Corsets Basics and Care

Corsets Basics and Care How to Try On a Corset Whether you are at a store, convention or trying on a corset from an online purchase, here are some general recommendations. If you know that you will be trying on a corset we recommend wearing a light T-shirt or tank top. Heavy clothing under a corset could give you a false sense of the comfort level and shaping effects of the corset. Also, wearing a T- shirt under the corset will prevent the corset from become soiled while you are trying it on, in case you decide against purchasing the piece. As a corset vendor, we definitely appreciate this practice. Also, try to avoid eating a very heavy meal right before being fitted for a corset. This could cause some discomfort when trying on the piece, making it difficult for you to tell if the corset is comfortable and a good fit. It is important to not over tighten a corset when trying it on. Over tightening can cause the boning to become misshapen and not go on even. A quality corset must be broken-in gently to conform to your body overtime for maximum comfort. You will want the corset tight, but perhaps not tightened to its maximum waist reduction capabilities for the purpose of trying the piece on. While the piece is tightened, however, you will want to be sure that there are no pressure points or areas of discomfort. You should be able to breathe and move while wearing the corset without any pain. In general, you should feel as if you are being hugged. Even if you do not tighten the corset to the maximum, you will want to be sure that the corset is shaping your waist as you desire and that, of course, you like the look and feel of the fabric of the corset. In the case of an overbust corset, be sure that the cups are providing the correct amount of coverage based on your own modesty level. If you are trying on the corset in person, ask many questions and be sure the consultant you are working with is willing to help you in making the best purchase for you, and not just get a sale for themselves. You should feel confident and comfortable in the corset you choose. How to Put On and Lace Up a Corset It may take some practice, but it’s completely possible to lace yourself up in a corset. It is a bit easier with someone to help you, but once you get the hang of it, you will find that is probably faster and more efficient to put on a corset yourself. Here are the steps that are required whether you are lacing yourself up or someone is assisting you. 1. Loosen all of the slack in lacing of the corset each time you are going to wear the corset. Try to make the separation in the back gap as even as possible. You don’t want all of the slack at the top or bottom of the corset, but evenly distributed across the entire gap. Also, be sure that you have already dressed yourself with other clothing items and accessories, as it could be a bit difficult once the corset is on. 2. Place corset around your waist with lacing in back and garter loops on the bottom. If the corset is properly sized and fully opened in the back, it should easily wrap around your waist and hook in the front. Hook the busk, starting with the 2nd or 3rd eye and working your way down to the bottom of the corset (do not start with the top or bottom eye). When you reach the bottom, go back and hook the top eye last. Make sure that the corset is roughly centered and sitting fairly straight on your body before beginning the tightening process. For women, the waist of the corset should be seated about an inch or two above your belly button. For men, the waist of the corset should sit right at the belly button area or a bit lower. It is okay to pull the corset down to properly position the piece. Also, straighten any modesty panel the corset may have before tightening and check for straighten throughout the tightening process. 3. Remove slack in lacing by pulling the two loops located in the center of the corset (this is where the lace does not crisscross). Pull as much slack out as possible and adjust the straightness of the corset if necessary. Do not continue to tighten the corset if it seems like it is twisting or going on crooked as this could permanently misshape the corset boning. This is also a good time to adjust your breasts in the cups of the corset if you are wearing an overbust piece. Standing in front of a mirror will be very helpful in step 4 until you get used to the location of the laces. 4. Tighten the top portion of the corset by pulling the 2nd “X” from the top (red “X” in diagram below) and then the third “X” (blue in the diagram). Again, remove extra slack on the top half by pulling center loops mentioned in step 3. You can also hold the center loops with your opposite hand to maintain tension as you pull the “X’s” with your primary hand. Tighten the bottom by pulling the second “X” from the bottom, then the third “X” just as you did on the top. Remove slack by pulling center loops (step 3). All three “X’s” on both the top and bottom of the corset should have most of the loose slack in the laces removed at this point. The gap along the back of the laces should be fairly uniform from top to bottom. If you do not have a gap at the laces, this means that the corset is too large for you and you need to go down by at least one size.

5. Repeat step 4 until you've reached your desired fit and tightness. If this is a new corset, be sure to read our section on how to break in your corset, before over tightening the corset. The corset should be comfortable and you should not experience any pain. If the corset is too tight, pull out some of the slack at the “X’s” at the area of discomfort to create a proper fit. 6. Finally, tie the center laces into a bow and if you are wearing your corset under clothing, conceal the laces by tucking them under the grommet area. To remove the corset, please see our instructions below, but note that you must never remove a corset without fully loosening the laces in the back before unhooking the busk. Trying to unhook the busk with tightened laces could damage the busk or corset. Note: These steps are for lacing a Black Iris Corset or for Corset 2 Corset. Each corset manufacturer could have a different lacing layout or number of grommets and “X’s”, but the basic principles will be the same for tightening a corset of any brand. How to Remove a Corset Corsets are not like a typical top or blouse, where you just unfasten the buttons and remove the piece. Corsets rely on tension to reduce your waist and provide shape and so it is absolutely imperative that you loosen the tension before removing your corset. This must been done each and every time you wear your corset. 1. Untie the bow at the back of the corset and pull on the “X’s” to remove all of the slack from the laces. Be sure that the corset is now loose enough to move and shift a bit around your waist. If you do not do this step, you could risk snapping one of the busk studs or damaging the shape of the corset. 2. Once the corset is loose you can proceed to unhook the busk studs, preferably starting in the center from the 2nd or 3rd eye, and then unhooking the top and bottom. The busk will be much easier and safer to unhook with all of the lacing loose since there will not be uneven tension on the busk studs as they are freed. 3. Now that the corset is fully unhooked and the laces are completely loose, you can store the corset for the next time you will wear the piece (see the section below on how to store and care for your corset). The laces will have the completely loosened before you can wear the corset again, so you might as well do this when taking your corset off and ensure that you do not damage the busk in the process. 4. If you are having trouble unhooking any of the busk pins or removing the corset, the number one recommendation is to not panic. If the corset is properly fitted, it will come off, you just need to make sure that the laces in the back of the corset are loosened evenly and the gap is fairly consistent from top to bottom. If all but one or two pins is unhooking, the tension on that pin/s is too great. Re-hook any unfastened busk studs and adjust the gap and lacing in the back to ensure that the corset is evenly loose around your waist. Then unhook the busk again trying to keep even tension on all of the busk studs as you go. How to Break-in Your Corset Congratulations on your new corset! Bet you are anxious to see how small your waist is going to be, so you should cinch that thing on as tight as possible first thing, right? Um, NO! Whether this is your first corset or your 50th, we do recommend taking it easy on your new corset at first. Our steel- boned corsets are constructed for tight lacing and waist training, but will take time to shape and mold to your specific figure and shape. The first few times you wear the piece, do not fully tighten the corset and make sure that there is plenty of gap in the back by the laces. We also do not recommend sleeping in your new corset right away. The first reason for allowing your corset time to break in is, of course, is your safety. Every corsetiere or manufacturer is a bit different and so you will want to give your body a chance to adapt to the new experience of this particular corset and its specific fit. This is especially true if you are new to corsetry. Start by tightening the piece, but not as tight as it will go and wear the corset for a about an hour. Do this the first few times, and then slowly increase the tightness level and the length of time that you wear the piece. The second reason is the corset itself. In the case of our corsets, we use spiral steel boning around the interior of the corset. These pieces of steel are strong and durable, but are also flexible. They will bend and shape to conform to the curves of your body over time making the corset truly your own. If you tighten the corset too tight, too soon, you could risk these pieces of steel and the fabric of the corset not conforming evenly to your shape, meaning that it will be longer before you have a corset that will stay true to form and that will be able to maximize your waist reduction goals and comfort level. The break-in period will also give you the opportunity to ensure that the fit of the new corset is comfortable as it shapes to your body. If you experience any pain or discomfort as you break-in your corset, take a step back in the break-in process. Go to fewer hours of the day or loosen the laces a bit until you are again comfortable. Corsets should always be comfortable, even when worn continuously. If you cannot wear the piece without discomfort, then discontinue wear and consult a physician or medical professional before continuing with your corset. We do guarantee our corsets for life, even with continuous wear, but do keep in mind that excessive strain on the corset too soon, can cause damage to the piece, which means that you will have to start all over again with a new corset. Taking the time to properly break-in your new corset will ensure that you will have a lifetime of curve hugging, trouble-free wear. How to Store Your Corset Before storing your corset, be sure that the piece is complete clean and dry. See our corset care section for instructions on the steps to take before storing your corset. When storing our corsets before shipping them out to you, they are kept in plastic bags in drawers to prevent moisture and dust from damaging the pieces and this works out well in keeping the corsets in perfect condition. We recommend this as an option for your home storage method as well. You can save the plastic bag that we send with the piece and keep the corset folded flat in a drawer, making sure that the is nothing heavy or sharp sitting on top of the corset that might bend the metal components or damage the fabric. You can also consider purchasing fabric corset bags to store you corset as they will last much longer than the plastic bag that your corset comes in. Be sure to completely tighten the laces before folding so that they stay straight while the corset is being stored and ensure to close the busk. If you prefer not fold your corset, you can certainly stack your corsets when they are laying flat in a drawer as well. Perhaps put a please of loose fabric or tissue paper between your stacked corsets so that they do not snag on each other We generally do not recommend rolling up your corset. Rolling the piece can disrupt the form of the steel components and therefore folding or hanging is a better option. You have spent time breaking in your corset to get it to conform to your body shape. This can be undone by rolling your corset and also make it difficult to see which corset is which without unrolling each corset while stored if you roll it with the liner fabric facing out. You could also hang the corset, however we do caution around the use of hangers with squeeze clips that grasp the edge of the piece. These can damage some of the more delicate silk fabrics on some pieces. You can used padded foam squares to protect the fabric from the clips. If you would like to hang your corsets in the closet, we recommend letting out all of the slack on the laces and draping the corset from those loosen laces over a plastic hanger with the liner side facing out. You can then drape a plastic garment bag over the hanger and corset if you will be storing the piece for an extended period of time to avoid dust coming in contact with the corset. Avoid storing your corset with metal hangers or hangers with metal components that could come in contact with the corset. Metal components have a tendency to rust and could discolor the fabric of your corset. How to Care For Your Corset Love wearing corsets? Yes, us too! But many people are not really aware of how to care for their corset when they are not wearing the piece. Here are some recommendations and suggestions on how to care for your Timeless Trends corset or any corset that you purchased elsewhere. We generally do not recommend getting your corset wet (sorry, no wearing corsets under bathing suits). In fact, we recommend dry cleaning only for your corset since they are not machine washable. Be sure to research a reputable dry cleaner, preferable one with experience with steel-boned corsets, and make sure they are aware your corset has steel inside. Do not dry clean your corset too frequently as this can cause undo wear and tear on your corset. One of the reasons for this is there are many metal components in your corset that are susceptible to damage from chemicals and water if over exposed. All of the metal is either galvanized or coated to prevent rust and as long as you avoid heavy amounts of moisture, salt water, or harsh cleaners sitting on the corset over extended periods of time you should not see rust form (this of course cannot be guaranteed). By machine washing or placing your corset in a dryer, the tumbling motion could disrupt the shape of the steel inside the corset that has conformed to your body over the time. Also, some natural fibers could be susceptible to damage if they become too wet or exposed to chemicals and could change the finish of the fabric itself or change the colors. Some heavy cleaners can also leave a residue if not properly rinsed or cause dyes to run which could transfer to your skin or other clothing. If you do not want to have your corset dry-cleaned, you can spot clean the piece with a gentle cleanser and soft lint-free cloth. If you are unsure of the cleaner you are using, you can try a test spot on the inside of the corset trim to be sure that the fabric does not discolor prior to use on the outside layer of fabric. If you do submerge your corset in water for cleaning (which we DO NOT recommend), be sure to not let the piece soak for any length of time and rinse the piece right away in a bowl of clean water. Do not use hot water, and only use luke warm water. Do not use harsh cleaners, chemicals, and bleach or fabric softener on your corset. Be very gentle with the corset while wet and lay it out flat on towels to dry as soon as it comes out of the water. Never squeeze or ring out the water out of your corset as this will disrupt the shape of steel boning in the piece. Get as much moisture off the piece as possible with soft towels. If you just wore your corset and there is sweat or any kind of moisture on the inside of the piece, you will want to have it cleaned or let it hang in a place to dry prior to storing the corset. You can gently wipe off body oil or dirt from the inside of the corset with an ever so slightly damp cloth if you like, but just be sure to let the piece dry completely before storing. Some people also wear a thin cotton liner or chemise/slip between a corset and their skin to lengthen the amount of time between dry cleanings. This is especially true for those who are waist training or wear their corset daily and not wearing the corset as an outerwear option. An option for waist trainers is to alternate between two different corsets so that one can air out, while you are wearing the other. When drying your corset, avoid extreme heat and direct sunlight. Gently air-drying the piece indoors is the best method either over soft towel lying flat or draped over plastic hangers (metal hangers or metal hanger components can transfer rust to the fabric of your corset which can be very difficult to remove). Also, there is no need to iron a corset and so we do not recommend using an iron for any reason. If you prefer not to have your corset dry cleaned, but notice that after much wearing that the corset has picked up an odor either from sweat or perhaps cigarette smoke, you can gently mist your corset with a fabric refreshing spray (such as Febreeze*). Again we do recommend testing the spray on the inside of the corset before spraying the outside of the piece to be sure that the chemicals from the spray do not damage the color or finish of the fabric. Avoid misting the outside of the corset unless absolutely necessary (again occasionally dry cleaning is the best method for cleaning and removing odors). Be sure to let the corset air dry completely after misting before storing. If your corset is made of leather, be sure to let your corset air-dry and ventilate before storing and use products intended for leather with cleaning. You can use a leather polish for cleaning and maintenance, but again be sure to test the product on the inside of the piece first to be sure that the dyes in the leather do not transfer to your clothing. Have the corset professionally cleaned for full cleaning. For any pieces made of vinyl, be sure to avoid extreme temperatures and moisture as this can cause cracking or bleeding colors. Store each vinyl corset separately. To care for the laces of your corset, be sure to tuck them into the corset to avoid snagging while wearing the piece. You can also wear them tied around your waist to keep them out of the way and so that they will not show through your clothing. Just keep in mind that this method could rub against the outer layer of fabric on your corset wearing down the fabric. Your laces may have to be replaced from time to time. We recommend polyester laces or ribbon when it comes to longevity. Cotton laces tend to wear down more quickly. One of the best ways to care for your corset is to be sure that you tighten the corset properly and to always loosen the laces fully before unlatching the busk. By starting with a high quality corset and applying these proper care techniques, your corset will last you a lifetime.