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Victorian Secrets: What a Corset Taught Me about the Past, the Present, and Myself
On Sarah A. Chrisman's twenty-ninth birthday, her husband, Gabriel, presented her with a corset. The material and the design were breathtakingly beautiful, but her mind immediately filled with unwelcome views. Although she had been in love with the Victorian era all her life, she had specifically asked her husband not to buy her a corset--ever. She'd heard how corsets affected the female body and what they represented, and she wanted none of it. However, Chrisman agreed to try on the garment . . . and found it surprisingly enjoyable. The corset, she realized, was a tool of empowerment--not oppression. After a year of wearing a corset on a daily basis, her waist had gone from thirty-two inches to twenty-two inches, she was experiencing fewer migraines, and her posture improved. She had successfully transformed her body, her dress, and her lifestyle into that of a Victorian woman--and everyone was asking about it.
In "Victorian Secrets," Chrisman explains how a garment from the past led to a change in not only the way she viewed herself, but also the ways she understood the major differences between the cultures of twenty-first-century and nineteenth-century America. The desire to delve further into the Victorian lifestyle provided Chrisman with new insight into issues of body image and how women, past and present, have seen and continue to see themselves."
In "Victorian Secrets," Chrisman explains how a garment from the past led to a change in not only the way she viewed herself, but also the ways she understood the major differences between the cultures of twenty-first-century and nineteenth-century America. The desire to delve further into the Victorian lifestyle provided Chrisman with new insight into issues of body image and how women, past and present, have seen and continue to see themselves."
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
86 people are currently reading
1179 people want to read
About the author
Sarah A. Chrisman
26 books122 followersSarah A. Chrisman grew up in Renton, Washington, in the late twentieth-century, but always felt she should have been born in the 1800's. (When she was a young child, her mother took her to visit the Flavel House Victorian Museum in Astoria, Oregon, and Sarah begged to be left there.) Like any good Victorian lady, she has an advanced education in the humanities: she holds degrees in both International Studies and in French from the University of Washington (c/o 2002.) She has found a way to combine her interest in cultural studies with her lifelong love of history by helping people understand the culture and everyday details of the Victorian era. She has presented to groups at numerous museums, libraries, and schools. She wears Victorian clothing every day and her book, Victorian Secrets: What A Corset Taught Me About The Past, The Present, and Myself, chronicles her first year of wearing a Victorian-style corset twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She lives with her husband in Port Townsend, Washington, a beautiful Victorian seaport northwest of Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
November 19, 2013
I initially read this book because I was very interested in the idea of the transformative power of wearing a corset.
Positive: The author raises an interesting point about how well we accept diversity, and that we tend to react with suspicion and judgment toward people whose lifestyle choices don't fit into the categories of "diversity" that we have been conditioned to accept.
Not so positive: I was outright shocked by the belittling and unforgiving way the author spoke of people who committed accidental or minor slights against her during her journey. Referring to a bus driver who acted with well-intentioned ignorance as a "savage" with a "low-class Southern accent" and saying she deserved acts of violence committed against her; calling an older woman who needed to use a bathroom she was occupying a "crone" and "Aunt Biddy"; contemptuously mocking people who dress up in less accurate fashions and just want to have fun-- my teeth were on edge as I awaited the next scathing remark against someone who made an innocent mistake. I often felt confused-- wasn't the point of this story the journey of becoming like a classic lady? Isn't that more about how you treat people than whether you wear a corset?
As I struggled to reconcile this, I came to a conversation in which the author and her husband are discussing how modern clothing only comes in Small, Medium, and Large. The author's husband "smirks," "But a small isn't really small anymore, is it?" and the author laughs, "More like large, extra-large, and ginormous!" So I paid for her book and got treated to a fat joke about myself. A ginormous reader, like myself, may have trouble identifying with the narrator.
I'm giving the author three stars for an interesting account and a good amount of research, but the nonstop contempt for others made this difficult to read. Although it clearly wasn't the author's intention, it did make me think a lot about how meaningless all this artifice becomes if it causes you to harbor so much negativity toward your fellow man. I was really hoping for a conclusion in which she realized she had come to value vanity above kindness, which would have been a great Victorian moral tale, but unfortunately that ending was not to be found.
Positive: The author raises an interesting point about how well we accept diversity, and that we tend to react with suspicion and judgment toward people whose lifestyle choices don't fit into the categories of "diversity" that we have been conditioned to accept.
Not so positive: I was outright shocked by the belittling and unforgiving way the author spoke of people who committed accidental or minor slights against her during her journey. Referring to a bus driver who acted with well-intentioned ignorance as a "savage" with a "low-class Southern accent" and saying she deserved acts of violence committed against her; calling an older woman who needed to use a bathroom she was occupying a "crone" and "Aunt Biddy"; contemptuously mocking people who dress up in less accurate fashions and just want to have fun-- my teeth were on edge as I awaited the next scathing remark against someone who made an innocent mistake. I often felt confused-- wasn't the point of this story the journey of becoming like a classic lady? Isn't that more about how you treat people than whether you wear a corset?
As I struggled to reconcile this, I came to a conversation in which the author and her husband are discussing how modern clothing only comes in Small, Medium, and Large. The author's husband "smirks," "But a small isn't really small anymore, is it?" and the author laughs, "More like large, extra-large, and ginormous!" So I paid for her book and got treated to a fat joke about myself. A ginormous reader, like myself, may have trouble identifying with the narrator.
I'm giving the author three stars for an interesting account and a good amount of research, but the nonstop contempt for others made this difficult to read. Although it clearly wasn't the author's intention, it did make me think a lot about how meaningless all this artifice becomes if it causes you to harbor so much negativity toward your fellow man. I was really hoping for a conclusion in which she realized she had come to value vanity above kindness, which would have been a great Victorian moral tale, but unfortunately that ending was not to be found.
March 19, 2014
I won this through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.
I really wished I would have done some more research before entering this giveaway! I never would have entered if I had known what a complete B!$@# the author was/is. So much so that any positive aspects of the book are completely wiped out! I don't think I have ever given such a low review of a book before, even when the book completely sucked. There is one star on this review because zero stars is not available! The author's attitude on life really glared through her writing and I am just disgusted and outraged.
The only reason I finished reading it was to be sure that I gave an accurate and complete view of my feelings. Not to mention, I was hoping there would be some kind of "gotcha" at the end that would explain all the loathsome smirks Ms. Chrisman makes throughout the book. (However, what that would have been is beyond me.) Wearing a corset for a year clearly has not taught her about being a lady, Victorian or otherwise. From the fat women of today snarks to the insults for the poor souls that had the misfortune of being in her life's path this woman's attitude is absolutely appalling. I am not sure how she plans on continuing a career as a writer with such an ugly soul.
This was not a fictional book, a book on politics or religion, or even a book that was intended to be controversial in any way. It is simply a book about a woman who rediscovered life from a different angle by reaching into the past to see what life lessons can be learned. As a side effect of the book, you get a peek inside of a woman who holds such contempt for, well, everyone.
I will not be recommending this book to anyone, and I will be sure to go out of my way for a while to tell my fellow readers what an monstrosity this one is and to not even think about spending a dime on it. I have even added a shelf out here just for this book... the new WHERE BOOKS GO TO DIE shelf! Baaaahhhhh....
I really wished I would have done some more research before entering this giveaway! I never would have entered if I had known what a complete B!$@# the author was/is. So much so that any positive aspects of the book are completely wiped out! I don't think I have ever given such a low review of a book before, even when the book completely sucked. There is one star on this review because zero stars is not available! The author's attitude on life really glared through her writing and I am just disgusted and outraged.
The only reason I finished reading it was to be sure that I gave an accurate and complete view of my feelings. Not to mention, I was hoping there would be some kind of "gotcha" at the end that would explain all the loathsome smirks Ms. Chrisman makes throughout the book. (However, what that would have been is beyond me.) Wearing a corset for a year clearly has not taught her about being a lady, Victorian or otherwise. From the fat women of today snarks to the insults for the poor souls that had the misfortune of being in her life's path this woman's attitude is absolutely appalling. I am not sure how she plans on continuing a career as a writer with such an ugly soul.
This was not a fictional book, a book on politics or religion, or even a book that was intended to be controversial in any way. It is simply a book about a woman who rediscovered life from a different angle by reaching into the past to see what life lessons can be learned. As a side effect of the book, you get a peek inside of a woman who holds such contempt for, well, everyone.
I will not be recommending this book to anyone, and I will be sure to go out of my way for a while to tell my fellow readers what an monstrosity this one is and to not even think about spending a dime on it. I have even added a shelf out here just for this book... the new WHERE BOOKS GO TO DIE shelf! Baaaahhhhh....
September 4, 2014
Wear a corset if you feel like it, whatever, but don't be a dick about it.
March 16, 2014
Never had I wanted a time machine to be invented so badly as throughout this book, so I could send the author back to Victorian times and the rest of us could catch a break.
The good: this was a quick, interesting read. Chrisman seems to be honest and has done some of her research well. I enjoyed learning a bit about Victorian customs and dress. It is always interesting to see how another person lives, especially when that person has a unique quirk about them.
The bad:....Chrisman sounds like the worst sort of person to spend any time with, and by the end of the book I was so happy to be done with her. She is increasingly self-righteous, and actually criticizes modern people who choose not to be corseted because of their large waists (having been no slim and slender herself before starting, this is extra-hypocritical.) She seems to constantly invite and welcome attention yet she is beyond irritated when that attention is anything but resoundingly positive. She describes always tailoring her clothes and trying to "show off" her waist, yet insists that the best benefits of the corset are to her health. I was also a little creeped out by her husband's relationship to her corseting; his insistence on her wearing it all the time (even while recovering from broken bones) seemed to go beyond the normal for me, and led me to seriously question her view of this experiment as a sort of feminist act. This book led me to believe that she is at least somewhat delusional.
**Some of the research in this book is plain wrong. Most seriously: the "abdominal breathing" described in here as an "immature" form of breathing "fixed" with a corset is usually most recommended--especially as a coping mechanism for people who might have difficult situations in their lives (it is an accessible mechanism I have seen clients use really effectively.) It's also used in yoga and pretty much any form of exercise as a healthy way to spread oxygen throughout the body.**
The good: this was a quick, interesting read. Chrisman seems to be honest and has done some of her research well. I enjoyed learning a bit about Victorian customs and dress. It is always interesting to see how another person lives, especially when that person has a unique quirk about them.
The bad:....Chrisman sounds like the worst sort of person to spend any time with, and by the end of the book I was so happy to be done with her. She is increasingly self-righteous, and actually criticizes modern people who choose not to be corseted because of their large waists (having been no slim and slender herself before starting, this is extra-hypocritical.) She seems to constantly invite and welcome attention yet she is beyond irritated when that attention is anything but resoundingly positive. She describes always tailoring her clothes and trying to "show off" her waist, yet insists that the best benefits of the corset are to her health. I was also a little creeped out by her husband's relationship to her corseting; his insistence on her wearing it all the time (even while recovering from broken bones) seemed to go beyond the normal for me, and led me to seriously question her view of this experiment as a sort of feminist act. This book led me to believe that she is at least somewhat delusional.
**Some of the research in this book is plain wrong. Most seriously: the "abdominal breathing" described in here as an "immature" form of breathing "fixed" with a corset is usually most recommended--especially as a coping mechanism for people who might have difficult situations in their lives (it is an accessible mechanism I have seen clients use really effectively.) It's also used in yoga and pretty much any form of exercise as a healthy way to spread oxygen throughout the body.**
December 4, 2013
Pompous. That's the first word that comes to mind when I think of the author.
Now, I was fascinated by the content of the book. Sarah Chrisman wore a corset for a year, and relates how it affected her life. And her being a massage therapist, that added another layer of fascinating perspective that at times I relished. But dang, this woman is stuck up.
If you are wearing a corset - not only pairing it with Victorian-style clothes that suit it but also modern clothes that struggle to hide your new figure - you are going to get attention. Chrisman goes back and forth about how annoying it is to have so much attention, and how much she enjoys showing off her figure. As she progresses through the year with her waist getting smaller and smaller, and graduating to smaller and smaller corsets, she is certainly proud of herself. To the point of just being annoyingly vain. She keeps denying she seeking attention with this stunt, when it is absolutely clear that is what she wants. She has many, many anecdotes of how she is treated throughout the year, most of which are humorous. Except she doesn't always react in a good-natured way to them. What she did is not usual, and one can't expect to be treated normally, but Chrisman does.
She's quite haughty, and looks down on women who don't choose to contort their bodies in a similar manner, including her mother. I got a little heated each time she brought up her "hippie" mother who didn't really understand what her daughter was doing. Chrisman is clearly embarrassed by her mother, and is super critical of her whenever she makes an appearance in the book. And if any woman is mentioned in the book who doesn't immediately "get" Chrisman and her corset, Chrisman describes the woman in an unflattering way and how that woman has no taste in clothes, manners, or hygiene. It's kind of awful.
That isn't to say the book didn't have some pull for me, because it did. But I just wish the author could have kept some things to herself, or at least edited herself some so as not to come off as so irritating.
I did enjoy her descriptions of her research process as she sought to learn truths about corset-wearing. She recalls how she was taught that women deliberately broke ribs to fit into corsets (I know I've heard this, too!), but that's not true. She talks to doctors and science-minded grad students about the validity of the claim, and it's unfounded. Women certainly broke the ribs of their corset, but not the ribs in their bodies! Her descriptions of how her body changed and how her health improved within a relatively short period of time were fascinating, too. It made me intrigued about how my body might react to wearing a corset all the time (she slept in it, too!), and I perused the website her husband used to buy the fated corset that started all this business.
Oh, that's another thing. Her husband is adorable. Or adorkable. He's in library school during the course of the book, and is the most supportive husband of his wife's eccentric whims this side of Julie & Julia. He helped bring a little more humanity into the story.
As I looked through the pictures of Chrisman's changing figure throughout the book, I did have to admire how attractive she looked with such a trim waist, but I admit I shudder to think what her body looks like with the corset off. I wouldn't want my body to look that unnatural, no matter how Chrisman tried to convince me that the corset is a marvelous thing and all women should wear them. It was an interesting read, but the lifestyle is not for me.
Now, I was fascinated by the content of the book. Sarah Chrisman wore a corset for a year, and relates how it affected her life. And her being a massage therapist, that added another layer of fascinating perspective that at times I relished. But dang, this woman is stuck up.
If you are wearing a corset - not only pairing it with Victorian-style clothes that suit it but also modern clothes that struggle to hide your new figure - you are going to get attention. Chrisman goes back and forth about how annoying it is to have so much attention, and how much she enjoys showing off her figure. As she progresses through the year with her waist getting smaller and smaller, and graduating to smaller and smaller corsets, she is certainly proud of herself. To the point of just being annoyingly vain. She keeps denying she seeking attention with this stunt, when it is absolutely clear that is what she wants. She has many, many anecdotes of how she is treated throughout the year, most of which are humorous. Except she doesn't always react in a good-natured way to them. What she did is not usual, and one can't expect to be treated normally, but Chrisman does.
She's quite haughty, and looks down on women who don't choose to contort their bodies in a similar manner, including her mother. I got a little heated each time she brought up her "hippie" mother who didn't really understand what her daughter was doing. Chrisman is clearly embarrassed by her mother, and is super critical of her whenever she makes an appearance in the book. And if any woman is mentioned in the book who doesn't immediately "get" Chrisman and her corset, Chrisman describes the woman in an unflattering way and how that woman has no taste in clothes, manners, or hygiene. It's kind of awful.
That isn't to say the book didn't have some pull for me, because it did. But I just wish the author could have kept some things to herself, or at least edited herself some so as not to come off as so irritating.
I did enjoy her descriptions of her research process as she sought to learn truths about corset-wearing. She recalls how she was taught that women deliberately broke ribs to fit into corsets (I know I've heard this, too!), but that's not true. She talks to doctors and science-minded grad students about the validity of the claim, and it's unfounded. Women certainly broke the ribs of their corset, but not the ribs in their bodies! Her descriptions of how her body changed and how her health improved within a relatively short period of time were fascinating, too. It made me intrigued about how my body might react to wearing a corset all the time (she slept in it, too!), and I perused the website her husband used to buy the fated corset that started all this business.
Oh, that's another thing. Her husband is adorable. Or adorkable. He's in library school during the course of the book, and is the most supportive husband of his wife's eccentric whims this side of Julie & Julia. He helped bring a little more humanity into the story.
As I looked through the pictures of Chrisman's changing figure throughout the book, I did have to admire how attractive she looked with such a trim waist, but I admit I shudder to think what her body looks like with the corset off. I wouldn't want my body to look that unnatural, no matter how Chrisman tried to convince me that the corset is a marvelous thing and all women should wear them. It was an interesting read, but the lifestyle is not for me.
September 11, 2015
“What do you think the really rabid, ‘corsets oppress women!’–style feminists would think if they bothered to notice that? They worship Susan B. Anthony! She’s like, the Supreme Deity to them! How could they possibly square her wearing a corset with all the nasty stereotypes they push about them?”
I would think that the author seriously doesn't understand history or feminism.
If you really want to hear about this woman's obsession with her waist size and disdain for everyone who isn't her husband, this is the book for you. You can hear about how she hates feminism, thinks the right to vote is overrated, the "women have all the power at home" idea is underrated, hates fat people, hates low class people, and in general is better than everyone else.
I would think that the author seriously doesn't understand history or feminism.
If you really want to hear about this woman's obsession with her waist size and disdain for everyone who isn't her husband, this is the book for you. You can hear about how she hates feminism, thinks the right to vote is overrated, the "women have all the power at home" idea is underrated, hates fat people, hates low class people, and in general is better than everyone else.
January 31, 2014
I'm giving this two stars because of solid research, and the interesting corset myths it de-bunked for me.
However, given the repetitive, condescending, judgmental and downright nasty tone the author adopts for the majority of the book, I think two stars is a bit generous, and possibly insulting to the stars.
However, given the repetitive, condescending, judgmental and downright nasty tone the author adopts for the majority of the book, I think two stars is a bit generous, and possibly insulting to the stars.
January 2, 2021
Please sit back as I proceed to justify why this is getting two stars instead of one for one paragraph before I absolutely tear this book a new one.
This book has some really invaluable information and resources about corsets. Some popular myths are disproved, most notable to me was the thing about whale bones (it's baleen that went in them, the "teeth," not the actual bones; it's a misnomer!) and some helpful illustrations of various types. Reading about how corsets were perceived back in the day as well as the eventual deviation from them also proved very thought-provoking. The sections that were solely focused on education about how the garment is made/functions/etc were interesting. I also enjoyed learning more about hatpins. I'll definitely be referring to the further reading section in order to get more information for the period novel I'm writing.
However. HOWEVER.
You have to deal with this information being delivered to you by the most obliviously rude narrator I've ever encountered. Chrisman is arrogant and judgmental. She will accept nothing but praise for her decision to wear an archaic piece of clothing that crushes her waist into what she perceives to be an attractive shape. Her husband, the other major player, skeeved me out from square one with his gifting of a corset to his wife after she specifically asked him not to. I can admire the dedication these people have to their interest in Victorian fashion and history but beyond that they seem absolutely insufferable.
One of the annoying reoccurring aspects was Chrisman turning her nose up at cheap costumes at events she attended. I understand some level of snobbery when it comes to looking at costumes. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and can tell you at a glance whether someone's cosplay is store bought, handmade, or an amalgamation of both. But how much does that truly matter? A good costume does not a good person make. I can tell you that every Kylo Ren cosplayer wearing a cheap handmade costume I've ever met has been a doll while a ritzy screen-accurate 501st Kylo cosplayer was an arrogant tool (and thought Rey and Kylo were cousins. HA).
Additionally, someone makes the very valid point that maybe it's not a great idea to wear actual antiques. They are framed as a boorish person with a cheap costume, of course. Chrisman refuses to entertain this idea. She claims that she and her husband wear antique clothing because they want to "educate" people, but I have a much easier time believing that they're just conceited and want attention. Just my opinion, but if you really cared as much about these antiques as you claimed, I think you'd donate them to museums instead of taking them for joy rides. There's a section that was admittedly really interesting but also very nerve-wracking where she cleans an antique dress, never once considering maybe it's a huge risk and she should consult a professional.
But no, that would be time not getting upset that not everyone is barfing rainbows over her choices with outfits and particularly the corsets.
A personal anecdote: I like to wear sleeveless shirts. There are people who believe that showing off my shoulders and a bit of my bra is unladylike. They're entitled to their opinion and I'm entitled to think they're full of it. You don't see me agonizing over it every day and vowing to try to change the opinion of every schmo I meet who disagrees with how I choose to live my life. Is this as extreme as wearing a corset? No, of course not, but I think that the point still stands. You can do what you want but you have to accept that some people might not always agree with your choices and make peace with that. Imagine how boring the world would be if everyone had the same aesthetic!
Chrisman doesn't seem to understand that basic principle. She also comes off as hypocritical when she judges others for their appearance, which is constantly. It isn't limited to period costumes, either. She attacks every other person she doesn't like for their weight in particular which I think says more about her than them. It felt even more tasteless for her to do so after touching on the topic of disordered eating and having friends in that situation. As a lot of other reviews mentioned, she refers to a bus driver as having a "low class" accent in a way that gave me horrific secondhand embarrassment. WHO THINKS LIKE THAT?
Finally, she decided to declare a war on cell phones in this book despite it being only tangentially related to the main topic (you need help to put on a corset, togetherness good, communicating with technology bad, iPhones are killing us, wake up America). I won't say that she doesn't have a bit of a point, because she does, there is definitely something to be said about over-reliance on technology. But WHEW if it didn't make me roll my eyes to have my use of a phone attacked while I was reading this book... as a digital library rental... on my PHONE...
She has a website and continuously references looking up info about corsets on the web, so I guess it's okay for you to use technology as long as you use it to look up information about her/her interests.
Never have I ever been so glad this is a library rental.
This book has some really invaluable information and resources about corsets. Some popular myths are disproved, most notable to me was the thing about whale bones (it's baleen that went in them, the "teeth," not the actual bones; it's a misnomer!) and some helpful illustrations of various types. Reading about how corsets were perceived back in the day as well as the eventual deviation from them also proved very thought-provoking. The sections that were solely focused on education about how the garment is made/functions/etc were interesting. I also enjoyed learning more about hatpins. I'll definitely be referring to the further reading section in order to get more information for the period novel I'm writing.
However. HOWEVER.
You have to deal with this information being delivered to you by the most obliviously rude narrator I've ever encountered. Chrisman is arrogant and judgmental. She will accept nothing but praise for her decision to wear an archaic piece of clothing that crushes her waist into what she perceives to be an attractive shape. Her husband, the other major player, skeeved me out from square one with his gifting of a corset to his wife after she specifically asked him not to. I can admire the dedication these people have to their interest in Victorian fashion and history but beyond that they seem absolutely insufferable.
One of the annoying reoccurring aspects was Chrisman turning her nose up at cheap costumes at events she attended. I understand some level of snobbery when it comes to looking at costumes. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and can tell you at a glance whether someone's cosplay is store bought, handmade, or an amalgamation of both. But how much does that truly matter? A good costume does not a good person make. I can tell you that every Kylo Ren cosplayer wearing a cheap handmade costume I've ever met has been a doll while a ritzy screen-accurate 501st Kylo cosplayer was an arrogant tool (and thought Rey and Kylo were cousins. HA).
Additionally, someone makes the very valid point that maybe it's not a great idea to wear actual antiques. They are framed as a boorish person with a cheap costume, of course. Chrisman refuses to entertain this idea. She claims that she and her husband wear antique clothing because they want to "educate" people, but I have a much easier time believing that they're just conceited and want attention. Just my opinion, but if you really cared as much about these antiques as you claimed, I think you'd donate them to museums instead of taking them for joy rides. There's a section that was admittedly really interesting but also very nerve-wracking where she cleans an antique dress, never once considering maybe it's a huge risk and she should consult a professional.
But no, that would be time not getting upset that not everyone is barfing rainbows over her choices with outfits and particularly the corsets.
A personal anecdote: I like to wear sleeveless shirts. There are people who believe that showing off my shoulders and a bit of my bra is unladylike. They're entitled to their opinion and I'm entitled to think they're full of it. You don't see me agonizing over it every day and vowing to try to change the opinion of every schmo I meet who disagrees with how I choose to live my life. Is this as extreme as wearing a corset? No, of course not, but I think that the point still stands. You can do what you want but you have to accept that some people might not always agree with your choices and make peace with that. Imagine how boring the world would be if everyone had the same aesthetic!
Chrisman doesn't seem to understand that basic principle. She also comes off as hypocritical when she judges others for their appearance, which is constantly. It isn't limited to period costumes, either. She attacks every other person she doesn't like for their weight in particular which I think says more about her than them. It felt even more tasteless for her to do so after touching on the topic of disordered eating and having friends in that situation. As a lot of other reviews mentioned, she refers to a bus driver as having a "low class" accent in a way that gave me horrific secondhand embarrassment. WHO THINKS LIKE THAT?
Finally, she decided to declare a war on cell phones in this book despite it being only tangentially related to the main topic (you need help to put on a corset, togetherness good, communicating with technology bad, iPhones are killing us, wake up America). I won't say that she doesn't have a bit of a point, because she does, there is definitely something to be said about over-reliance on technology. But WHEW if it didn't make me roll my eyes to have my use of a phone attacked while I was reading this book... as a digital library rental... on my PHONE...
She has a website and continuously references looking up info about corsets on the web, so I guess it's okay for you to use technology as long as you use it to look up information about her/her interests.
Never have I ever been so glad this is a library rental.
July 14, 2014
DO NOT READ THIS. And by saying this, I'm sure you are intrigued. Please don't. I thought I could ignore, having read the negative reviews in advance, the complete horribleness that is the author. Until halfway through the book, I was willing to give this three stars, so let me start there.
Three stars for being much too autobiographical about absolutely nothing useful. More information about actually wearing a corset (outside the daily struggles she "endured"), how it is worn, and even summaries of the research she was obviously doing would have been much more interesting than her ranting on about EVERY OTHER HUMAN SHE ENCOUNTERED. There's VERY few nuggets of potentially good information, but it turns out to be more painful to get to that than the experience/information is worth.
I'll also say that I was really intrigued by the concept of wearing a corset and that style of clothing. But I am SO TURNED OFF ON THE IDEA now because I do not EVER want the possibility of becoming what the author is. She's so belittling of EVERYONE: the folks that try to understand, the folks that are nice to her, the folks that DON'T understand. Even her own MOTHER. She calls a bus driver a savage. She is such a horrible person; we should all bask in the glow of her SUPERIORITY, us being a lesser race than she.
Don't don't DON'T read this. I was nearly in tears being dragged though the last third of the book (we were reading it together and saw it to its dreadful end). Don't BUY it, don't give this "lady" any sort of power or income for being as awful as she is. If I saw her in the street, I would smack her hard across her face for every one of those poor folk that tried to be nice to her (but are all described as either meek or ignorant, beneath her in any way possible).
Three stars for being much too autobiographical about absolutely nothing useful. More information about actually wearing a corset (outside the daily struggles she "endured"), how it is worn, and even summaries of the research she was obviously doing would have been much more interesting than her ranting on about EVERY OTHER HUMAN SHE ENCOUNTERED. There's VERY few nuggets of potentially good information, but it turns out to be more painful to get to that than the experience/information is worth.
I'll also say that I was really intrigued by the concept of wearing a corset and that style of clothing. But I am SO TURNED OFF ON THE IDEA now because I do not EVER want the possibility of becoming what the author is. She's so belittling of EVERYONE: the folks that try to understand, the folks that are nice to her, the folks that DON'T understand. Even her own MOTHER. She calls a bus driver a savage. She is such a horrible person; we should all bask in the glow of her SUPERIORITY, us being a lesser race than she.
Don't don't DON'T read this. I was nearly in tears being dragged though the last third of the book (we were reading it together and saw it to its dreadful end). Don't BUY it, don't give this "lady" any sort of power or income for being as awful as she is. If I saw her in the street, I would smack her hard across her face for every one of those poor folk that tried to be nice to her (but are all described as either meek or ignorant, beneath her in any way possible).
November 20, 2017
I purchased this from eBay after reading her book, This Victorian Life. I was fascinated by her lifestyle described in that book, but quite put off by her character. This book is even more shocking in terms of her disgustingly enhanced pomposity, but I think I've figured her out.
Chrisman talks a lot about the "alpha creature" vs. the "subordinate". She also seems to adhere to a lot of pseudo-scientific beliefs about macro-evolution that are just as archaic as the Victorian age she emulates. I seriously think she sees herself as a more evolved human---an alpha species---because she's chosen to believe her lifestyle (what she calls her "research") makes her a more intelligent and better dressed member of society. To put it in plainer terms for all us lesser people: she thinks she's better than us.
I don't want this review to be all about how much I can't stand this woman, but that's pretty much all I could think about as I read this book. So, before I launch into a more vehement rage than I did for her last book, let me expound on the parts of this one that I did like.
Her conclusions on corset wearing were delightfully surprising. There seem to be many happy benefits: a much trimmer waist, better posture and back support, help with portion control, not to mention a better appearance and self-image. I was also very encouraged to seize the day when it comes to doing the things I want to do but am afraid to because of the opinion of others. I don't have a HUGE problem doing my own thing, but I do have some hangups about my appearance. I feel like I can be more bold in presenting myself the way I desire to, rather than worrying about fitting into someone's mold.
Now...Chrisman started right in with the arrogance. On one hand, I understand she and her husband are offended by those who could so bungle the art of dressing Victorian with plastic jewelry and synthetic fiber, on the other hand---SHE is NOT a VICTORIAN!!! They are playing a game---just like the other reenactors they come across. She gets so angry when someone calls her clothing a "costume" because people who wear costumes are people who play pretend. Um. Reforming your entire existence to emulate people who lived over 100 years ago---all while selectively living, working, and interacting with the 21st century---if that's not playing pretend, I don't know what is!
I get a sense she feels she and Gabriel are "real Victorians" while others are just play-acting. Get a grip, lady! You are a 21st century woman deeply involved in an extreme form of historical pretend. You drive a DeLorean, for crying out loud! Leave others alone about how they choose to engage in this game and they'll leave you alone about how you do.
In every encounter, (often besides, but not completely excluding personal friends) she runs down everyone from her own mother to a woman who accidentally swished her long ponytail into cupcake frosting. These put-downs are never necessary, but someone who sees herself as superior must continuously put down others in order to keep up appearances. The only people she speaks positively about are children and those who compliment and are sympathetic to her.
She is so specific with her descriptions and put-downs that I can't imagine she's gained many friends in the PNW community---unless they're all just as snotty and judgemental as she. As I said in my review of This Victorian Life, decent people likely aren't mean to her because of how she dresses---they're probably disillusioned by the way she acts. There's more to being a lady than dressing like one. Give me a smiling "rotund" plastic-clad reenactor, any day, over a white-washed high school bully in a more accurate costume.
Chrisman talks a lot about the "alpha creature" vs. the "subordinate". She also seems to adhere to a lot of pseudo-scientific beliefs about macro-evolution that are just as archaic as the Victorian age she emulates. I seriously think she sees herself as a more evolved human---an alpha species---because she's chosen to believe her lifestyle (what she calls her "research") makes her a more intelligent and better dressed member of society. To put it in plainer terms for all us lesser people: she thinks she's better than us.
I don't want this review to be all about how much I can't stand this woman, but that's pretty much all I could think about as I read this book. So, before I launch into a more vehement rage than I did for her last book, let me expound on the parts of this one that I did like.
Her conclusions on corset wearing were delightfully surprising. There seem to be many happy benefits: a much trimmer waist, better posture and back support, help with portion control, not to mention a better appearance and self-image. I was also very encouraged to seize the day when it comes to doing the things I want to do but am afraid to because of the opinion of others. I don't have a HUGE problem doing my own thing, but I do have some hangups about my appearance. I feel like I can be more bold in presenting myself the way I desire to, rather than worrying about fitting into someone's mold.
Now...Chrisman started right in with the arrogance. On one hand, I understand she and her husband are offended by those who could so bungle the art of dressing Victorian with plastic jewelry and synthetic fiber, on the other hand---SHE is NOT a VICTORIAN!!! They are playing a game---just like the other reenactors they come across. She gets so angry when someone calls her clothing a "costume" because people who wear costumes are people who play pretend. Um. Reforming your entire existence to emulate people who lived over 100 years ago---all while selectively living, working, and interacting with the 21st century---if that's not playing pretend, I don't know what is!
I get a sense she feels she and Gabriel are "real Victorians" while others are just play-acting. Get a grip, lady! You are a 21st century woman deeply involved in an extreme form of historical pretend. You drive a DeLorean, for crying out loud! Leave others alone about how they choose to engage in this game and they'll leave you alone about how you do.
In every encounter, (often besides, but not completely excluding personal friends) she runs down everyone from her own mother to a woman who accidentally swished her long ponytail into cupcake frosting. These put-downs are never necessary, but someone who sees herself as superior must continuously put down others in order to keep up appearances. The only people she speaks positively about are children and those who compliment and are sympathetic to her.
She is so specific with her descriptions and put-downs that I can't imagine she's gained many friends in the PNW community---unless they're all just as snotty and judgemental as she. As I said in my review of This Victorian Life, decent people likely aren't mean to her because of how she dresses---they're probably disillusioned by the way she acts. There's more to being a lady than dressing like one. Give me a smiling "rotund" plastic-clad reenactor, any day, over a white-washed high school bully in a more accurate costume.
December 23, 2015
If you like memoirs written by deeply unpleasant people with significant psychological damage and persecution complexes to rival that of any Evangelical fundamentalist, look no further! If you prefer reading books written by people who aren't quite as mean, rude, and disdainful as Mrs. Chrisman, move along. This was easily one of the worst books I've forced myself through in the last calendar year, and I hope I never have to encounter this unconscionably awful, snide creature in the flesh. She might go on the attack if others don't sufficiently appreciate her beauty or dress to her standards, which is probably the most Victorian thing about her.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
March 7, 2014
I fear that I'm reviewing the author's personality more than the book, but it is a memoir. At first I just thought she was a mean person, then I changed that evaluation to pessimist. By the end, I've decided she reminds me of those with a victim's personality that I've known. Those that can take any comment or question and hear it as a personal attack.
She has a tendency to start with a nice or positive story, then follow up with how then some shitty thing happened to her.
As for the "low class Southern accent" quote, I too would make all sorts of judgements about a person and engage in some very colorful name calling if someone had unapologetically torn my clothes, probably starting with their lineage and mother's chosen profession. But I like to think I'd have the sense not to publish all of those thoughts in a book.
This was a fast read if you can get past her odd narcissist/victim style, aided by the preponderance of pictures and plates from old catalogs and magazines. I don't feel that I learned much, having never believed the bone - breaking scenarios of corset wearing anyway. But I did enjoy her journey from perceived ugly duckling-ness to becoming a swan (she does beat you about the head and neck with swan references. )
She has a tendency to start with a nice or positive story, then follow up with how then some shitty thing happened to her.
As for the "low class Southern accent" quote, I too would make all sorts of judgements about a person and engage in some very colorful name calling if someone had unapologetically torn my clothes, probably starting with their lineage and mother's chosen profession. But I like to think I'd have the sense not to publish all of those thoughts in a book.
This was a fast read if you can get past her odd narcissist/victim style, aided by the preponderance of pictures and plates from old catalogs and magazines. I don't feel that I learned much, having never believed the bone - breaking scenarios of corset wearing anyway. But I did enjoy her journey from perceived ugly duckling-ness to becoming a swan (she does beat you about the head and neck with swan references. )
April 11, 2014
She had me up until Tomato-Faced man. That was where I just couldn't take the nastiness anymore.
Granted, up to a point, I was pretty hooked on this book. I share Sarah Chrisman's fascination with the Victorian era, though my tastes run more toward gardening than fashion. I was fascinated to learn about corsetry, and charmed immediately by Sarah's seemingly self-effacing manner. She talked about being the fat tall girl in high school, was open about tending to overeat at restaurants, and I even appreciated her description of the voice in her head urging her not to waste anything. These are things to which I can relate all too well.
I also enjoyed the historical perspective on the use of corsets, and Sarah's description of how freeing the corset felt after awhile... that she now had control over her body's shape and size in a way she hadn't before, and that there was no more need to fret over food so much. Obviously, that logic only extends up to a point nutritionally, but who wouldn't want a body that simply stopped wanting food after a reasonable number of bites? To curb your appetite so effortlessly must be a wonderful thing indeed!
But after that, the book began to roll downhill, and it seemed to pick up speed with each turn of the page. Sarah describes encountering people who don't agree with her choices, and her descriptions of these people and their conversations with her sound terribly contrived. While I can well believe walking around with a wasp-waisted corset and victorian attire drew attention and that some people did, in fact, make inappropriate or rude comments... if Tomato face really did SCREAM in her face as she describes, why was her friend laughing? If the description of this particular event rings true, I would think the logical reaction would be alarm, and the obvious course of action was to get away quickly and possibly involve some kind of authorities. Instead, we are to believe a man accosted her more or less out of the clear blue sky, screamed at her for wearing a corset, and Sarah stood there like the most stoic of martyrs and bore it all with perfect grace and tranquility... and in fact, felt pleased with herself when she learned he suffered a heart attack afterward and took the opportunity to shame him. Really?
Frankly, I loved the first half of the book. But I'm with the other reviewers on this one; it's one thing to cite the prejudiced remarks, but to describe people as Tomato Face and Polly Esther in a book like this just doesn't reflect well on the author. I was very disappointed.
Granted, up to a point, I was pretty hooked on this book. I share Sarah Chrisman's fascination with the Victorian era, though my tastes run more toward gardening than fashion. I was fascinated to learn about corsetry, and charmed immediately by Sarah's seemingly self-effacing manner. She talked about being the fat tall girl in high school, was open about tending to overeat at restaurants, and I even appreciated her description of the voice in her head urging her not to waste anything. These are things to which I can relate all too well.
I also enjoyed the historical perspective on the use of corsets, and Sarah's description of how freeing the corset felt after awhile... that she now had control over her body's shape and size in a way she hadn't before, and that there was no more need to fret over food so much. Obviously, that logic only extends up to a point nutritionally, but who wouldn't want a body that simply stopped wanting food after a reasonable number of bites? To curb your appetite so effortlessly must be a wonderful thing indeed!
But after that, the book began to roll downhill, and it seemed to pick up speed with each turn of the page. Sarah describes encountering people who don't agree with her choices, and her descriptions of these people and their conversations with her sound terribly contrived. While I can well believe walking around with a wasp-waisted corset and victorian attire drew attention and that some people did, in fact, make inappropriate or rude comments... if Tomato face really did SCREAM in her face as she describes, why was her friend laughing? If the description of this particular event rings true, I would think the logical reaction would be alarm, and the obvious course of action was to get away quickly and possibly involve some kind of authorities. Instead, we are to believe a man accosted her more or less out of the clear blue sky, screamed at her for wearing a corset, and Sarah stood there like the most stoic of martyrs and bore it all with perfect grace and tranquility... and in fact, felt pleased with herself when she learned he suffered a heart attack afterward and took the opportunity to shame him. Really?
Frankly, I loved the first half of the book. But I'm with the other reviewers on this one; it's one thing to cite the prejudiced remarks, but to describe people as Tomato Face and Polly Esther in a book like this just doesn't reflect well on the author. I was very disappointed.
March 29, 2015
The content about the history of the corset and fashion in general was super interesting. If there'd been more of that and less of the author's insufferable personality, I would have loved this book.
Long story short, anyone who doesn't meet Chrisman's extremely high standards for historical dress is met with utter disdain. Recreation garments? Horrors (except when she wears one). Synthetic fabric? Disgusting. FAKE pearls? You are history's greatest monster for even considering them. Why not just save money by forgoing coffee, a car, and a cell phone, like the saintly author and her husband?
Even a woman who dares to wear a wig is suddenly looked down upon when her real hair is revealed to be--gasp--a bob!
The author also opens the book by talking about the corset myths she initially believed, which are all very well known to people with a passing interest in historical fashions, but anyone else who mentions them or questions the corset's glory is an uneducated philistine.
I basically spent 90% of this book wanting to tell Chrisman to get the heck over herself. As Amy Poehler says in YES, PLEASE, it's okay for things to be "good for you, not for me." Chrisman could do with taking this advice to heart.
Long story short, anyone who doesn't meet Chrisman's extremely high standards for historical dress is met with utter disdain. Recreation garments? Horrors (except when she wears one). Synthetic fabric? Disgusting. FAKE pearls? You are history's greatest monster for even considering them. Why not just save money by forgoing coffee, a car, and a cell phone, like the saintly author and her husband?
Even a woman who dares to wear a wig is suddenly looked down upon when her real hair is revealed to be--gasp--a bob!
The author also opens the book by talking about the corset myths she initially believed, which are all very well known to people with a passing interest in historical fashions, but anyone else who mentions them or questions the corset's glory is an uneducated philistine.
I basically spent 90% of this book wanting to tell Chrisman to get the heck over herself. As Amy Poehler says in YES, PLEASE, it's okay for things to be "good for you, not for me." Chrisman could do with taking this advice to heart.
Read
October 8, 2017I knew what I was getting into with this book, as I'd read some articles about and by the author before reading this, and had read several reviews of it. I was fully aware of the author's toxic, holier-than-thou personality. In fact, I chose this as a purposeful hate-read. Much the same way I used to enjoy watching Melrose Place, because it was fun to get exasperated at the characters on screen. ("Jane, you're such a damn idiot! Michael is using you!")
There are some interesting historical tidbits in the book, but the author's nasty remarks get in the way of that. I'm surprised her editor did not suggest she town down her tirades, because for a person just interested in learning more about corsets and Victorian times, the author's foul persona would be a major distraction.
She cherry picked those aspects of Victoriana which she found charming and/or appealing, and has idealized this previous era as a gentler, kinder time. She put great effort into fine-tuning her clothing, movements and external appearance, but would do well to try to focus some of her efforts on finding an internal sense of grace and kindness towards the people she encounters in her daily life. As is, she puts her delicately-kitten-heel-clad foot in her mouth on a regular basis.
There are some interesting historical tidbits in the book, but the author's nasty remarks get in the way of that. I'm surprised her editor did not suggest she town down her tirades, because for a person just interested in learning more about corsets and Victorian times, the author's foul persona would be a major distraction.
She cherry picked those aspects of Victoriana which she found charming and/or appealing, and has idealized this previous era as a gentler, kinder time. She put great effort into fine-tuning her clothing, movements and external appearance, but would do well to try to focus some of her efforts on finding an internal sense of grace and kindness towards the people she encounters in her daily life. As is, she puts her delicately-kitten-heel-clad foot in her mouth on a regular basis.
February 7, 2014
I won this book on goodreads, and I was so very excited! Then I started reading it.... While this book is somewhat informative, it's mostly an excruciating read. The author is not a likeable person. She's spiteful and mean with her comments. This made the book hard to read, and I began to loathe reading it. Anyone who doesn't agree with her, she belittles them and makes hurtful, childish comments. At times I wondered if I was reading a Teenage Mean Girl burn book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
March 19, 2016
I'm torn with this book. The subject was interesting and enlightening, but the author was quite judgemental. I can ignore a lot of snark, so I gave it 3 stars.
The good: an interesting read about living in a corset everyday. I especially liked her analogy about shoes. If you are used to going barefoot, then put on a structured pair of hiking boots they would be uncomfortable and vice versa. Same with a corset.
It seems that information is well researched and is supported by first hand experience.
The bad: it seems the author was a plump kid with low self esteem growing up. She remained this way until she discovered, by way of corset, that eating healthy and less in general was better for you and could lead to weight loss. The corset also makes for an even smaller waist. She grew vain, and now anyone not the ideal that she had so long yearned for, are horrible and stupid.
She makes snarky comments (often when touting that people that claim diversity are intolerant *cough* kettle meet pot) about people with what she deems as 'stupid questions'. Ironically, many of these stupid questions were ones that she had and shared in the first chapter or two.
She likes to remind people that she was an international studies student (AND french, she often adds) and is extra sensitive and tolerate of other cultures. She seems to have forgotten tolerance for her own culture, or most human beings in general.
In short, the author has grown from a young adult with low self-esteem, to a vain adult with self hate, attacking anyone who does not fit into her own high standards (and I suspect, remind the author of who she once was)
The good: an interesting read about living in a corset everyday. I especially liked her analogy about shoes. If you are used to going barefoot, then put on a structured pair of hiking boots they would be uncomfortable and vice versa. Same with a corset.
It seems that information is well researched and is supported by first hand experience.
The bad: it seems the author was a plump kid with low self esteem growing up. She remained this way until she discovered, by way of corset, that eating healthy and less in general was better for you and could lead to weight loss. The corset also makes for an even smaller waist. She grew vain, and now anyone not the ideal that she had so long yearned for, are horrible and stupid.
She makes snarky comments (often when touting that people that claim diversity are intolerant *cough* kettle meet pot) about people with what she deems as 'stupid questions'. Ironically, many of these stupid questions were ones that she had and shared in the first chapter or two.
She likes to remind people that she was an international studies student (AND french, she often adds) and is extra sensitive and tolerate of other cultures. She seems to have forgotten tolerance for her own culture, or most human beings in general.
In short, the author has grown from a young adult with low self-esteem, to a vain adult with self hate, attacking anyone who does not fit into her own high standards (and I suspect, remind the author of who she once was)
December 2, 2013
I found this book's perspective fascinating, about a modern woman so enamored of Victorian times that she winds up wearing a corset 24/7. She details how the corset changed her body physically, from posture to appetite, as well as the mental changes. Yes, it helps that her husband is as into Victoriana as she is. It's like a fun history lesson as well as peek into the life of someone trying their best to capture another era. Though she is clearly passionate about corsets, she never says they are what every woman should wear, but instead counters the widespread idea that corsets are dangerous or damaging. The accounts of people attacking her, verbally and otherwise, for wearing one, are telling, and provide plenty of drama. This is a fascinating read and as far from a stunt memoir as you can get, because Chrisman lives what she writes about. I interviewed Chrisman so if you're curious, check it out at http://www.salon.com/2013/12/01/what_...
April 26, 2018
If you can get past the author’s unabashed snobbery, (regarding not just corsets, but any manner of topics), there are lots of very interesting historical tidbits in this book. But oftentimes, I kept thinking to myself: “This lady seems kind of mean actually.”
WAY too much of the book is just an excuse to divulge various compliments she’s received regarding her corseted figure.
By the last quarter of the book, I was fatigued by the repeated pattern of “this stupid person said something dumb about corsets” and “this enlightened person said I dazzled them with my now 22 inch waist!” Had to skim the last 30 pages.
Wanted more of the great history that she had to share. Less of the snark.
WAY too much of the book is just an excuse to divulge various compliments she’s received regarding her corseted figure.
By the last quarter of the book, I was fatigued by the repeated pattern of “this stupid person said something dumb about corsets” and “this enlightened person said I dazzled them with my now 22 inch waist!” Had to skim the last 30 pages.
Wanted more of the great history that she had to share. Less of the snark.
April 2, 2014
I wasn't prepared for where the author was taking me but boy was it FUN--and enlightening!
Sarah Chrisman is a true gem. I adored her writing style and her journey to self discovery and what it truly means to accept people, and yourself, for who you are. Of course, now I am obsessed with all things corsetry...I think I have a new passion on my hands. Thanks Sarah!
Sarah Chrisman is a true gem. I adored her writing style and her journey to self discovery and what it truly means to accept people, and yourself, for who you are. Of course, now I am obsessed with all things corsetry...I think I have a new passion on my hands. Thanks Sarah!
June 10, 2016
This could have been a very interesting book on a subject that almost nobody knows anything about. However, the authors' dislike for basically everyone and anyone she meets made it very hard to read this book. I had read other reviews and talked to people about this book, so I knew ahead of time what I may be getting into. But I thought, can she really be that bad? Unfortunately, she was.
January 9, 2014
I’m giving this book 2 stars and I whole-heartedly agree with many of the other reviewers about this book and the author. I only finished it because of the well-researched historical discussions and did not care for much of the author’s description of her experience after choosing to wear a corset full time.
Her health transformation was quite interesting but her social critique was uninformed, uninteresting, and at some points offensive. I am sure that the author is a very nice person who is clearly interested in this subject but her writing makes her sound elitist, VERY judgmental, unforgiving, and hypocritical. I think she got a bit too wrapped up in her own world, feelings, and thoughts to consider what she wrote and how it might be received by readers.
For example, she makes up rather insulting names for people who criticized her (i.e. Grandma Biddy) and uses adjectives like gullible, idiotic, and low-class to describe people who shared a different, albeit uninformed, opinion on corsets and her lifestyle choices.
For example, on page 143 she describes how one of her dresses was torn and begins the discussion by stating “Reasons Some People Should Be Weeded from the Gene Pool” and then goes on to write “The bus driver—the idiot woman bus driver—grabbed the poor, torn little pleats and pulled….She threw the sundered ruffle at me. ‘I’s Just tryin’ to help ya out!’ she bleated in a very low-class Southern accent, rolling her eyes at me.”
I recognize that this is an autobiography and Chrisman is entitled to write just about whatever she likes, however, I also have the right to intensely dislike sections of this book and give it a poor review because of it.
Her health transformation was quite interesting but her social critique was uninformed, uninteresting, and at some points offensive. I am sure that the author is a very nice person who is clearly interested in this subject but her writing makes her sound elitist, VERY judgmental, unforgiving, and hypocritical. I think she got a bit too wrapped up in her own world, feelings, and thoughts to consider what she wrote and how it might be received by readers.
For example, she makes up rather insulting names for people who criticized her (i.e. Grandma Biddy) and uses adjectives like gullible, idiotic, and low-class to describe people who shared a different, albeit uninformed, opinion on corsets and her lifestyle choices.
For example, on page 143 she describes how one of her dresses was torn and begins the discussion by stating “Reasons Some People Should Be Weeded from the Gene Pool” and then goes on to write “The bus driver—the idiot woman bus driver—grabbed the poor, torn little pleats and pulled….She threw the sundered ruffle at me. ‘I’s Just tryin’ to help ya out!’ she bleated in a very low-class Southern accent, rolling her eyes at me.”
I recognize that this is an autobiography and Chrisman is entitled to write just about whatever she likes, however, I also have the right to intensely dislike sections of this book and give it a poor review because of it.
March 30, 2023
I bought this book as writing research, hoping for an interesting memoir about modern life in a corset and possibly some practical information that I could apply in my historical fiction writing. What I found within these pages was more or less a diatribe. Perhaps the author was attempting to be humorous (I always strive to give people the benefit of the doubt!), but almost all of this book's interesting and useful information is lost among an abundance of denigrating remarks against anyone who dared to question her and her husband's lifestyle choice. It seems that "what a corset taught" her was to look down on and belittle anyone who disagrees with her. There are some practical nuggets to be gleaned about the history of corsetry and some of its modern misconceptions, but the condescending tone of the book overall was very off-putting.
October 4, 2019
This book is terribly written. I was excited to learn about corset wearing today. She spent a good deal of the book complaining about how everyone reacts to her. Very little research was noted other than her own personal feelings. I was hoping to see her grow as a person during the book. She only grew more vain and angry the longer she wore a corset.
April 12, 2019
Have never read anything more smug. Will definitely be getting her other book about being the world’s smuggest woman. I think she goes into getting ice delivered instead of using a normal refrigerator in that one
June 19, 2015
I loved this book!
Note: It is not about bondage and at no point was she trying to achieve a ridiculous body shape.
The first half deals with her introduction to the corset and addresses the many myths associated with them. Also talks about the health benefits of corsets. Very detailed research and a very fun read. Lots of fashion plates and vintage catalog ads. Also I have never heard of anyone else getting the same type of migraines as I do, not alone describing them so perfectly!
The second half deals with the many prejudices she encountered and more of her personal journey.
My favorite part is her relationship with her husband. It is a big part of the book, but not the main focus. I wish I could explain how nice it is to read about (even in passing) a loving supportive relationship like that. It seems so rare.
I enjoyed all the pictures. She is close in age to me and her 'before' looks just like me. So it is encouraging that, if I choose, I could make a change.
The corset gave her the confidence to just be herself. Other reviewers have made comments about her personally and I don't think that is fair. She did not try to paint herself as better or worse than she was(is). She was honest. She shared the truth of what she felt. And EVERYONE has bad days. If I was having a bad day and someone ruined my one bright spot, even if they were trying to help, I don't know that I would be gracious about it. And I don't think it is unreasonable that the person might take on a cartoonish villianly in my memory. (Incidentally I thought that story was supposed to be funny) Likewise, the things she shared about modern perceptions of the past and some 'open-minded' people, are absolutely in keeping with my own experiences. I wonder if those criticizing were in fact disturbed because she nailed it and it made them feel a bit foolish. Anyway, I don't know her or any of the other people so I couldn't really say. It is a beautiful thing to have freedom of thought and expression, so if my opinion differs from yours, so be it.
I hope that if she ever does have a child, she will write a supplement about it.
The only major bummer was that the e-versions (kindle, odm) I read were missing the Notes page(s).
Note: It is not about bondage and at no point was she trying to achieve a ridiculous body shape.
The first half deals with her introduction to the corset and addresses the many myths associated with them. Also talks about the health benefits of corsets. Very detailed research and a very fun read. Lots of fashion plates and vintage catalog ads. Also I have never heard of anyone else getting the same type of migraines as I do, not alone describing them so perfectly!
The second half deals with the many prejudices she encountered and more of her personal journey.
My favorite part is her relationship with her husband. It is a big part of the book, but not the main focus. I wish I could explain how nice it is to read about (even in passing) a loving supportive relationship like that. It seems so rare.
I enjoyed all the pictures. She is close in age to me and her 'before' looks just like me. So it is encouraging that, if I choose, I could make a change.
The corset gave her the confidence to just be herself. Other reviewers have made comments about her personally and I don't think that is fair. She did not try to paint herself as better or worse than she was(is). She was honest. She shared the truth of what she felt. And EVERYONE has bad days. If I was having a bad day and someone ruined my one bright spot, even if they were trying to help, I don't know that I would be gracious about it. And I don't think it is unreasonable that the person might take on a cartoonish villianly in my memory. (Incidentally I thought that story was supposed to be funny) Likewise, the things she shared about modern perceptions of the past and some 'open-minded' people, are absolutely in keeping with my own experiences. I wonder if those criticizing were in fact disturbed because she nailed it and it made them feel a bit foolish. Anyway, I don't know her or any of the other people so I couldn't really say. It is a beautiful thing to have freedom of thought and expression, so if my opinion differs from yours, so be it.
I hope that if she ever does have a child, she will write a supplement about it.
The only major bummer was that the e-versions (kindle, odm) I read were missing the Notes page(s).
June 26, 2017
I'm doing every potential future reader of my copy of this book a favor and throwing this book away. Seriously. The author is a piece of work. Initially as I began reading I thought no one could be as bad as the reviews had painted her. No one. Sarah Chrisman is obviously the type of women disliked by most, but too self involved to understand why no one likes her. But I tolerated it until the bus incident whereby a "low class southern" women had, according the the author, purposely ruined her dress. It's almost comical how prejudiced the author is when writing about this scene. Stereotyping the "ignorant brute" bus driver who probably didn't care to harm her dress, was actually probably trying to help, and may have just been put out with Ms Chrismans attitude. I surely would have been. Maybe this isn't the most shocking thing about the book. But I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near this woman who is so high on her pedestal that she believes herself to be godly. So I will save someone from this awful book and toss it in the trash. I am only glad to have bought this book second hand and for pennies. It's essentially worthless. Save your time and read anything else.
June 27, 2014
I had seen Mrs. Chrisman on one of the television shows demostrating her ability to move in a corset as she talked about how she dressed and lived in the style she desired - a corseted figure and Victorian clothing. When I found her book and read it, I thoroughly enjoyed following with her as she transitioned into the "temporally diverse" lady that she became over the course of little more than a year. It not only details changes in her and in her relationship with her husband, it also explains the changes in how those who just see her in passing relate differently to her, with even airport security people treating her as more of a person when she is dressed in her everyday clothing - which is adaptation of her authentic antiques that she does not wear everyday. A corset changed not just her waist, but her posture, demeanor and attitude, and it all started with a gift from her husband! I have worn a corset for re-enactments in the past, but now I'm thinking that it may be time to pull out the stays more of the time. I highly recommend this book.
October 13, 2017
Ahh this book was so amazing 😍
I learnt so much; it's fascinating, engaging, funny, and educational.
Sarah even writes like a Victorian lady, and her journey in corset wearing and self discovery was truly a delight to read and has inspired me in a variety of ways. Not just in my desire to take up casual corset wearing, but in manners and finding meaning in everyday tasks, and taking pride in myself and my possessions.
I love history. And Sarah talks, often philosophically, about the past and present, society, and the things that have changed (for worse or better). Her opinions are well articulated and thoroughly researched (everything in this book is- it's music to the academic's ears!).
I borrowed this book from the library, it's now going on my goodreads list of books to buy.
Side note: If you're not already a lover of corsets or the Victorian style/era, then you probably won't enjoy this book as much. Also, if you're not a fan of people telling some home truthes, or being proud of their own accomplishments, then similarly steer clear.
I learnt so much; it's fascinating, engaging, funny, and educational.
Sarah even writes like a Victorian lady, and her journey in corset wearing and self discovery was truly a delight to read and has inspired me in a variety of ways. Not just in my desire to take up casual corset wearing, but in manners and finding meaning in everyday tasks, and taking pride in myself and my possessions.
I love history. And Sarah talks, often philosophically, about the past and present, society, and the things that have changed (for worse or better). Her opinions are well articulated and thoroughly researched (everything in this book is- it's music to the academic's ears!).
I borrowed this book from the library, it's now going on my goodreads list of books to buy.
Side note: If you're not already a lover of corsets or the Victorian style/era, then you probably won't enjoy this book as much. Also, if you're not a fan of people telling some home truthes, or being proud of their own accomplishments, then similarly steer clear.
November 9, 2017
2.5 - a quick and interesting read, but the author is rather insufferable. In fact, she's often downright mean about others! I have no doubt that people are often rude to or judgmental of her based on her attire, but has she considered the idea that sometimes they might actually be reacting to her personality and attitude rather than her clothing? I was especially put off by the disparaging comments about women who didn't have her waspish (corseted) waist - does she not realize that without her corset she was in fact the same size or possibly larger? I have no issue with any size, from small to ginormous (which was her word) but I do have a distinct issue with hypocrisy and cattiness. I firmly believe it is her right to dress this way, and I do see a lot of beauty in the style and care she has adopted, but her attitude soured many of the positive feelings I could have had about this book.
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