Michele's Corset Journey

The curvy figure of an appealingly dressed woman is well-known for being quite able to knock a man out of his stride. A corset can enhance this effect. But some women want more, tight-lacers are they called They wear corsets around the clock. Their aim is to achieve an extreme, wasp waisted figure. Michele: "I wear corsets since about 3 years, day and night, and my aim is to reduce my waist to 38 cm (15 inches)". Corsets are currently quite popular in the fetish scene, but most of the models here just have the traditionally accepted ideal measurements of 90cm - 60cm - 90cm. Curves yes - bother no. Jeroen: Up to a point, many people would say "oh, that looks beautiful", then the next question is "can you still breathe?". For me, a beautiful shape is sufficient, one can go beyond that, but is it needful? For tight-lacers, it can become a serious sport. She wants her waist to be adored, so she even takes into accout sanitary risks. Doctor: "She has become obviously dependent on the corset, I do see considerable muscle atrophy". Michele cannot imagine to live her life without corsets anymore. Even when she goes swimming ... The saleswoman lives in Berlin/Marzahn, and is not interested in wearing ordinary clothes again. Instead, she started sewing her own corsets. Her corsets aren't for fashion, these corsets are her life. She owns more than 20 corsets by now. Michele: "I sew my own corsets since about 2 years, it takes about 8-9 hours to finish one piece". Her apartment shows off her passion ... She is looking for some company and reassurance on the internet. On her YouTube channel, she has more than 600 fans who eagerly follow her progress. Michele: "My family's reaction to my tight-lacing regimen is quite negative. They say that I spoil my body. But I would say that smoking and drinking alcohol are actually much worse for you, so corsets may not be healthy, but also not really unhealthy". "As during pregnancy, the organs are not just squeezed, they are shifted to different places when the growing baby needs more space". "I am about to reach my goal of 38 cm, and I don't think this is going to change. What my family says is up to them". Thus, Michele stands alone with her passion for corsets, even though she is well-known in the internet tight-lacing community. And this is where she got in touch with corset designer Jeroen van der Klis, when he was searching for models that would fit into his tiny creations. With her 43cm waist, Michele insisted on a personal fitting and measurement session with Jeroen in his studio in Amsterdam, irrespective of the long travel, and of course she didn't go without her most favourite pieces. Michele: "Jeroen is my favourite corset maker, and my paragon. His customers seem to be very satisfied, and his corsets are just awesome". Jeroen van der Klis lives in Amsterdam and is the founder of Bizarre Design. The attribute "bizarre" certainly applies to him. The corset maker once was wearing the garments himself. In the 80th, he called himself Sandra, and sewed his own corsets. If there's anyone who knows about the feminine figure, it's Jeroen. These days, he designs corsets for people around the globe, for Dita van Teese for example, or corset models like Lara Aimee. Jeroen: "I am trying to making corsets of all kinds of different shapes, using different materials, patterns and style, from small waist cinchers to full body corsets, for Haute Couture as well as for hard-core fetishists". Lara Aimee is a big fan of Jeroen, and his corsets were the very reason why she started to reduce her waist size privately. For Lara, it's the seductive figure that is important. Today, she's here for a corset fitting session. Bizarre Design exists since 25 years. This needs to be celebrated with an adequate show, and Lara will be there, of course. Lara: "I started wearing corsets about two or three years ago. I was very curious about my feelings when wearing tight clothes, so I bought my first corset in a cheap Gothic shop. Not something like the corsets of Jeroen, it pinched my somewhat into my side, and didn't gave me much of any particular shape at all. When I then heard about Bizarre Design, I thought to myself that if I ever get one of these, I'll be happy forever". Appearance of Michele in master's studio. She is looking for advice and reassurance from the man who already dressed the smallest waist in the world (Cathie Jung). When she showed him her own pieces, his reactions can best be described as friendly and diplomatic. Jeroen: "her corsets - I think I would propose some changes to her patterns. I also explained to her what she could possibly try to make the shape of her corsets rounder and better formfitting". A great honour: Jeroen takes measurements to find her the best fitting corset. She has big expectations ... Michele: "I don't feel really cinched in this one". Also the second corset doesn't seem to fit particularly well. "This corset gives me a better cinch, but not as good as by some of my own ones". Jeroen: "She's quite an extreme case, always wants to go one step further, to be cinched even tighter, always wants to achieve an even smaller waist such as Cathy Jung". And Cathy Jung currently holds the record of the smallest waist in the world, a circumference of only 38cm, the measurement that Michele desires to achieve eventually. The third corset is only 1cm away from this record. Michele: "I think this is quite enough, thanks". But Jeroen sees some consequential damages ... I realised that her body posture is a bit stiff. And when she takes her corset off she starts to lean a bit forward. Her stride is also somewhat stiff. Anyway, today is the day of Jeroen' celebration show, and Michele is invited to accompany him to a party of a very special kind. dress code: everything but normal, because Wasteland is the mega-party for latex and leather enthusiasts. Only dazzling personalities are allowed to enter ... Finally, Michele is among her own kind. She enjoys the acknowledging glances, eventually, she is free. She is not starred at, but adored. Backstage, she meets some of the corset models. Here, she is a star and the other models envy her waistline and ask questions about her figure training. Joroen's corset show is of course the highlight of the evening. 30 models show corset creations for all kinds of figures, and Michele was allowed to wear some of them already earlier that day, a truly unforgettable event. Back in Berlin's everyday life, Michele has an appointment with a specialist doctor for the spine. He will examine Michele's tiny waist. Michele already knows that stopping her corseting is out of the question. But the doctor demonstrates the consequence of her non-stop tight-lacing. Doctor: "She obviously became depend on the corset. She wears it since about 3 years, and simply couldn't just take it off from one day to the next. Only for short periods of time, which she could use for exercising the trunk musculature. By gradually strengthening those muscles, she would be able to make normal body motions again, without the corset". "How far is this going? At some point it might become impossible for her to leave the house, because she's getting exhausted just after some steps? Will she then start to refrain from walking? Well, that's up to her ..." Michele: "I can't imagine to just stop one day. The corsets have become an important part of my life. I just can't imagine!" After Amsterdam, she learnt how is feels to be a star. In the fetish scene, she will not be criticised, she will be adored.