Isabella's Corsetry

Silk, satin, velvet and lace - the four cornerstones of female elegance.

Designer Erin Bray successfully combines all four elements in the magic of corsetry at Isabella's Corsetry in Midtown, Sacramento. If you don't believe corsets are magic, try wearing one in front of your man and see the chemical reaction it creates.

http://www.corsetmaker.com/cat/

Erin uses a range of materials in her designs from cranberry-coloured satin with black lace trim or a brown and cream-coloured faux fur leopard print with red trim to red or black vinyl. "I love period architecture, furniture and clothing," says Erin, "I feel like I kind of happened into corsets by accident and it just fit with my love of antiquities."



Corsets typically reduce waist sizes by 3-5 inches (7-13cm) but it's dangerous to try for more. The effect of a 4 inch reduction, however, can be simply stunning. Erin started her business with a single corset for a friend in 1998 and now makes 700-800 a year, all hand-made. "I like the idea of being able to do a bunch of unique garments," she adds, "I can't imagine having a clothing line and picking just a few fabrics to work with. I have over 200 fabrics in stock, and I'm constantly hunting for new fabrics."



As well as the rockabilly crowd, Erin also has a Goth clientele and two of her corsets were used in the hit vampire series True Blood last year. Full corsets cost around $US300 and can be purchased from her website as well as many stores on the west coast. "They're really fun because they're beautiful," she ends, "And they make anybody look beautiful."