Corsets can be used for a variety of reasons, and are not just limited to bridal, boudoir or waist training. When our clients ask us to help design them a costume, we often get to work with a lot of vibrant colours, materials, and accessories. Being a corsetiere for burlesque beauties like Dita Von Teese and Perle Noire, you can imagine how much fun it is to work with clients who want something with extra glitz and glamour. We were very excited when Evilyn13 approached us with her dream project. She wanted to recreate a corseted Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman bodysuit from the 1970s.
Evilyn13 is a world-renowned Canadian model, cosplay artist, and DJ. Being a long time friend and client of Lace Embrace, we have made her gorgeous corseted outfits in the past, but nothing like this proposed project. She wanted to go as her childhood favourite superhero for cosplay events and came to us hoping we could emulate the outfit right down to the lasso at the hip.
For those of you who are new to the term cosplay, the standard definition is “the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game”. There are many events or conventions worldwide where people of all ages go to dress up as their favourite fictional characters, and superheroes are a classic favourite. Evilyn13 has traveled the world attending these events in many amazing costumes. It was an honour being asked to be a part of creating something that brought a fictional character to life, especially one that exudes female power and strength.
Melanie Talkington, the designer/owner of Lace Embrace, was eager to take on this exciting new project. The first step in planning the corset was easy as she knew our Playboy Bunny corset would be the best pattern to go with. Not only was this corset patterned off of an authentic Playboy bunny suit from 1970, Evilyn was no stranger to this corset as she had modeled it for us for a photo shoot with Pin-Up Perfection Photography. The corset is a step-in body suit that laces almost entirely up the back. Soft, rounded cups give good breast support, especially with heavier steel boning throughout the body of the corset. Breast padding can be sewn in if cleavage enhancement is desirable. This corset is available custom-made in a client’s measurements and can be made with a variety of fabrics.
Once we had a pattern to work with, next was finding fabrics that were reminiscent of Carter’s costume, including materials for accents like the eagle, stars, and lasso. All fabrics were sourced locally. As with all of our corsets, we import our steel boning from France for authenticity, quality, and durability. We also always line our corsets in a very stiff cotton ideal for corset making.
As with all our clients, we met up with Evilyn throughout the stages of her corset’s creation, to ensure a good fit before adding embellishments. The most challenging part of the corset was the eagle, ensuring everything sat symmetrically but that the detailing looked exactly like the original. After hours of sewing and detailing, her corset came together before our eyes. However, the finished product always looks best on the model and our creation really shines when worn by such a stunning woman.
Evilyn unveiled her corset at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, WA, and rocked it again at the Capital City Comic Con in Victoria, B.C. She was the only Wonder Woman at either convention dressed in the classic Lynda Carter Wonder Woman outfit!
If you’re in the market for a custom-made costume, whether they be superheroes, villains, or anything in between, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] for a quote.
You can follow Evilyn13 on Instagram.