The Pain of Retro Lingerie

When I think about wearing retro lingerie, I always remember the pain it gives you just to get the right look.

Dressing for a retro lingerie shoot takes up more time than any other. This is especially true if there’s a corset involved. I have to remind myself to attach my favourite six-strap suspender belt to my stockings before the corset is laced up because it’s almost impossible to do it afterwards.

I always have a few problems with fitting my own corset no matter how experienced I get with the lacing. At first I didn’t like having to rely on photographers to help me. Then I discovered how much control I had over them when I felt their hands trembling as they laced me up. If I closed my eyes it felt like they were tying me up slowly in a complicated bondage game.

A tight corset always changes the way you walk and move. It doesn’t just correct a bad posture or prevent you from slouching if you sit down. It also encourages you to plan your movements carefully and impose yourself more in a shoot. At that point, you start to feel so confident in your image that you don’t want to go back and wear ordinary clothes again.

That’s how I felt when I chose my retro lingerie for this shoot. I combined retro-seamed stockings and a bullet bra from What Katy Did, my Van Doren six-strap suspender belt from Kiss Me Deadly and my favourite corset from Bibian Blue. Even though I knew my feet wouldn’t be seen in the final images, I still wore a killer pair of high heels so that I’d be totally in character.

Occasionally you can forget the pain of wearing retro lingerie. It’s worth putting up with it though, because when you get it right you’ll never look any less than totally powerful and completely sensual.

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Photography by Guy Moberly

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