How to Properly Lace up a Corset
As exciting as it will be to receive the new piece of garment in your hands, the very notion of shimmying into something as stiff as a corset can be dreadful. If you are a first time user, the intricate lacing can bamboozle you completely. You might be worrying about getting it tangled and damaging your new corset.
Your first test will come up when you have to unlace your corset before you put it on. The proper method to do this is to unravel the bows and pull out the crossed laces, beginning from the lower end.
Lacing up the Corset
As you put the corset on, tighten the busk first. The next step will take time and patience if you are inexperienced. Begin by tightening the laces in the middle, that is, the ones at waist level. After the mid portion is covered, start at the top and tug on the loops while moving downward. Then when you reach the bottom, work upwards in the same procedure. It won’t be enough to pull the laces once and be done with it. To truly get the tight fit, you need to repeat it a couple more times.
Corsets should be ‘seasoned’ into. It is incredibly painful to jump straight into the tightest fitting. Work it a bit loose on the first try and then proceed to increase the pressure as your waistline recedes. You can notch it up a step after wearing it at a comfortable pressure for around an hour at first. The stiff material of the corset needs to mold to your body. The fabric should stretch and not squeeze you in.
When you have properly broken into it, you can try a different and easier way of lacing it. This includes three layers of lacing, thus providing a tighter fit. To achieve this, you need to pull the laces through the opposing holes and form a crisscrossed layer on the outside. Then from below, you repeat the procedure and form a layer underneath it, inside the corset. Then work a layer beneath the second one as well. In the end, pull the loops tight and tie it into a bow. For a better appearance, you can maneuver the bow in the midst of the first and second layer.
Never tie the bow in the front. Looping it around your waist can harm the steel mold of the corset itself.
Conclusion
The fit of the corset should not be too tight, and it obviously should not be overly loose either. It should be comfortable with a slight bit of increased pressure as you progress. You can opt for a corset liner as this would save both your skin and the corset from any damages. The tighter fit of the corset leads to accumulation of perspiration. This can cause rashes on your skin and damage the expensive fabric as well. A corset liner absorbs the moisture and does not let the corset chaff your body. You will not have to clean it too often if you wear it this way either. It is wiser to dust your torso with some baby powder before you put on your corset as well. It is further important to keep your corset well-maintained and clean. You have to air it out every time and wash it periodically as well. A well cared for corset will last you a life-time.