This was bought about two years ago for a regularly used costume, so I needed something that I could put on and off easily, and was good enough quality to hold up to regular wear. This sounded good, for the most part, and has indeed held up very well. The dark purple is a lovely rich color and makes the smattering of crystals added really pop. I actually removed the plastic boning and replaced them with spiral steel, since I'm really not a fan of any plastic boning, especially in the outdoor Florida climate I needed it for. The difference between this brand and other cheaper ones I've tried is the quality of the rest of the corset. And for the price (I paid $70 for my size and color choice) it's definitely five stars. The stitching and the fabric are good, with a good lining and strong laces. A more cheaply made corset wouldn't have held up to having the pieces removed, but this was well done, the boning easy to access, and the fabric a good enough quality to re-stitch. I had a little trouble with the fit, but at the time I needed it sooner rather than later, and it fit well enough that I didn't want to risk waiting for a different size that might not work. I ordered a large, and on my 5'4", bust 40" frame it was a little bit long. This created a strange looseness at the top because the sweeheart outline sat in the wrong place. I'm hoping a medium will solve the problem, now that I have more time. EDIT: the medium did not solve the problem, as they are the same length. It was between 1.5 and 2 inches shorter around, which was just enough to make the modesty panel not cover on me, so it will be returned. I ordered it in wine, which was a little more in the purple range than I was hoping, especially since there is no other real red in this style, but still very much a wine color. Otherwise it was consistent with the quality of the purple one. The zipper is strong, and was extremely helpful when I had to change or use the bathroom. I lace firmly, but not *super* tightly, and I had no difficulty pulling the zip up and have no worries about it breaking. The only real con that wasn't related to possibly having the wrong size was this - we could tighten the laces in the center, with them looser at top and bottom, and it would fit beautifully, but after about half an hour of moving, the laces would shift and even themselves out. This might make it easier for people to relace the corset for *general* fit without help, but it was frustrating if to have it tightened in all the right places, only to have it undo itself. (And of course, if you took it off with the zipper, it would even out, but that's expected) If you wanted, you could always get shorter, separate sets of laces, one for the middle, two for top and bottom, or whatever configuration held the shape you needed. Overall, a well put together piece.
