When I couldn't find a corset that matched what I wanted for our wedding, I decided to draft one myself. Looking back, I feel like I must have been out of my mind. The only structured garment I had made up to that point was a pair of tubular stays that fit in a way that can only be described as "alarmingly badly." I had never drafted anything. I had never worked with leather before. I didn't have a bodice block, dress form, or bust. I didn't even realistically have time to learn because I had decided this on a whim 2.5 months before the wedding.

Full disclosure: The reason I was able to do this at all is I was underemployed and working from home. And I have a lot of experience working under circumstances of extreme limitation. And we had backup garments.

(On top of everything, my husband decided to make his wedding garments, too. His first time making a waistcoat or trousers. First time drafting. First time working with wool. First time pattern matching. First time making button holes. While working full-time. And I decided to hand-sew his shirt???)

I learned a lot with each mockup. I still made mistakes with the final product. My channels weren't as straight as I would have liked. One hip is more angular than curved. There is no waist reduction. The bias tape is glued on. If I had used two structural layers instead of one, I would feel more confident wearing it more often. (There is still a broken sewing needle stuck in my skirts somewhere. Don't tell anyone, it's a secret.)

Even with all of that, I'm still so incredibly proud! A full year later, I'm still smiling looking at these pictures. Our garments perfectly exuded this facet of "us." I wouldn't encourage someone to do what we did because half of the reason we were successful is specific circumstances, and the other half is luck.

Critical comments are welcome. They don't even have to be constructive.