Corsetry and Competition
When I started making corsets, they were not a known and popular garment. They were still seen upon by regular women as cumbersome, uncomfortable and anti-feminist. This was quite a while ago, before the burlesque scene picked up again and women found stylish corsets and remembered that, yes, they do make you look a few dress sizes smaller and absolutely gorgeous!
Needless to say, I certainly wasn’t the first Designer/Maker on the corsetry scene. The other brands, who have been around for 5 years+ saw this niche well before it’s time and made the most of it, now creating some of the most glorious designs I’ve ever seen. These are obviously my competition, but there’s one very important point I would like to make.
Competition is both healthy and helpful. It’s a driving force that can push you to completely new limits and raise your bar up higher than you thought you’d ever be able to reach. It’s invigorating. I love my competition dearly, because without them, I’d be where I was five years ago, all of this, still a dream.
One thing I absolutely deplore is companies starting up and in effect stealing others designs. Now, touch wood, this hasn’t happened to me, but I have seen multiple images of the same designs under two different companies/brands. This is unfair on the original maker of that design. They invested time and effort into it only for someone else to reap the benefits. It’s utterly insane. Often the corset is made to a substandard quality and sold cheaply than the original because it has not been made to the same high standards with the same high quality materials. This sullies the original design and designers name. I think all designer/makers, whether it’s of corsets or handbags, clothing or swimwear should stand together against the theft and shoddy reproduction of their work.
Sadly, the best way to combat this is for our potential clients and customers to not go to them in the first place. Pay the extra tiny bit of money because you will benefit from the years of experience and high standards we Designer/Makers hold ourselves to.
So, if you want to buy a corset, research the company, brand or designer and ask them questions, if you feel what they are making is a reproduction then don’t bother buying from them, find the original designer and let them know whats going on.
Christmas is Coming…
Christmas is on it’s way and I am beginning to panic already. I think a good 70% of the population conveniently ignores Christmas until December arrives (I don’t blame them!), but there isn’t really any excuse. After all, it’s on the same day every year.
I have decided to start buying Christmas presents now so it wont be such a shock to my bank account in December, but I know theres going to be some last minute purchases that will be super hard to find! It’s always the same. I managed to get my hands on the last Rory Racing Track thing last year for my cousin, put the £50 on my credit card and I’m still paying it back!
I’d love to have a Christmas where I could make evryone something. Soap, candles, cushions and numerous other crafty bits, but I always get a feeling that hand made is frowned upon. I don’t think people really understand the time, effort, love and tears that can go into hand made gifts!
The cut off for Christmas orders is November 15th (this may be extended later on). That’s because I wouldn’t want to let anyone down by receiving too many orders and not being able to complete them. I do all the work myself and it can take up to two weeks to make one corset. So get in touch soon if you would like a bespoke design (Prices from £200). If you would like a standard design (Prices from £120) then order via my site for a simpler service.
The next collection to be completed will be the Dupioni Silks collection which will be available in 7 fabulous shades of silk. Prices will be £130 for the underbusts and £200 for the overbusts. If anyone would like to order one of these now, get in touch for a list of colours and styles available. You will be entitled to 10% off since the designs aren’t on the website yet 
If you are a lovely fella buying for your even lovlier missus, don’t be afraid to get in touch to discuss a corset! I don’t bite.
In the mean time, enjoy September and lets hope it doesn’t keep raining like this!
Let me introduce myself…
Hello, I’m Eleanor, the designer/maker of corsets and corsetry beneath my brand name, Apricot Couture.
At the moment I am planning my next collections, craving home baked apple pie and wondering why on Earth people question what I do for a living.
I used to call myself a seamstress, only for some reason that now only means someone who alters clothing, makes curtains and replaces zips/buttons for a small fee. No offense if you, or someone you know, does any of the above. It does require a certain amount of talent and skill to do all of the above and I can do all of the above myself. But that isn’t all I do.
I Design and Make Corsets.
I was talking with my partners sister about this just the other day, she is a ceramacist, only when she tells people that they often have no clue what she is on about, her further elaboration is simply “I make pots”. But thats not it!! No!! She is talented and skilled beyond belief and does more than “make pots” she designs and develops and creates and experiments and produces some of the most glorious things I’ve ever clapped eyes on.
I realised when telling her this, that thats what I do. I design, develop, create and experiment and that is what makes me different. I don’t just take a commercial pattern and sew it up in cheap cloth. I make patterns, source some of the most gorgeous fabrics known to man, and then spend hours putting it together, combining both hand and machine sewing.
I really do believe it’s time for those of us who are Designer/Makers to stand together and declare how rare and talented we are! Yes! Lots of people can sew! Yes, lots of people can handle clay and make jewellery!! But how many of them love it like we do? How many of them spend their life perfecting what they do?! How many of them don’t have a social life anymore!?
Anyway, back from my tyrannical rant. I love to sew, I love to sew corsets, I want the whole of the female population to love my sewing and my corsets! Hurrah!
Oh, and I don’t make tat!
