I once had the opportunity to wear a corset for an entire day, and it was surprisingly comfortable, even when I had it laced as tightly as possible (which was 19 inches. I’m very skinny, and my waist is usually 25 inches). I don’t know if I would wear it EVERY day, but I really liked how it supported my back and gave me good posture.
Other than that, I just wear regular underwear. To bed, I wear pajama pants and a t-shirt.
Didn’t women in the Victorian age almost always wear corsets?
Anyways I have no input on this highly educational thread but FYI I haven’t slept with a stitch of clothing on since I was a young man and would pass out drunk on the floor.
I have two corsets similar to this one: http://versatilecorsets.com/store/corsets/110CM_4001M.html
And one like this one: http://puimond.com/html/py08.html
And I have a couple others… I wear them out to my favorite goth/industrial club on the weekends! It’s fun to play dress up! I’ve loved corsets ever since I was a little girl and I saw Gone With The Wind and Dangerous Liasions and period movies like that.
So yeah, some of us will wear “lingerie pieces” out. I love it!
By the way, those “corsets” on the Frederick’s of Hollywood site aren’t really corsets. A true “tightlacing” corset will have steel boning (like this) a steel busk (like this) and will be able to reduce your waist 4-8 inches, *comfortably. * Anything made with that flimsy plastic boning is not a real corset. It’s a bustier or a corset-style bodice.
Oh, here’s another corset I have, although I have decorated mine with embroidered ribbon. So pretty!
I have some lacey push-up bras, but honestly I don’t wear them everyday; I wear them when I have a specific reason to (like a low-cut shirt.) I lost a bunch of weight a couple years ago and the only way I get cleavage now is with a lot of padded coaxing.
The lacey stuff, if you are wearing a shirt that’s tight at all, especially knit, will show the pattern of the lace through the shirt or look lumpy… so it’s not really practical for everyday wear with a lot of clothes. I’m so small chested I usually just wear one of those soft sports-bras for everyday like things with t-shirts, though I do have some fancier stuff for making certain clothes I have look better. Satin is about the extent of my foo-foo fabrics though, as the aforementioned itchy problems with lace, in addition to not looking good under clothes (at least for me.)
I have a real Victorian longline corset – it has plastic boning instead of steel (it was a gift and the plastic was a little cheaper, but it’s faux whale bone I believe – very sturdy.) I got it in plain velveteen and have worn it out on several occasions. I’ve worn it over a long dress and cape I have for RenFaire; it also turns into a nice evening gown with a long black velvet straight skirt. I would never wear it daily, though, as it pretty much removes all points of articulation on my body from just under my armpits to a bit past my hips. Sitting in it for long lengths of time is especially uncomfortable.