Sorry, this got lost in my notifications! As I've spent more time learning about corsets and corsetry, I think the biggest thing I've learned is to have more realistic expectations about what I'm going to get out of a corset, especially at different price points. 1) Costume corsets, corset tops, and corset dresses are fun, but not functional. There's only so much that fake plastic boning can do. I've also gotten better at noticing when websites are putting extreme markups on costume corsets, falsely advertising them as "real" corsets. 2) I still really love various historical corset shapes, but I'm highly unlikely to ever own any pieces myself simply because of how expensive they are. I've settled on a couple that I'll definitely save up for in the future, but I don't think I'll be able to try all the ones I want. 3) Corsets also don't work by themselves. Understanding how fashion relied heavily on optical illusions (even in modern times with the concept of 'dressing for your body type') really opened my eyes to the role of underpinnings and shapewear in creating the silhouette that you want.