Corsetry as Outerwear: Sasha Maks Styles the Janus Ribbon Corset

Every time I host a trunk show, inevitably someone will pick up a Ribbon Corset and ask "How on earth do I wear this?" The great thing about the Ribbon Corset is that it truly is my most versatile piece. If you've seen the Evgenia lookbooks, you know that it looks incredible paired with lingerie pieces, but it also pairs effortlessly with everyday clothing. Just check out these shots from style blogger Sasha Maksutenko, photographed by Garry Alexander.

Sasha is not only a San Francisco fashion blogger with an effortless sense of style, but she also runs Sasha Maks Vintage, where she sells gorgeous vintage statement jewelry. For this outfit, she's styled the Janus Ribbon Corset in Jet with a JW Anderson for Uniqlo shirt, an Ian R.N. skirt, Rag & Bone shoes, and custom bag by Scabby Robot. All Sasha's jewelry is from her own shop. The earrings are Paco Rabanne (contact info@sashamaksvintage.com for details), and the bracelet is Bartek, and all rings are available through the above email address.

I love how Sasha styled the Janus Ribbon Corset as a belt with her outfit - it defines the waistline of and pumps up the femininity of the otherwise straight-cut ensemble - plus it matches beautifully with Sasha's boots and jewelry.

To check out more shots from this outfit post, head on over to Sasha's blog!

Gift Rebelle This Valentine's Day!

Luxurious velvet and red hearts: what's not to love?

Shop the entire Rebelle collection in the online boutique now, and gift your sweetie a set she'll never forget! There's something for everyone in this range, from the versatile Ribbon Corset, to the devastatingly sexy Bralette and Thong set, to the High Waisted Knickers (a must for curvy figures).

Nicole wears the Rebelle Bralette and matching High Waisted Knicker. Photo: Kelly Puleio

Got fit or styling questions? Send us a message and we'll help you pick out the perfect gift: one that's sure to please for years to come.

Evgenia Lingerie in Vogue India, September 2016

Things are little quiet on the blog front, and that's because they're loud everywhere else, including in this gorgeous editorial "Hourglass Minutes" in Vogue India's September 2016 issue.

If you look closely you can see the Janus Ribbon Corset in Alabaster layered with other pieces, proving once again that Evgenia Ribbon Corsets are great for out-and-about styling.

Want your very own Janus Ribbon Corset in Alabaster? I have less than half a roll of ribbon left for this limited edition style, so you'd better hurry! Shop it here.

Freema Agyeman Wears an Evgenia Lingerie Ribbon Corset in Sense8

About a year ago, I was contacted by a wardrobe stylist whose boss, the costume designer for Sense8, had fallen in love with an Evgenia Ribbon Corset a few months prior. Sense8 is the new Netflix original series directed by the Wachowskis, the brains behind The Matrix, so needless to say I was ecstatic to have my lingerie considered for the series' wardrobe.

Loaning and occasionally selling garments to stylists is a pretty normal thing, but most of the time it's safe to assume you'll never see the finished product. Stylists typically pull deep collections of garments for photo shoots and films, so the chance that your piece will actually get used isn't exceptionally big. So needless to say, imagine my surprise when 35 minutes into the first episode of Sense8, the gorgeous Freema Agyeman (as Amanita, protagonist Nomi's girlfriend) sauntered onto the screen in a perfect SF Pride ensemble, complete with an Evgenia Ribbon Corset.

I absolutely loved this cheeky outfit and I couldn't be prouder to have seen one of my favorite styles on such a beautiful actress. If you're looking to replicate this look, I only have two of this style of corset left in the red/black colorway, and you can snap it up on sale now here!

Want it Now? No Problem.

The Valentine's Day season is upon us, which means that I'm sewing like the wind to build my stock up for trunk shows. More than ever, I have so much to offer in the HCH Etsy shop and many new pieces from the Deco and Cotillion Collections are now ready to ship immediately in all sizes!

Here are just a few, with many more on the way.

Cotillion Knickers, Cotillion Chemise, Cotillion Bloomers

(Photography: Her Lovely Bones)

Red Petersham Ribbon Corset, Pink Petersham Ribbon Corset, Green Petersham Ribbon Corset,

Ivory Petersham Ribbon Corset

Left: Pink Deco Camisole Right: Ivory Deco Bralette, Ivory Deco Garter Belt, Ivory Deco Knickers

(Photography: Her Lovely Bones)

I'm so excited to offer a full S-L size range for the first time. However, if one-off is more your style, all one of a kind pieces (marked OOAK in the shop) are ready to ship immediately, as always.

Happy shopping!

Corset Trunk Show at Dollhouse Bettie, December 5th 2013

The past year has been a really wonderful one for HCH, thanks in no small part to my ongoing collaborations with San Francisco lingerie powerhouse Dollhouse Bettie. I've been fortunate enough to sell my Ribbon Corsets in their lovely shop, as well as make pieces for their Deja Vu Dessous line, and now we are collaborating on an exciting trunk show just in time for the holiday shopping rush!

Join us for bubbly and shopping galore. If that's not enough to tempt you, Dollhouse Bettie will be among the first to debut pieces from my new Deco line. I'll have a bunch of Ribbon Corsets in a rainbow of colors on hand - they make the ultimate luxury gift for you or your significant other.

Be sure to RSVP here and we look forward to seeing you there!

Three 'Grams: Color of the Year

I've been so busy lately that blogging has taken a major backseat for me, but don't think for a second it means that things are all quiet here in my neck of the woods. I'm working hard to launch the first cohesive and official HCH Collection in the next two weeks. I've spent the better part of the last few months drafting, draping, fitting, sewing, organizing and doing all the other grunt work entailed in apparel design. From costing to hand grading, I've had my hands in dozens of different pots and I've loved all of it! There's so much on the horizon, so for now I wanted to take a quiet moment to throw out a Three 'Grams post.

Emerald was Pantone's color of the year and my recent Instagram shots have seemed to fit the trend pretty well. 

Our Hitchcockian room at The Burlington Hotel in Port Costa

Ribbon Corsets in progress for my trunk show with Dollhouse Bettie

 Chicken soup that helped fix this week's wicked cold

HCH Loves Bike Pretty!

Social media is an incredible thing. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I'm pretty active there. I love talking with lingerie connoisseurs along with brands and bloggers I admire. One of my favorite lingerie tweeters is the amazing Lingerie Lesbian, who has featured HCH a few times on her blog. Another of her admirers is Melissa from Bike Pretty, who contacted me through Twitter after seeing my lingerie featured on The Lingerie Lesbian's blog. We realized we not only live in the same city, but also in the same neighborhood, so we just had to meet up. And what an awesome meeting it was! Melissa snagged some HCH pieces to feature on her blog, and here are some of my favorite images from her posts!

Possibly the most femme and chic outfit ever, featuring the Nellie Ribbon Corset.

Pairing the Lucky Star Deco Cami with leggings...

...and a blazer she made herself. This girl rocks!

Positively rocking the Hortense Bloomers, a fashion-forward nod to the

bloomer-wearing bike-riding ladies of the Edwardian era!

Nothing is more satisfying than a really great collaboration, and Melissa's posts on Bike Pretty were such a treat. Check out her blog if you haven't already - she truly makes biking, well, pretty!

Martha Ribbon Corset Shot by Peter Gaan

I am continually amazed by the power of social media. Case in point: Peter Gaan (the talented photographer behind last year's DList Magazine photo shoot) is one of the people I follow on Twitter - and checking my feed at the right moment this evening meant we got to connect and chat about last year's shoot. Which also revealed that the shoot produced one extra photo that never made it to DList's pages.

Featured in this shot, the Martha Ribbon Corset and the since-sold Melinda Knickers on the gorgeous Renee Russell.

Now on Etsy: The Winnie and Nellie Ribbon Corsets

I've listed two new corsets on Etsy and Cityblis. The first is Winnie, a testament to all things Edwardian: a frou frou brocade specimen with dovetailed knots covering the busk clasps. Nellie is crafted from a lovely copper petersham with a tribal motif. Hit up either shop for more detailed shots.

Winnie Ribbon Corset, Nellie Ribbon Corset

Preview: Dixie Ribbon Corset and Ernesta Bow Belt

I sold one of my favorite pieces at Urban Air Market this past weekend: the Trini Ribbon Corset. If you've been following Honey Cooler Handmade, you know Trini was around for quite awhile. She was my first Ribbon Corset, drafted directly from an extant piece... so, tiny. She never fit any of my customers because, let's face it, who has a 20 inch waist in this day in age besides Dita Von Teese?

Apparently, though, Dita's not the only tiny-waisted vixen out there - Trini found a home early in the day on Sunday, and I was at once happy and sad to see her go. Never fear, though, a new linen lovely will be listed in the Etsy shop tomorrow: The Dixie Ribbon Corset. She's quite a bit bigger, perfect for an average size small or medium woman. I would have listed her today, but (corsetiere nightmare of nightmares) I ran out of bones.

Top: Dixie Ribbon Corset, Bottom: Ernesta Bow Belt

Tomorrow, I'll also be listing the Ernesta Bow Belt, which features one of the most stunning brocades I've ever seen atop a crisp petersham waistband and a waterfall of bow action, front and center.

If you simply can't wait til tomorrow, scope out the Ribbon Corsets and Bow Belts already in stock over at the HCH shop.

Looks from the March Photo Shoot, Part II

Check out more look breakdowns from Honey Cooler Handmade's March photo shoot. Additional photos can be found in the Facebook photo album.

Carmen Deco Camisole, Blondelle Knickers

Geneve Moonshine Chemise, Trini Ribbon Corset, Moira Knickers

Ginger Deco Camisole, Katrin Knickers

Photographer: Antonette Streeter
Model: Alexis Carene Hutt
Hair: Brian Jensen
Makeup: Randy Stevens
Stylist: Dominique Guillen
Flowers: John Andrew James