Feature Friday: Nightingale Corsetry
If you’ve ever wanted to use clothing to create your own fairytale, then this month’s feature will provide you with ample inspiration! Based in Yorkshire, England, Nightingale Corsetry is a one-woman business specializing in fantasy and historically inspired corsets and clothing.
All of Charlotte’s pieces evoke a sense of magic, of enchantment, and her goal with every project is to bring that magic alive for her clients. “I‘m hugely inspired by my customers to be honest,” Charlotte shared. “I don‘t see myself as a grand designer. I‘m more of a craftswoman. So when people come to me and say: ‘Hey, can you do that?’ Then I love making their dreams reality and help them build their own fairytale.”
“I love working with my customers to create their dream garment and am always happy to order special fabrics or alter my patterns to make their vision come true,” Charlotte continued. “Everything is handcrafted by myself in my little workshop in England. I pay high attention to every little detail as I want my garments to be worn and loved for a very long time. I ship them all over the world; most of my customers are actually from the US, and I think a lot of them are worn at ren faires. (Oh I wish I could attend one of those big ones over there one day!),” she added.
But while Charlotte loves creating a fantasy for others, the desire for a bit of escapism started from a young age for her as well. “I started sewing when I was little; my grandma used to be a seamstress and definitely taught me a love for sewing. We used to dress up a lot as kids and being able to make costumes at home was amazing! To be able to hop into another world with just a change of clothes is something that always brought me lots of joy, and that joy never went away!”
So Charlotte took that joy and turned it into a profession. “When I finished school I knew I wanted to do something in the theatre—it didn‘t really matter what as long as it helped creating these fantasy worlds,” she shared. “Because I already knew sewing basics, I applied for tailoring apprenticeships in all theatres in Germany (where I originally come from) and then ended up 7 hours from home in Hanover! I loved working in the opera but I am a bit of a hermit, so being my own boss was something I always considered. I had some other costume jobs here and there until I moved to England in 2020 to be with my boyfriend (we had a long distance relationship). So obviously I had to leave my job in Germany and then decided to take the next step and become self-employed!”
“Never had I sewn a single corset before, but I knew that was what I wanted to do,” she continued. “Corsets can make you feel so empowered, and I wanted to give that same feeling to other people out there. And of course it had to be a bit whimsical also—there can never be enough whimsy!”
Now she is living her dream helping others create their own magic through Nightingale Corsetry. “I have my absolute happiest moments when my customers tell me how amazing their corset makes them feel—there‘s no better reward for all the work than that! To see them so happy with something that I created with my hands makes me so proud (and I‘m such a perfectionist and don‘t say that very often!).”
But Charlotte has big plans for the future of her business. “I have even had some of my lovely customers come back to me to make their wedding dresses—which feels like the absolute highest praise and I couldn‘t be more happy with them wanting my garments to be with them on their happiest day of their lives,” she added. “I can‘t wait to properly start with bridalwear soon, it‘s definitely something I want to focus more on in the future.”
You can find all of Charlotte’s offerings on her website, www.nightingalecorsetry.com, and in her Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/nightingalecorsetry. And you can follow her on Instagram (@nightingalecorsetry) for more inspiration!