I never finished the series of photos that I started posting earlier in the summer (here was where we left off). Since it’s been so, so long since I initially started the series, I don’t think I’ll finish it in the way that I had intended. But, here’s one of the shots that I was going to post. This is a Wasp Creations corset, not quite closed at the time, I think.

There were many reasons why a Wasp Creations corset was the de facto standard for tightlacing corsets. I remember several years ago, when I was still quite young, visiting Amy and feeling awed by how she had taken an “old craft” and infused it with so much innovation. Below I list just a few of Amy’s corset innovations that stand out the most to me.

(1) The shape of her corsets. Not quite a true pipestem and definitely not an hourglass. The Wasp Creations shape, with the extended waistline, was exactly what I was looking for in a corset.

(2) The zipper. I remember asking Amy whether the zipper was durable enough to handle the rigors of daily tightlacing (how naive I was then…!). Rather than giving me an answer of “of course,” she instead drew from having crunched the numbers and quoted some ratio of how much stronger the zipper was compared to a traditional closure (e.g., “the zipper can handle 32 times more force…”).

(3) The integrated lacing protector. This was the one innovation that stood out the most to me. It was simple, it was creative, and it solved a very clear problem. Brilliant.

(4) The thick, flat steel underbusk. This is such a signature of her corsets. After having worn corsets that have a flimsier underbusk, I came to appreciate how much more structure and support the thick underbusk provided.

(5) The fit. However she did it, the corset fit perfectly. Her methods of fitting corsets designed for tightlacing just worked.

Add to the above the durability of her work (I’ve had mine now for more than 3 years…it has stood the test of time) and it’s clear why people simply fell in love with Amy’s work. Amy’s innovations in corsetry inspire me to think more creatively about the work that I do and see ways to make things that have been around for hundreds of years better.

All,

For those who do not already know, I’m terribly sad to note that Amy Crowder of Wasp Creations has died. If Amy touched your life – as she did mine – please take a moment to honor her in your own way.

Best,
Redd

Great ideas in the comments section for a future photo series…We’ll have to take some action on this end to make those comments a reality. As you can see, throughout this photo series I’m wearing my Wasp Creations corset. This particular corset, which is the short hip model, is now several years old.

Now we’re starting to get to the interesting parts!