From Roller coaster to Ribbed Waistbands
- Rhiannon Upham
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
From Roller coaster to Ribbed Waistbands
The last ten years have been an emotional roller coaster, and about 18 months ago, I decided my weight might be playing a bigger role in that than I wanted to admit.
I’d always thought of myself as “small”… until the day I overheard students say, “Look how fat she got over the summer.”Nothing like brutally honest teenagers to humble you in record time.
I tried everything. Every diet, every “this will definitely work” plan. My last proper attempt was through the NHS “Healthy You” programme,12 weeks of free Weight Watchers. It worked… briefly. Then the 12 weeks ended, and the weight came back (bringing friends).
Next stop: weekly group sessions.45 minutes with a nutritionist, 45 minutes with a personal trainer.
I had more knowledge than the nutritionist and the PT had us doing chair exercises.Reader, I wish I was joking.
Unsurprisingly, that didn’t work either. What did work was destroying my mental health.
So I did what any reasonable person with questionable judgement and access to the internet might do, I ordered the weight loss injections.
And here’s the plot twist:I’m now 4.5 stone lighter. And happier.
Enter: The Waist (Finally)
Somewhere along the way, I rediscovered something I hadn’t felt in a long time, motivation. Not just to feel better, but to create again.
And for the first time ever… I have a waist.
A real one.Not theoretical. Not “if I stand like this and don’t breathe.”An actual waist.
Naturally, I decided it needed showcasing.
The £6 Experiment
Now, I am a sucker for a dodgy advert. The kind that promises “snatched in seconds” and delivers disappointment in polyester form.
But not this time.
This time, I went to Primark. £6 pink sweater in hand, I took matters into my own slightly chaotic control.
Armed with gaffer tape (because of course), I wrapped myself like a budget DIY mannequin. I’d seen this corset-pattern method on TikTok, what could possibly go wrong?
I marked out darts, curves, all the shaping I wanted… then came the small issue of removing it.
Imagine waxing. But angrier.
Yes, it hurt.Yes, it took some skin.But on the plus side, unexpected hair removal. Silver linings.
Sewing, Unpicking, Questioning Life Choices
I cut the jumper straight across from armpit to armpit and used my very dramatic tape pattern to reshape it.
Shockingly… it worked.
I added darts, chased that curve, and committed fully to the “I will have a waist” agenda.
Now, I don’t own an overlocker, and sweatshirt fabric has the stability of a toddler on a sugar rush, so I pinned it within an inch of its life and sewed at the speed of a cautious snail.
Big stitches. Just in case.
Correction: because I knew I’d be unpicking.And I was. A lot.
But eventually… perfect fit.
When One Jumper Isn’t Enough
I unpicked the waistband to use as a scoop neckline (because why not), only to realise I’d made a slight miscalculation…
There wasn’t enough jumper left to cover my boobs.
Back to Primark I went.
Two jumpers = £12 Still cheaper than the original overpriced version I’d seen online, so technically… I’m a financial genius.
From there, it all came together. The neckline worked. The panels blended perfectly. I used the second waistband to cinch the waist even more.
I just need a final tweak at the sides to exaggerate the curve, and then?
We’re done. This really was From Roller coaster to Ribbed Waistbands to a final corset jumper.
Did I Wing It? Absolutely.
Did I have a plan? Barely.
Did it work? Shockingly, yes.
Will I actually wear it out? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
But my skills are growing. My confidence is back. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like me again.
And honestly?
That’s the real win.
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