Corsets have increasingly come back into style as an outer garment leading plenty of companies to jump on and produce everything from plastic corsets, cheap imitations right up to some incredibly high quality works of art. I'll probably write quite a bit about corsets and we'll get to what best suits you later on. For now I'm going to introduce you to why I wear corsets and do a quick FAQ about things I'm commonly hearing from those with less corset wearing experience.
I started off the same as many others, marvelling at how lovely and smooth corsets make everything look. While the positive comments I received from many different people encouraged me, what I found most favourable was that it made my back pain much easier to handle. I went from needing to bend or sit down constantly to try and ease the discomfort to spending hours on end without a worry in the world. I wear them to uni to try and help my posture and stop me from slouching in chairs. I wear them to work where I have to stand for upwards for four hours at a time or shift boxes up to about 20kg. They give me the support to do tasks that other people wouldn't even think about.
And they feel great.
Now onto my FAQ!
Q. Don't they hurt?
When I first started wearing corsets I got into the trap of trying for too much too soon. Wearing a corset too tightly and lacing them unevenly can cause a great amount of pain and discomfort. If this ever happens either unlace the corset, wriggle around a bit and then try again or take it off completely. I have also come to realise that a lot of discomfort I experienced in the early days was from my body not agreeing with the cheaper quality and construction of the corsets I was wearing compared to the ones I have now. Remember that a properly laced corset should feel like a firm cuddle :)
Q. How do you breathe?
Quite easily! I wear underbusts for ease of movement while doing more active tasks which frees up most of my lungs for the task of breathing and I generally have no issues with breathing at all, certainly no more than when my asthma plays up and I'm corset free. Overbusts can be a little more challenging at times as they restrict a larger area of your upper chest and thus more of your lungs. If breathing ever becomes an issue, try loosening the laces a little across your chest.
Q. What about eating/drinking?
While I have heard many stories about people suffering indigestion worse when wearing corsets, this has never affected me. Eating in a corset has taught me to eat more slowly and chew more thoroughly as it can be harder to swallow everything as they do somewhat restrict stomach capacity. I can, however, eat and drink the same amount in one sitting both with and without a corset but it is most comfortable to eat about 80% of a normal meal size.
Q. Isn't moving uncomfortable?
It does take a bit to get used to. There are plenty of things that might take me longer or require more effort to do while laced up but you quickly learn to adapt. The best advice I can give on this one is to always remember to put your shoes on before you lace up your corset!
Q. Should I worry about muscle atrophy?
For mos people this is absolutely not a concern. In order for this to happen you'd have to wear your corset upwards of 20/7. I never wear my corsets to bed and usually only wear them for 8 hours at a time. The longest I've ever worn a corset was about 12 hours and I rarely wear them more than four days a week. If you want to get into tightlacing/waist training this can become a genuine concern, but otherwise there's very little risk.
Q. Should I wear a bra with a corset?
This mostly comes down to personal preference. I recommend against wearing underwired bras with corsets, especially underbust corsets, as my experience has them damaging the foam, pushing the wires out and into armpits and skin and causing quite a bit of pain and discomfort. I wear a bra with underbust corsets but not overbusts for comfort reasons but my bras are totally wire free :)
Q. Should I be scared about deforming my organs and ribs?
Absolutely not. From what I am aware there is no real evidence to support corsets deforming and damaging organs. Know what else has a very similar effect of organs? Pregnancy! The main difference being that corsets shift everything down and pregnancy shifts everything up, but bodies are very resilient and can take quite a lot of stress. Yes, stomach capacity is reduced, lung capacity may be also, but my best answer to the organ deforming question is that several hundred years ago when we were still learning about different bodies, morticians and doctors saw naturally shaped organs which maybe didn't look quite the same as others and just went "Meh, must be corsets!" I can say the same thing about ribs. The lower ribs around the waist, where most corset compression and shape change occurs, are very flexible and mostly held on my cartilage rather than bone. For this reason they are often dubbed "floating ribs." They're naturally springy and will flex back into shape once the corset is removed. So, again, unless you're wearing a corset at least 20/7 you have nothing to worry about.
Q. Why not just lose weight?
Well, as I mentioned before, my main reason for wearing corsets is as a pain management tool. I started wearing corsets before I gained weight and continue to wear them now. I'm quite happy with my natural shape and any thoughts about my weight are based more on health concerns than aesthetics. While it is possible to use corsets for weight loss, that's a topic for another time!
Q. How do I lace my corset by myself?
The simplest answer here is practice. Some people I've spoken to found that using a mirror to help them see what they were doing was useful. The trick I've always used is lacing a corset like a 'ladder.' I am referring to middle lacing corsets, here, there are plenty of different ways to lace corsets but I'm going to talk about the traditional, criss crossing, loops at the waist of the corset. Start by gently pulling tension from the 'bunny ears.' Start at the very top of the corset and pull the laces out at each step of the ladder towards the middle, pulling all of the remaining loose lace through the bunny ears. Do the same thing starting from the bottom up to the top.
Q. Are off the rack corsets ok or should I always get made to measure?
Rule of thumb, made to measure (MTM) will always be better than off the rack (OTR). In saying that, OTR corsets may be better for you as they tend to be cheaper. However, they don't always fit quite right and may not be comfortable. If you are able to it's always a good idea to try a corset on first to get an idea of the fit of that particular style. In saying that, there are companies that produce OTR corsets of very high quality, such as What Katie Did, although these tend to be more expensive.
Q. How tight is too tight?
You should just feel cuddled by your corsets :) If your corset restricts your breathing too much or causes any pain or discomfort then it's too tight and you need to take it off and re lace it.
Q. How and when should I wash my corset?
Any steel boned corset can only be dry cleaned to prevent damage to the steel. You should always wear a shirt, liner or tank top underneath the corset to prevent sweat getting on the corset and damaging or staining the fabric. If you do this then they don't really need to be washed all that often. If you leave the corset laying open for a while after you take it off this will also prevent them from getting smelly. You can wipe stains off with a damp cloth as well.
Q. Can my corset irritate my skin?
Yes. This is another reason you should always wear something underneath your corset and never lace it too tightly. Based on personal experience, I find that wearing corset with jeans is more likely to cause irritation as denim is a rough material. Wearing light cotton underneath your corset will help to create a barrier prevent rubbing.
Well that'll do for now! Any other questions you may have I'm happy to answer and I hope this helps with anything you might have wondered. Next time we'll talk about different kinds of corsets and when and why you might want them :)
