How to Put on a Corset Easily

You might consider a corset as an old-fashioned shapewear type of lingerie. Corsets have been shaping women’s midsection for generations. Putting on a corset is a lost art since most women rarely use them in everyday attire. There can be some unseen benefits to wearing a corset on a regular basis other than getting the hourglass look you desire. Let’s get into some of these corset aspects along with the best way to put on the corset so that you will know the best way to put it on and take it off day after day.

Quick History

Corsets were mainly used and popularized in Europe from the sixteenth century and glamorized heavily during the Victorian era. The corset was introduced into the French courts around the 1500s by Italian Catherine de’ Medici who was made Queen of France through marriage. The women of the French courts loved the way it made a woman’s body look and since then, Europeans have adopted the corset to enhance women’s figures ever since.

Benefits of the Corset

There are a number of benefits to wearing a corset that many people might be unaware of. Yes, corsets might be constricting but this limitation can actually help a woman’s figure other than giving that hour-glass look.

Corsets Improve posture

Corsets might constrict your movement into place, but this also means your back and spine also gets put into place for as long as you are wearing the corset. A corset is usually worn all day, so your back and spine get correct posture support all day long as well. This also will train you to stand and sit properly throughout the day as well.

Since your back is positioned in a correct way, back pain can be alleviated over time by regular usage. Similar pains throughout the body might also be alleviated because nerves and the spinal cord are now aligned due to good posture.

Breast Support

Certain types of corsets mainly overbust corsets and some underbust corset designs support the breasts like they would a bra. Since overbust corsets are one unit, they take the support role of a bra with the added benefit of a corset underneath, so a bra is not needed. An overbust corset is a great alternative to your standard everyday bra.

Corsets help with weight control

Because corsets squeeze your midsection into an hourglass shape, your organs are also confined to a certain size. This limits the amount of food you are able to put in your stomach, especially wearing a corset all day. Limiting food portions will almost come automatically since you will be not able to hold as much food in your stomach as long as you are wearing a corset thus helping with body weight control.

Parts of a Corset

The Corset has a number of elements that I will reference to. I will identify them in the picture below.

Lacing the Corset

It is preferable to lace up your corset before you put it on. Find an area where you can lay out the corset flat on a surface so you can lace it up in the easiest way possible. If your corset is pre-laced, you don’t have to worry about this step.

The Right Lace

If you are wondering what laces to choose, go with paracord lace if you are looking for great strength. Satin laces will do just fine but are not as secure but will help with a fancier look and feel. The ones I recommend are below:

Starting the lacing

If your corset is not pre-laced, count the number of grommets or lacing holes that the lace the corset. If you have an even number of grommets, start from the bottom. If you have an odd number of grommets, start from the top. Make sure you have 8 yards worth of lace to lace your corset effectively.

For the first set, take your two ends of the lace and put them through the back of your top grommets. Pull a good amount of lace through the grommets so you have plenty of lace to work with. Also make sure that each side of your lace is even when you pull.

The idea in this is to make an “X” style pattern when you lace your corset up. Take one end and put through the front side of the grommet that one below on the other side on the panel. Pull the lace all the way through so lace tightens. Do the same with the lace on the other side.

You should have your first “X” pattern facing out. For the next set of grommets, you will want to put the lace on the back of the grommets when you cross them over. Pull the lace all the way through so lace tightens. When you completed doing this set, the lacing on both sides should now be facing up. Continue doing making this “X” pattern with the corset until you get to the center of it.

Making the Tie Loops

Once you have a couple of sets of “X” patterns on the corset, the center of the corset (or where you feel you need to tighten the corset on your body) is where you will make the tie loops in the lacing. Once you are at the point of the pattern where the lacing is coming up out of the grommets again, this is where you will start your loop.

Take the end of one side and put it down in the next grommet below it on the same side. Make sure you only pull the lace just enough to finish lacing the rest of the corset. You will be knotting the lace at the end so be aware of that you will need some lace that goes a bit beyond the end of the corset. You should now have a nice big loop on one side. Do that exact same thing on the other side so you can have two giant loops to tie your corset when wearing it.

Finishing the lacing

Now that you have your loops, you can continue to finish off your coreset lacing as you were in the “X” pattern like before. If you gave yourself enough lace after making the Tie Loops, you should have just enough to finish lacing and to tie the ends.

Once done lacing the corset, you can either knot the ends or tie them however you feel is necessary. Tying in a knot will secure the corset even further.

Wearing the Corset

Now to put on the corset. If you have someone to help you put this on, that would be most ideal, but most are not going to be dressing with a partner. This tutorial will help those dressing by themselves to put on a corset.

Loosen the lacing

Start by loosening the lacing on the corset by pulling on the laces and make the pull loops shorter as you would a shoe. You might need more loosening depending on your body type.

Attaching the Corset

Wrap the corset around your waist with the laces in the back and the fasteners of the busk in the front. Remember that the knot of the laces is the bottom of the corset.

Pro Tip: Start fastening a couple at the middle so the slimmest part or your waist gets attached first.

To tighten up the corset, make sure you are looking in a mirror so you can see the back of the corset. Make sure the corset is seated at your waistline for the most comfort. Make your adjustments to center the corset if needed.

Take the pull string loops and pull the corset so the laces tighten. You might have to pull individual laces in separate areas of the corset incase you need more support in other areas. Pull the pull loops as much as you can to take out the slack so that the gap is tightened to your desired tightness.

Tying your Corset

Your pull loops should now have plenty of lace to tie. Now depending on how much lace you have on your pull loops will indicate what you can do with it. For most, tying a bow in the back is the standard procedure but for some, tying a bow up front can work as well. This will work well especially if you have very long laces or if you have trouble tying the bow in the back. Make sure you do not double knot it because it is hard to get out of with a double knot.

Taking off the Corset

To take the corset off, do what you did to get it on in reverse. Start with the bow and untie it. Loosen the laces from top to bottom. Now you can unbuckle the busk from the front. Take care not to unbuckle the busk without loosening the corset enough. You do not want any unwanted strain on one single buckle while taking it off.

Where to Buy

There are couple of corsets I recommend. There are a ton that you should stay clear of. Remember, with this type of lingerie, you generally get what you pay for. Keep this in mind when shopping. I highly recommend these below.

Conclusion

You might be surprised how well a corset will help you look your best in the long term. Bad posture is on the rise due to a lot of sitting and modern technology. Wearing a corset can not only help with looking your best but also help you correct bad posture over time. Keeping wearing them improve not just your looks but your overall health. Remember, it’s the little things in life.