Caring For Your Corset

With proper care, your corset will have a very long life.

Below are some tips on how to extend the life of your corset. 

It is a good idea to wear some kind of absorbent garment under your corset to absorb extra perspiration. This reduces the frequency that your corset needs to be dry cleaned. However, if no garment is to be worn underneath or if the corset has absorbed a lot of perspiration after extended wear, simply take a damp cloth and gently wipe the lining of the corset to keep it fresh. To keep it smelling fresh after normal wear (for example, out to a club or for a few hours), hang the open corset over the back of a chair allowing it to air out. Spraying your corset lightly with commercial deodorizers is acceptable. Products such as Fabric Fresh or Fabreeze should not harm your corset if used gently. Be sure to be careful not to spray too much. A light spray and a little fresh air go a long way.

It is important to remember never to wash your corset! The hardware used inside your corset is steel and washing the corset will cause it to rust! Take your corset to a trusted dry cleaner to have it cleaned when it is soiled. This is not necessary on a regular basis unless you wear your corset on a daily basis. Although it may seem like common sense, storing your corset in a cool, dry place will also protect the fabric and hardware. It is best to avoid having it cleaned altogether, as dry cleaning can cause creasing. Due to the narrow areas of a corset and the bone casings, it is impossible to fully press the creases out.

Always loosen the lacing of your corset after wearing. Failure to loosen the laces may result in a broken bone. Bending over can also cause the bones to permanently kink, which is not a very flattering look. Try to remember to put your shoes on first if possible, and to bend at the hips instead of the waist. Your corset is designed to provide excellent support, but it isn’t

designed to do the work of a back brace.  Maintaining good posture with the aid of your corset will keep the bones of the corset (and your body) in good shape. Slouching or hunching over while wearing your corset could also cause permanent bending boning.

The corset lacing at some time wear out, which is apt to happen after a lot of wear, however, the lacing is easily replaced at any fabric or trim store. Just be conscious of how your corset is laced before pulling the original lacing out.

Never let anyone but YOU wear your corset.  Eventually your corset will take your shape and when you allow others to wear it this will cause undue stress when it is worn by another.

Never attempt to remove your stays. To do so may actually break the stays and many times bend the hardware.

Keeping the above in mind, your corset should last many years. We sincerely hope you enjoy your corset now and in the years to come.

LACING INSTRUCTIONS

How to lace up that corset right!

First, ensure that the corset is the correct way up. With some styles, this is not obvious at first. Make sure the corset and the underlying garment are smoothed out during the tightening procedure so that there are no wrinkles of the garments and skin, especially in the back.

Place the corset around the body. Ease the corset laces on either side to center the front of the corset. Your corset comes with 2-72 inch laces for the back closure. Working with the first lace, start from the top of the corset and work towards the middle of the center back of the corset. After reaching the half way point begin the second lace and work the corset from the bottom up to the middle of the center back of the corset. [The laces should meet in the center back.] Pull the laces to the desired tension. Once you achieve a comfortable tension, tie the top laces to the bottom laces crossing the laces so that the top laces are attached to the bottom laces securely.

Reverse the procedure to remove of the garment.

It is important to ensure that the gap at the back [and front, for an open front corset] of the corset is parallel all the way up and down; otherwise, the bones may twist. Avoid having the gap at the top and bottom of the corset larger than at the waist.

Remember that with wearing the corset it will conform to your desired shape. The bones in the sides and front will lay flatter when conformed to your body and they will eventually lay flat against your body producing the desired shape. This may take several weeks of wear.

You should go gradually over a period of time. Eventually the corset may close completely at the sides or back.  However, in the beginning your corset should not lace completely closed.  At this point do NOT attempt to over tighten the corset. Failure to observe this precaution may result in damage to the corset, steel boning & the grommets to say nothing of your comfort and health.

HINT: Wear the corset moderately tight for about a half an hour.  Increase the tighness only after you find that you are comfortable.  Eventually you will find it easier to tighten a little more each time without too much effort.

GETTING USE TO YOUR CORSET

At first, you will only be able to lace your corset to within 2 to 3 inches of closed. After about a month, you should be able to close the corset to within 1 to 1 1/2 inches. At this stage, you should gradually increase the time you wear it by about 1/2 hour per week until you are able to wear the corset for as long as you wish. From this point on, you should be able to reduce your waist by a further one inch every six months, using new corsets, until you are six inches less than your natural waist. Further reduction proceeds much more slowly.