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The pattern I picked up is from Laughing Moon. They have both under- and over-bust styles (the under-bust style also includes a men's version). I have had lots of folks recommend these patterns for anyone wishing to learn how to sew functional corsets, and the pattern I received appears to be very complete, with lots of notes and some history. http://www.lafnmoon.com/victunder.htm

I actually bought the over-bust pattern, believing that it will be easier to flatten out the bust area in the pattern rather than trying to add busts into a flat pattern (I want to make both styles). I want to try different styles, including a lightweight waist cincher, an over-bust with shoulder straps, and eventually a long knee-length corset (which I understand is impossible to sit down in due to not being able to bend at the waist). Some will be impractical for all but special occasions, but others I'm hoping to use for daily-wear, something that will hide under my regular clothes but allow me to start more serious training.

I just had to jump into this thread (and am really sorry I missed it before). I've been wearing a corset periodically for 8-9 years now, generally no more than a few hours per week, and sometimes not wearing it at all for months at a time. In January I decided to start pushing myself, and have started periodically sleeping while laced up (not an easy thing to do!). Maybe I'm just a freak, but I'm living proof that a person *can* achieve a dramatic waist reduction without constant tightlacing. Here's my situation. I can't wear a corset during the work-day, it would be noticed. I wear my corset overnight 1-3 nights per week (and it's generally only 1), and sometimes on the weekend I will continue to wear it through part of the day. The rest of the time I wear loose-fitting jeans, and I have no interest in dieting. So essentially, there's no real reason why I should be making any progress at all in how far I can lace down. Right? My natural measurements are 41-41-40. How boring is that? Starting in January, I was lacing down to about 35", but quickly reduced from there. My corset laces closed at 31", and I have been able to comfortably wear it completely closed for the last couple months. Yeah, that's a full 25% reduction in waist size. My goal is to be able to reach 28" with my next corset, and eventually get down to 26". I was able to lace down to 26" once before (way back when I first started lacing), but I've put on weight since then. Not that I'll let that slow me down! To further that goal, I recently bought a pattern online and will be working with a friend to sew our own corsets. We'll of course have to modify the patterns somewhat to accommodate the waistline I'm working on, but it should fun to see how we do. So my results are probably not typical, but if your body easily adjusts to the required changes, then good results can come without getting in the way of the rest of your life. Oh one more thing... Both Staylace and Wasp Creations have IRC chat channels (the Staylace channel is much more active). If anyone has corset questions, drop by and folks will try and help out. There are a number of both men and women in the channel who wear corsets on a regular, or semi-regular basis.

Well thanks for all the replies! I'm certainly getting closer to finding what I like. The tip on searching for wedge heels was a big help!

Here's something that I've got my eye on -- http://www.shoemall.com/keycode.cmd?catalogKeyCode=SMJQ993&dest=catalog/product.jsp?style=127541&GCID=C16122x006

Of course it's not *quite* right, but it's close. I don't need the platform, and I wish the actual heel height was a bit more (and the price is quite a bit higher than I had hoped for), but this is certainly the right idea, and I have a better grasp on what it is I'm looking for now.

I'm not opposed to going out and shopping for shoes, or trying them on. I just haven't really seen anything in the few stores I've been to, and thought I might save some time by shopping online. Sizing also isn't really a problem, as I wear a women's 10.5 or 11 (US sizing). I'll try to run some more searches on your suggestions and see if I can get any closer. Thanks.

All this talk of street-heeling has gotten me seriously considering how I could do this. I think I have a good idea of what type of boot I would like to find, but after an hour of searching through google, I still haven't been able to come up with a search string to find what I'm looking for. Maybe someone can help? Basically I want something that at a casual glance would look like a regular boot. I'm thinking black or dark brown leather, a square or round toe, a heavy block heel, and something around a mid-calf lenght (pull-on style, no zippers or laces). That by itself would be pretty easy to find, except that I want at least a 4" or higher heel. I can walk around comfortably in 5.5" spike heels for an evening, so it doesn't make sense for me to bother with anything less. I'm not looking for anything heavy, no industrial or grunge looks. Just a regular no-frills ladies boot is fine (and hopefully nothing too extrordinarily expensive). I just can't seem to find what I'm hoping for. Any help would seriously be appriciated. Oh, and I'm based in the USA, so if you've seen anything like this at a local chain store, let me know!

This evening I was wearing my ballet boots while sitting at the computer for a few hours, just getting used to the feeling of them during the normal everyday routine. I didn't really do any walking in them, however this is probably the single longest period that I have worn them for. After taking them off, I was getting ready for bed and the strangest sensation came over me. I was keenly aware of standing there flat-footed, and I felt like I had huge clown-feet, like they were these extended flaps of skin that had no purpose. It was very odd and made me wish to be back in my boots with my sexy pointed feet... So I was wondering, does anyone else have sensations like that after wearing extreme heels for any length of time? Do you ever feel like your normal feet seem out of place?