True Corset Black and Yellow Outfit

Yes, I'm a nerd, and not ashamed of it! Imagine how thrilled I was when True Corset contacted me for a review and I found a Star Trek inspired corset outfit on their page. I repeat: A Star Trek corset!

The whole outfit consists of a corset, shrug, belt and a skirt, but you can also buy the pieces separately. They also offer gorgeous shoes to go with the rest of the outfit. I really like that they have complete sets on their page, it's an easy way to see ways to style the corsets!

In addition to fantasy costumes, they also have nice gothic outfits and sets like a matching corset and shoes. You can see the outfit selection here. Even if you are not shopping, it's great for inspiration!

On to the yellow and black corset then! Mine is a size 24" and made of black and yellow cotton. The fabric has a faint sheen, but definitely not a cheap polyester satin shine. The corset feels sturdy. All the boning is metal and there's a heavy duty lining with a supporting waist tape. If engineering or yellow is not your thing, the corset also comes in black/red and black/blue. I rarely wear blue or red, but yellow goes nicely with my hair, so yellow it was!

Bone channels and waist tape.

There are a few places where the black bobbin thread has been pulled to the top layer and it looks a bit messy on the bright yellow fabric. I'd guess that this problem isn't very visible on the blue and red versions of the corset, but with the yellow the contrast is so high that it shows. These few spots, however, are not that visible. We are talking about a few millimetres of black thread showing.

In the back, next to the lacing, a tiny amount of black thread shows on the yellow area.

 The cut isn't very curvy, but this makes the corset quite comfortable to wear. On me it closes almost completely but feels like something I could wear for a full evening. After just an hour the corset started to mould better to my body, so this is definitely a model you want to "break in" before you wear it to an event or convention.

The back is a little bit too high for my body, but that's how off the rack corsets
just are :) If you are quite tall, this cut might fit you perfectly!

A side view of the corset.

Best things about this corset:

+ Moulds to body
+ Long laces, easy to put on and take off
+ Feels sturdy
+ Good structure: metal bones, busk and waist tape

The skirt of the set is pretty basic but well constructed, a black mini skirt with a tiny slit in the back. The fabric does not stretch, so be careful with measuring yourself! The skirt is lined and the outer fabric is the same nice, black cotton blend as in the corset. I accidentally ordered a skirt slightly too large, so it doesn't sit on me as nicely as the correct size would. This cut is not easy to take in on the side seams because of the lining, but it is possible to alter it. The back seam is a no-go, as it has a zipper and a button closure, so you need to alter the sides if you have to do modifications.

Then there is the belt! I was happy that the outfit had a belt, because it can be a bit tricky to choose a matching purse when you are wearing a Starfleet engineering uniform. I have no idea what kind of a bag they could have ;D The belt has two tiny pockets with snap closures and a zippered pocket behind the snap pockets. The snap pockets are mainly decorative, as they are really small, but in the zipper pocket you can fit a phone (I tried with a iPhone 6 and a OnePlus One) and a credit card. The sizing on the belt was a bit confusing. I wanted it to sit on my hips, so I got a 36", thinking that that would be the length of the belt, but apparently it's not. 

36 inches is about 91 cm, but the belt is a 103 cm to the first hole and over 120 cm in total. The sizing table didn't have specific instructions for the belt, so I bet I'm not the only one confused ;D The belt has a nice system of garter clips that would allow it to be attached to a corset with loops for garters (the corset of the set has these), which makes me think I should have gone with a belt the same size as the corset. This should be mentioned a bit more clearly in the description to avoid confusion.

The shrug is awesome. It's made of the same fabric as the corset and the skirt, and fully lined. The cotton is not the thinnest sort, but still not too thick. As a result, it feels luxurious but still drapes nicely. I adore the yellow and black pattern reminiscent of the Star Trek Next Generation uniforms. The black part is sewn on top of the yellow, not printed, so it shouldn't fade like prints do. The pattern is perfectly lined on the seams. The sleeves are maybe the tiniest bit too long for me, but it's way easier to shorten sleeves than to add length, so I fully accept this.

The shrug pattern is perfectly aligned.

Now for a few outfit shots! I decided to wear simple black heels with the outfit, but I'd say boots would go well too. The heels give it a bit of a secretary feel. All in all I really like the outfit and will likely wear it to at least a few conventions this summer. The yellow is a great shade, it's not lemon yellow, but more along the lines of golden yellow or mustard, so nice and muted and very close to what I imagine the uniforms from Star Trek would look IRL. The fabric is of good quality and cotton is nice to wear, it's not too hot and allows the skin to breathe. The belt is a great addition, allowing me to carry my necessities without the hassle of an extra bag. A high quality set and well worth the prize! Especially for a "costume", the quality is superb. Sometimes costume pieces are done very cheaply but that is not the case with these items.

I'm not the biggest trekkie there is, I'm more of a Star Wars gal and fantasy is close to my heart, but I'm enough of a fan to appreciate this kind of an interesting take on the uniforms. The outfit is of high quality and done with good taste. And I happen to love Data from The Next Generation series, I'm pretty much a logical person and occasionally have trouble understanding feeling and human mistakes.

And since I also have a special place in my heart for Vulcans, I bid thee farewell by saying live long and prosper!