Ellen Von Unwerth Shoots What Katie Did for new London Exhibition

We're thrilled to find out that our lingerie has been shot by Ellen Von Unwerth for her new exhibition which opens at the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London next Thursday.

Ellen shot a series of women for a range of work titled 'Do Not Disturb' in the quirky and luxurious setting of the famous Madonna Inn which nestles half way between LA and San Francisco (I've immediately put it on my 'to do list!')

Having been voted as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 Fashion Icons, Ellen Von Unwerth has a reputation like no other. Shooting everyone from models and movie stars to music icons such as Rihanna and Christina Aguilera.

The exhibition runs from 21st June to the 21st July.


Cabaret Bullet Bra and Knickers


Glamour Underwired Bra and Baby Corset.

www.whatkatiedid.com

Marlene Von Steenvag in What Katie Did lingerie

It's the last day of London's World Burlesque Games and I have to say we were looking forward to a duvet day. However, Marlene Von Steenvag was over from Berlin to peform and we just couldn't resist shooting with her. A few hours after performing she arrived at Steve Hart's Slough studio looking far more awake than we did!

Marlene started hear career in Cabaret and and gradually slipped more and more towards burlesque adding her distinctive poetic and fairytale glamour. Today Marlene travels Europe peforming full time, she's a regular at Germany's only dedicated burlesque club, Queen Calavera (in Hamburg) and hosts her own event: Salon Kokett, in Berlin



Marlene in our Morticia Underbust Corset, Maitresse Bullet Bra, Maitresse Knickers, Seamed Fishnet Tights and Long Gloves.



Marlene in our Maitresse Bullet Bra, Maitresse Suspender Belt and Fully Fashioned Stockings.



Marlene in our Glamour Corselette, Long Gloves and Fully Fashioned Stockings.



Marlene in our Cabaret Bullet Bra and French Knickers.

What Katie Did Morticia Corset in The Daily Mail

The Daily Mail has been devoting a lot of space to Marks and Spencers' new comfy corsets (they don't resemble corsets at all but are body shapers which come under category 'corsetry' - I think someone along the line might have got a little confused). Yesterday they did a test to see if corsets really were comfortable to wear and included our Morticia Underbust Corset which they gave 7 out of 10 (beating Spanx, yipee!)


Although corsetry should be comfortable enough to wear all day (our Glamour Corselette proves it), steel boned corsets are a whole different matter and unless you seriously want to train your waist, corsetry is the way to go for daily wear.

Corsetry won't give you the dramatic lines of a steel boned corset but will easily nip an inch or two from the waist and hips. The best way to describe it is that when you look in a mirror you stand up straight with your tummy tucked in: corsetry will keep you like that all day in comfort. At What Katie Did we frequently get visits from brides who think they want a steel boned corset but end up with a Glamour Merry Widow or Cabaret Torsolette which is comfortable enough to wear for 16 hours without any practice.

If you'd like to find out our views on steel boned corsets, what to expect from them and whether they're suitable for you, check out our Corset Guide Here.



What Katie Did Morticia Corset worn with our Cabaret Bullet Bra.

Lingerie fit for Royalty!

I first thought about doing a Union Flag corset last Spring, to celebrate Prince William's and Kate Middleton's wedding. I thought it would be great as part of a window display, combined with lots of Union Flag bunting, but really didn't think people would be interested in buying it. I sketched a basic design and asked our factory to throw something together, explaining that it was only for a window display and that it didn't have ot be perfect. Well, they disagreed and were really excited a the challenge which resulted in the most fabulous (and it turns out, horribly expensive!) corset. We had it in our London boutique window for a couple of weeks and did take a few orders and that, I thought, was that.

When I was in our factory in January I started working on a range of Jubilee lingerie in red, white and blue, and started thinking about the corset again. I thought if we were going to do it, we'd really go for it! This time around we made it in the Extreme Laurie shape which takes 2" more from the waistline than last year's Sophia shape. We also made it in two cup sizes for a perfect fit. Finally, we made a slight change to the flag design, changing the waist panels from blue to red which helps enhance the female form. The resulting corset really has had a great response, surprisingly those outside the UK are most enthusastic!

The picture below, featuring Miss Miranda, was shot by Steve Hart in his Slough (UK) studio at the end of a very long day - not that you'd be able to tell!

Miss Polly Rae's Burlesque Tips - Day 2: Costumes

Today Miss Polly Rae is lucky enough to work with William Baker, Kylie Minogue's stylist for whom the cost of rhinestones is no issue for her West End Shows (although it still makes her swoon!) but for her other shows the costumes are down to Polly.



Polly's first bit of advice is that you don't need to spend a lot of money - but you do need to be ready to devote your evenings to hot-gluing and trimming! Whilst it's not possible to skimp on some items - for example a high street basque will not give yout the defined hourglass shape of a good quality corset - it is possible to transform cheap high street lingerie and shoes into showstopping costumes. Barnet and Lawson just off London's Oxford Street is Polly's haberdashery of choice where their basement is an Aladdin's cave of sparkly trims.

Polly's stockings of choice for peeling, whether on stage in the West End or the East End are our stretchy Retro Seamed Stockings which are far more affordable than fully fashioned and 'ping' off the foot with far more control than expensive Fully Fashioned Nylons.

From my personal experience I've learn't how seriously professional burlesque artistes take their costumes. Last year we took Slinky Sparkles to perform in Las Vegas and instead of painting the town red spent her days rhinestoning her costume (you can never have too many rhinestones!) Although Polly says that trims and rhinestones are 'icing' to your act, turning up in a untrimmed high street lingerie really is a no no.

What Katie Did in Asiana Wedding Magazine

It's a first time press appearance for What Katie Did's Lalique Velvet Laurie corset which has been featured in the Spring edition of Asiana Wedding magazine.

What Katie Did's SS12 collection was launched in early March and we couldn't resist putting together a little event to show the new ranges. Mam'zelle Maz was in charge of keeping all the models in check (no mean feat!) whilst Anthony Ratcliffe was on hand to film the proceedings ensuring that even if you couldn't make it to our London boutique you wouldn't miss out on the action.

Of course, most of the items are now available online and instore but we did hold a couple of goodies back. Keep a close eye out for our Hollywood Camiknicker and red Jubilee lingerie which will be launched on 1st May.

What Katie Did Guide To Corsets

There is a lot of intrigue concerning steel boned corsets and what they do to your body. As corset designer for What Katie Did I have nearly 20 years experience in fitting and designing corsets and whether you're thinking about trying one, or would like to learn a little more about them, you're in the right place!

Corsets for Fashion

At What Katie Did we class a 'fashion corset wearer' as someone who wears a corset for an evening out once a month, right up to someone who wears one nearly every day. This kind of wear is what our corsets are designed for.

Above: What Katie Did Sophia Corset. Our most popular overbust style. It's gentle curve to the waist is ideal for first time wearers, but curvy enough to give a great hourglass shape.

The 'Dita Von Teese' Corset Shape

If you are looking at trying a corset for the first time, please remember that your current figure will effect the outcome. Whilst you might think that Dita Von Teese has the most famous trained waist in the world today - it isn't really trained at all, and Dita is the first to admit it!

Dita is in the enviable position of having a classic hourglass figure with an unnaturally small waist. She also has access to the finest bespoke corsetiers in the world and if you look closely you'll see that the majority of the waist reduction is confined to a small section around her waist. This allows her waist to be clearly defined without undue pressure on her ribs enabling her to wear a corset with dramatic results, whilst not waist training.

To achieve similar results to Dita when wearing a steel boned corset you will need to have, what we call, a Vintage Figure: one where the waist is a good 10 inches (or more) smaller than the hips. Figures like this do exist but they are becoming less common. I have a friend who is lucky enough to have an extreme vintage figure: 19" waist, 35" hips. She wears a 17" corset daily which, although looks extreme, really isn't much of a reduction. If you have a more modern figure (with a waist less than 10 inches smaller than the hips) then it will be hard for you to gain such dramatic results, especially if you only want to wear a corset on the odd occasion. Harsh words I know.

That's my personal opinion anyway. Women in our stores always seem thrilled at their corseted shape! Talking of which, always allow at least half an hour for a corset fitting as although you might have decided which corset you'd like in advance, a different style might be more suitable.

Above: What Katie Did Morticia Corset. Our most popular underbust style gives a definite 'burlesque' style corseted shape.

The Right What Katie Did Corset For You

If you have a Vintage Figure: try one of our styles with gored hips:

Morticia Underbust Corset

Baby Underbust Corset

Mae Underbust Corset

Laurie Overbust Corset

Antoinette Corset

Storm Overbust Corset

Or any of our Extreme Corsets

If you have a Modern Figure: try a style without gored hips:

Sophia Overbust Corset

Tempest Overbust Corset

Gina Underbust Corset

Our corset shapes with gored hips are specifically designed for hourglass figures and will not fit a very Modern Figure. Our corsets without gores are suitable for both Modern and Vintage figures. By the way, we have found a lot of companies using our pictures illegally: if a corset doesn't say it's What Katie Did, even if it uses our picture (and especially if it's cheap!) it will be counterfeit.

An Evening Out In Your Corset

If you decide to wear a steel boned corset for an evening out it's really not going to have any effect on your torso, apart from giving you a delicious waistline of course! With anything new it's always best to have a trial run and this is especially important when wearing a corset for the first time. Please 'practice' wearing it for a few hours before your big event. Whilst it might have felt comfortable for the few minutes you initially tried it on for, it might start to become uncomfortable after a couple of hours. By having a trial run or two, your body will have time to get used to the feel of being corseted and you'll know how tightly you can comfortably lace making amendments if necessary (for example, if you think you will become uncomfortable then don't lace your corset tightly until you arrive at the event - and remember you can always loosen the laces later in the evening as long as your dress allows it!)

Above: What Katie Did Extreme Laurie Corset. The gored hips and shaped cups on this overbust corset make this corset curvy enough to satisfy every corset fan.

A Little Light Corset Training

If you would like to define your waistline a little then this is possible by wearing a corset on a regular daily basis. Your body will soon get used to the feel of being tightly hugged and you will be gradually be able to pull your corset in tighter. If you are looking to wear a corset on a regular basis we recommend you select an underbust style as this is less restrictive on torso movement. We also highly recommend our Baby corset which cinches the waist but, due to it's small size, doesn't restrict the rib cage and is ideal for modern lifestyles. If you do wear a corset daily then your waistline will gradually reduce although it will return to 'normal' disappointingly quickly when you stop wearing.

Your Ribcage and Corsets

All corsets will put some pressure on the rib cage and there are some rather extreme diagrams from the 19th century showing how the rib cage can be distorted. Whilst this is not a myth (modern day tight lacer Cathie Jung has been x-rayed in her corset and yes, her ribs are distorted) you have to tight lace seriously and over time for your ribs to be effected. It is also worth remembering that the skeletal system is very adaptable. The rib cage expands during pregnancy, with some of the internal organs being pushed upwards to allow room for the baby. After pregnancy, over a period of months, the skeleton returns to normal.

Above: What Katie Did Baby Corset. Designed to put minimal pressure on the ribcage and hips this 7" mini corset gives an extremely dramatic silhouette.

Your Muscles and Corsets

If you have a bad back then a corset can be great as it supports the back bone meaning that your muscles are under less stress: but this also has it's disadvantages. If you are intending to wear a corset on a daily or near daily basis then you do need to consider your back muscles which will require extra exercise to keep them strong. Ask your gym/yoga/pilates instructor to recommend some exercises to work on your back muscles. If you do not have a gym/yoga/pilates instructor and are considering light body modification (which is what regular corset wearing is) then maybe you should think seriously about finding one.

Serious Corset Training

To achieve the most dramatic result takes time and discipline. We're talking wearing a corset 23 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is the dedication required to attain a waistline like that of Mr Pearl and Cathie Jung (both current day tight lacers). Serious corset training is not to be taken lightly and What Katie Did corsets are most definitely not suitable for serious corset training. If you are even considering serious waist training you need to seek out others who have tight laced and read about their experiences. A made to measure corset is a must for waist training. Do not even consider using an 'off the peg' corset to waist train as you need one tailored to your exact measurements.

Putting On A Corset

Information on sizing and putting on corsets, can be found in our What Katie Did Corset Sizing Guide.

Further Corset Reading

Find out more about Dita Von Teese and her love of corsets in her book: Burlesque and the Art of the Teese / Fetish and the Art of the Teese which is packed with fabulous pictures and advice.

For more serious reading check out The Corset: A Cultural History by Valerie Steele. There might not be as many pretty pictures as in Dita's book, but you'll find out everything you ever wanted to know about corsets.

What Katie Did in Twenty6 magazine

 

You might remember the beautiful pictures of our Retro Contrast Seamed Stockings in Twenty6 magazine a few weeks ago. Well, we're in the new issue too! Only just seen though.... Top and middlle pictures show our Gina Corset, the bottom picture shows our Glamour Girdle. To see the full shoot as intended head on over to Twenty6.

What Katie Did in Fabulous Magazine

NOTW's Fabulous magazine featured some of our lingerie in a shoot devoted to shoes yesterday. The first picture shows our Sophia corset in peach, with peach ballet knickers (if you'd like the ballet knickers order them quickly as we're going to have a little delay before the next shipment arrives. The second shows our Maitresse bullet bra. Thank you Fabulous!

Corsets for beginners

There is a lot of intrigue concerning steel boned corsets and how they will effect your body. I have 15 years experience in working with corsets and whether you're thinking about trying one, or would like to learn a little more about them, you're in the right place! Information on sizing and putting on, can be found here.

The fashion corset wearer - At What Katie Did we class a 'fashion corset wearer' as someone who wears a corset for an evening out once a month, right up to someone who wears one nearly every day. This kind of wear is what our corsets are designed for.

The 'Dita Von Teese' shape -
If you are looking at trying a corset for the first time, please remember that your current figure will effect the outcome. Whilst you might think that Dita Von Teese has the most famous trained waist in the world today - it isn't really trained at all, and Dita is the first to admit it!

Dita is in the enviable position of having a classic hourglass figure with an unnaturally small waist. She also has access to the finest bespoke corsetiers in the world and if you look closely you'll see that the majority of the waist reduction is confined to a small section around her waist. This allows her waist to be clearly defined without undue pressure on her ribs enabling her to wear a corset with dramatic results, whilst not waist training.

To achieve similar results to Dita you will need to have, what we call, a Vintage Figure: one where the waist is a good 10 inches (or more) smaller than the hips. Figures like this do exist but they are becoming less common. I have a friend who is lucky enough to have an extreme vintage figure: 19" waist, 35" hips. She wears a 17" corset daily which, although looks extreme, really isn't much of a reduction. If you have a more modern figure (with a waist less than 10 inches smaller than the hips) then it will be hard for you to gain such dramatic results, especially if you only want to wear a corset on the odd occasion. Harsh words I know.

That's my personal opinion anyway. Women in our boutique always seem thrilled at their corseted shape! Talking of which, always allow at least half an hour for a corset fitting as although you might have decided which corset you'd like in advance, a different style might be more suitable (and we can make our corsets in any of the fabrics we carry so you don't have to worry about missing out on a certain fabric or colour).

Above: Morticia is our most
popular underbust style

The right What Katie Did corset for you -
If you have a Vintage Figure: try one of our styles with gored hips - Laurie, Mae, Morticia, Antoinette or Baby.
If you have a Modern Figure: try a style without gored hips - Gina, Sophia or Dolly.

Our corset shapes with gored hips are specifically designed for hourglass figures and will not fit a very Modern Figure (with the exception of Baby). Our corsets without gores are suitable for both Modern and Vintage figures.

By the way, we have found a lot of companies using our pictures illegally: if a corset doesn't say it's What Katie Did, even if it uses our picture (and especially if it's cheap!) it will be counterfeit.

An evening out -

If you decide to wear a steel boned corset for an evening out it's really not going to have any effect on your torso, apart from giving you a delicious waistline of course! With anything new it's always best to have a trial run and this is especially important when wearing a corset for the first time. Please 'practice' wearing it for a few hours before your big event. Whilst it might have felt comfortable for the few minutes you initially tried it on for, it might start to become uncomfortable after a couple of hours. By having a trial run or two, your body will have time to get used to the feel of being corseted and you'll know how tightly you can comfortably lace making amendments if necessary (for example, if you think you will become uncomfortable then don't lace your corset tightly until you arrive at the event - and remember you can always loosen the laces later in the evening as long as your dress allows it!)

Sophia is our most popular overbust style, ideal for modern figures

A little light training -
If you would like to define your waistline a little then this is possible by wearing a corset on a regular daily basis. Your body will soon get used to the feel of being tightly hugged and you will be gradually be able to pull your corset in tighter. If you are looking to wear a corset on a regular basis we recommend you select an underbust style as this is less restrictive on torso movement. We also highly recommend our Baby corset which cinches the waist but, due to it's small size, doesn't restrict the rib cage and is ideal for modern lifestyles. If you do wear a corset daily then your waistline will gradually reduce although it will return to 'normal' disappointingly quickly when you stop wearing.

Your rib cage -
All corsets will put some pressure on the rib cage and there are some rather extreme diagrams from the 19th century showing how the rib cage can be distorted. Whilst this is not a myth (modern day tight lacer Cathie Jung has been x-rayed in her corset and yes, her ribs are distorted) you have to tight lace seriously and over time for your ribs to be effected. It is also worth remembering that the skeletal system is very adaptable. The rib cage expands during pregnancy, with some of the internal organs being pushed upwards to allow room for the baby. After pregnancy, over a period of months, the skeleton returns to normal.

Your muscles -
If you have a bad back then a corset can be great as it supports the back bone meaning that your muscles are under less stress: but this also has it's disadvantages. If you are intending to wear a corset on a daily or near daily basis then you do need to consider your back muscles which will require extra exercise to keep them strong. Ask your gym/yoga/pilates instructor to recommend some exercises to work on your back muscles. If you do not have a gym/yoga/pilates instructor and are considering light body modification (which is what regular corset wearing is) then maybe you should think seriously about finding one.

Serious Corset Training -
To achieve the most dramatic result takes time and discipline. We're talking wearing a corset 23 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is the dedication required to attain a waistline like that of Mr Pearl and Cathie Jung (both current day tight lacers). Serious corset training is not to be taken lightly and What Katie Did corsets are most definitely not suitable for serious corset training. If you are even considering serious waist training you need to seek out others who have tight laced (Google Spook and Cathie Jung who tight laced for a few years with dramatic results, unfortunately there's not much about Mr Pearl who is a very private person) and read about their experiences. A made to measure corset is a must for waist training. Do not even consider using an 'off the peg' corset to waist train as you need one tailored to your exact measurements. I am happy to recommend a bespoke corsetier on request (katie@whatkatiedid.com)

Further Reading -
Find out more about Dita Von Teese and her love of corsets in her book: Burlesque and the Art of the Teese / Fetish and the Art of the Teese which is packed with fabulous pictures and advice.

For more serious reading check out The Corset: A Cultural History by Valerie Steele. There might not be as many pretty pictures as in Dita's book, but you'll find out everything you ever wanted to know about corsets.

 

What Katie Did corsets

What Katie Did designer Katie Halford began her career as a corset fitter over 15 years ago, before going on to develop her own collection. A decade on from the launch of her company, What Katie Did's now-famous corset range has grown from one style to an impressive eight; with the A/W 09 collection boasting what must be the largest choice of corsets around. There's a cut to suit every shape and size; and a style that will appeal to everyone - from glamour queens and tight-lacing Dita-wannabes, to those simply looking for something saucy to wear on a night out... or a night in!




Overbust Corsets

Sophia is the most popular of What Katie Did's corsets, with a gently curved silhouette
that's neither too extreme-looking or constricting to put off corset newcomers; but with just the right amount of cinching to satisfy experienced wearers. Its curved cups ensure that A-E-cup breasts are pushed delicately upwards and together. Those who are considerably more endowed needn't despair though, because decadent Dolly combines the same classic cut with slightly more room in the bust; perfect for those lucky ladies whose D+ cups runneth over.



These two have a naughty big sister, Laurie - an overbust style with real
va-va-voom. It features the same shaped cups for perfect uplift, but with WKD's signature gored hips, Laurie gives a fantastically well-defined waistline. It's enough to make even Jessica Rabbit jealous!



The 18th Century-inspired Antoinette is the WKD's newest overbust style. Its balconette bustline and innovative pointed sides mean that even the most well-upholstered needn't fear an overspill of fulsome flesh - simply a ravishing pair of (well-supported!) heaving bosoms. With gored hips for a truly ravishing silhouette, it's just like its antique counterpart, but considerably more comfortable. 

Underbust Corsets

Gina was the very first corset that What Katie Did designed, and it's still a firm favourite amongst their customers. It gives a smooth and defined shape, but,
like Sophia, not one that's too extreme. The addition of the signature gores to this basic underbust created Mae. The beauty of the goring is that hips are not compressed, and waists can therefore be cinched down even further, for a very pronounced hourglass shape. Those with a large waist-hip ratio look particularly spectacular in the gored hip versions of What Katie Did's corsets for this reason!  

Wickedly tempting, Morticia is a slightly longer-line style based on the Mae shape, and the latest version to incorporate goring. The longer busk and lower hip-line ensure that shapely derrieres are shown off to their full advantage, while the waist is pulled in as tightly as desired. Morticia is so well cut and designed, that many customers find they can actually go down a size!  

The newest underbust style, Baby, is a little 7” waist cincher designed to be worn under clothes. It's directly inspired by Christian Dior's post-war New Look fashions, and the boned waist-nippers that his models were tightly laced into to achieve that incredibly dramatic silhouette. Baby's clever cut allows the waist to be substantially reduced, but its small size makes it incredibly comfortable.

 

A weekend in Paris with What Katie Did.

Saturday morning saw me up far too early to catch the Eurostar to Paris for Mode Paris, a huge lingerie trade show. I grabbed the Saturday Times to read on the way and was excited to find that Liberty of London had included a magazine about their AW09 collections in with the paper. It was only included with newspapers in the London region so I was very lucky to be in London on that day. Inside they devoted two pages to their new lingerie ranges and included a full page on What Katie Did featuring our
Glamour corselette. A smaller insert picture featured our Lulu lingerie.

Once in Paris I headed down to the show and was pleased to see a lot of small
English boutique brands showing. Most of the other companies showing were rather bigger so it was nice to see so much innovation coming out of the UK. I picked up UK lingerie trade magazine Underlines to check out our advert and saw that they'd given us a little bit of editorial too.

Of course, all work and no play makes for a rather boring weekend in Paris. Luckily Gentry Lane of the Gentry de Paris Review  had timed the dress rehearsal  of her show for the Sunday evening so I headed to the historic Casino de Paris. The show was spectacular and I'm sure that Dita alone manages to keep Swarovski crystal afloat! I have to say though, that it was the boys that got the most applause, including Warren Speed who added a little English humour to the proceedings. It was also nice to catch up briefly with English corsetier Velda Lauder and 21CP Holli-Mae during the interval.  I'm not going to give too much about the show away as it's running until 17th September - if you are in Paris then please go and see it! If you're not able to see it then keep your eyes on 21CP as Holli-Mae will be doing a full review as soon as the run has finished.

Dita performing at Gentry de Paris Review.

If you want to find out more about the Katie behind What Katie Did then head on over to The Sassy Minx who have just published a new interview with me.