puppies to show and take for walks. If this is how it works at TRF how am I to get free drinks and food... Toki buying them for me does not count.
My dear Lady de Laney, You should have to do nothing more than be your gloriously gorgeous self, and I am quite sure some fine gentleman (note: I said Gentleman, not PIRATE ~wink~) should do his duty and buy thee what thou wishes to posess. ;) ((Sadly, I can't do it.. the wife won't let me spend money on other women ;) LOL))
NOW, back to topic; There are a number of ways to ensure that your charms are not exposed, I can see that a number of them were listed in previous posts, so hopefully one of them will work best for you. ;) Happy Garbing
Sorry Trill, my badsies...
Lady D sometimes a wink and a cute wiggle gets that empty cup filled....
But you got a good fella in that Toki so dont worry about the small stuff!
I found some pasties on a dancewear website (as in, ballet and tap -- not the other dancewear... I Googled "Discount Dancewear" and found several companies that sell "skin tone" (well, for someone's skin tone) underthings. THe pasties appeared to be large flower-shapes for plenty of coverage and even adhesion.
They also sell "dance belts" for men, for those who need a bit of... support?...under-coverage?... in that department