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Permalink Reply by Jenn Bailey on July 3, 2012 at 5:11am

My experience with corsets...

I bought a steel-boned corset designed for waist-training in May. For waist-training, you're supposed to wear it all day everyday. The first time I put on my corset, I thought, "There's no way!" I could only wear it a couple hours at a time before my back hurt and I just couldn't breathe anymore. It got easier though - I was just breaking it in.

Once I had it broken in (I just wore it around the house or for quick errands), I realized I could wear it for longer and longer periods of time. I started wearing it to work underneath my clothes, and I got all sorts of comments: "Have you lost weight?", "Jenn, I never noticed how tiny your waist is!", etc. What a confidence booster!

As for the effects of wearing a corset, I still get hungry, but I'm fuller faster having steel push on my tummy. Also, it's good to avoid carbonated beverages, acidic and spicy foods, especially if you're prone to acid reflux. I went out for Mexican with ladies from work and had to tear my corset off and throw up.

The most important part is to wear it for only how long it's comfortable, and don't try to tighten it all the way at first. I wear mine about 12 hours a day, and saw my waist size go down an inch so far.

General corset notes:

-Waist-training = wearing a corset to permanently diminish the size of one's waist; requires big time commitment

-Purchasing a corset: buy one 4 inches smaller than your current waist size (my waist is 26", I bought a 22")

-You'll look HOT! My boyfriend absolutely loves it ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Louise Moody on July 3, 2012 at 6:06am

I wear corsets about once or twice a week.  Mine are steel-boned ones from What Katie Did.  They're not waist trainers but they do pull in your waist by inches.  I can comfortably wear mine for 10-12 hours and while drinking and eating.  I do find they restrict some actions like bending over, driving (for some reason).  I got fitted at WKD for my first one and haven't looked back.  

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Permalink Reply by Mary Lucas on July 3, 2012 at 9:54am

Right now I own 4 corsets one is the What Katie Did-Morticia which I Love but its not a waist trainer. I would say a good off the rack corset for training is the Josephine under bust by Isabella Corsetry. It's very similar in shape to the Morticia and reasonably priced. 

You will not become dependent on one, unless you wear it 24/7 and there is just no need for that. Most modern day waist trainers have cycles that they use. Example my lacing cycle right now is loosely...Monday 6 hours, Tue 8 hours, Wed 10 hours, Thur 10hours,  Fri 8 hours, Sat 6, sunday off. That may seem like a little or a lot to some depending on who you talk to but it works for me. Some days I want to wear it more... somedays less I just listen to my body.

Have you watched Lucy's Corsetry videos on Youtube? 

http://www.youtube.com/user/bishonenrancher?feature=results_main. 

She covers everything from starting out, to personal issues like self lacing, sleeping and even, using the ladies room. She reviews a lot of corsets too. You definitely should check out her videos! I wish I had seen them before I got started.

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Permalink Reply by Sally Atom on July 3, 2012 at 5:55pm

Very helpful advice, greatly appreciated x

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Permalink Reply by Dolly Herbel on July 6, 2012 at 5:34pm

This is great! Thank you!

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Permalink Reply by Angel TD on July 3, 2012 at 9:55am

I wore a garment similar to a corset after a major sx and I had a love hate experience with it. I wish I would have kept with it , it definetly made a huge difference in the waist area as well as the tightness of my skin tissue. I finally quit due to laziness and my body kinda relaxed and I lost alot of ground. I felt I needed it because the body does adapt. I  need to get it back out because it helps my posture and kept me thinner. Its just sooooooooooo hot here in Louisiana that its miserable in summer.

If you can adjust you won't want to take it off !

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Permalink Reply by Sally Atom on July 3, 2012 at 5:56pm

So heat makes it really uncomfortable? That's a pain because I live in Australia and it's always hot!

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Permalink Reply by Jenn Bailey on July 6, 2012 at 6:44am

A good idea for when it's hot is to wear a sweat absorbing tank/tube top underneath your corset. There's nothing worse than a sweaty corset: it can cause breakouts and general discomfort. I found it more pleasant having an extra layer between my skin and my corset this summer.

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Permalink Reply by Sally Atom on July 6, 2012 at 6:48pm

Great advice! Thank you very much x

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Cole on July 3, 2012 at 9:59am

I bought a waist-training corset from Absolute Corsets a few months ago and I am in love! I'm a huge advocate for them! However, you do need to be careful. If you're just looking for something to bring your waist in a little bit, a girdle or a lightly boned waist cincher would do the trick, and would be less expensive. It's important to rake the time to figure out what sort of corset would be the best for your body in order to achieve your desired results. Absolute Corsets has a section on their website where they discuss which of their corsets are better if you're short-waisted (like myself), longer in the torso, etc., which was very helpful to me. 

Other things to consider (which some of the ladies touched on) is not to lace yourself too tightly the first few times (be slow and gradual with it in order to give your body time to adjust), and to be careful what you eat while you're wearing it. Carbonated beverages and acidic foods will just make you feel miserable. Also, it really helps (especially if you're just starting out in a corset, training or otherwise) to only wear it in increments of 3-4 hours per day until your body gets used to it. I recently competed in a pinup pageant and chose to wear my corset underneath my dress to make my waist look super tiny. After 7 hours (the longest I had ever worn the corset), lets just say I was VERY ready to have it off!

Another EXTREMELY helpful tip (especially if you're considering corset training as a partner to your diet) is to make sure that you keep your diet filled with foods that are rich in fiber, like fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only will it be great for your diet, but it will keep your intestines nice and lubricate and prevent them from sticking together under the pressure of your corset. Ick!! Sorry for the gross-out, but I remember thinking that was really helpful, and was the most serious side-effect that I had heard of (with the easiest solution). 

All of that to say that I'm a huge advocate for corsets! You just have to be careful and really do your reasearch. I hope you can find one that really works for you, because the results are breathtaking :)

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Permalink Reply by Sally Atom on July 3, 2012 at 5:59pm

Thanks so much! I hadn't heard about the intestines sticking together before, so that's definitely something to consider. 

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Permalink Reply by Desilu on July 3, 2012 at 11:54am

Can I add to this discussion: what about longline bras...? They are also supposed to help with posture, as well as keeping things... streamlined. I don't necessarily want to go to a corset (there is no way I'd be able to do everything I do at work wearing one!), but I want to have another option besides my girdle shorts (which are comfortable, but I'm looking for additional options).... Any thoughts?

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