What not to do when seasoning your first corset

Hi!

Today I am skipping the usual OOTD because I am really inspired!
I must admit that I wish I did not get the inspiration the way I got it, but I'll tell you the whole story so you can see what I mean.

Most of the information is covered in the Basics series but may be I have to stress it more,
Also , I don't mind getting questions,  here or on the Waist training / Corset training  group so more people can see the Questions and answers.

Clau´s first week of waist training.
As many of you know I've been training for almost a year, during my training I have shared my progress with a friend who is very interested in corsets, Clau, she's the one that sold me the CS-426 that I am wearing today, and I sold her my true corset mesh, so I thought she knew a lot and I did not offer her any advise when she finally started training this week.

OMG

This morning I came across her at the office, and she told me she ran late today because she could not close her corset properly, she was wearing it upside down and then had to unlace and lace again, I was telling her how I set my corset with the hooks on the same side everyday, and when she showed me hers, she was still wearing it upside down. :/

To make it worse, she had a big A shaped gap, no liner and to top it off,  She took the corset off unlaced.

This post will be similar to Laura´s post  What not to do when you buy your first corset" based on the experience of Clau I´ll list a few common mistakes that some of us do at the beginning..  I made bigger mistakes so don't get me wrong, remember my ebay corset ? ;) but we are here to share this and help others who are just starting their journey

1.- Don't try to make the corset as fitted as possible to avoid gaps

When you begin seasoning it´s normal for the top or bottom part
of the corset to be a little stiff and flare,but this will go away
if you season your corset properly 

A corset needs time to adapt to your body, and you need time to adapt to the bones of the corset and the pressure on your ribs.Being patient is a must at this point

I have bought many OC's and they always come with a thank you note, and instructions sheet where they explain the seasoning process, for more  information check this OC video.







Clau bought her corset in OC's shop in NY, and she had too much flaring at the top, so she asked the attendant if this was the correct size, they simply said it will go away is she tightens the corset more, but did not take the time to explain the seasoning process . And since they opened the corset for her to try it I guess they forgot to give her the OC's instruction sheet, unless they don't do that at the shop.

2. Don't skip the cami/tank top/liner

Clau has read all my previous post and I have mentioned before the importance of the liner, but she admitted she just did not think it would matter so much.

So when I noticed today that she was not wearing anything under her corset I told her that it will damage the fabrics of the corset and also that corsets can't be cleaned often , and it should be avoided as much as possible, her answer left me breathless.

She said: But I already cleaned my mesh corset on the washing machine , I bet that's why it does not fit me anymore :S

I was shocked! lol so in case any of you are wondering why this is wrong please read this instructions from Staylace.com

Read the complete article here

3.- Don't force the shape of the corset by adapting the GAP to create curves

Clau's husband had help her to lace, and I guess he had no idea of what he what doing because she had two bunny ears :S and I can't imagine how he managed to do that.

Apart from that the shape was a very pronounced "A" because she wanted to avoid the corset flaring at the top

I explained that the gap should have two parallel lines , the A shape is not the worst shape it can have but since she is seasoning her corset it won't help it mold properly to her body, besides, this is not a tube type of corset, and can be worn with a parallel gap easily since her body is very proportionate.

Lucy made a great video about the GAP of the corset explaining with more detail the different shapes

4. Don't take your corset off by the hooks without unlacing

Lastly when I asked Clau to take the corset off  so we could change it to the correct position, she immediately started opening her corset by the hooks , once again I was worried and surprised, she's been doing this the whole week while seasoning and I did not help her,

Please don´t forget to unlace your corset first, so you don´t put too much stress on the busk, it´s really difficult to get your corset off that way and you may permanently damage it.

Waist train safely and good luck !

Part 2.5 Buying a corset / Seasoning

This is the continuation of Part 1 & Part 2 of the basics, a series that will include a list of what you'll need in order to decide if you'll be able to adapt Waist training into your lifestyle, the buying and seasoning process, and tips that may help once you are training.


On the last post I mentioned what you'll need to buy in order to start your training, as well as the difference between OTR and Custom made corsets, in today's post I am going to describe the different silhouettes ( another important selection you need to make before buying your corset) and the seasoning process which starts as soon as you try on your corset for the first time and can last up to two weeks depending on the fabric of the corset.





Different Silhouettes


2.5 Silhouette

There have been many different silhouettes since the 1800's,

I'll focus on four of the most commonly used in modern times :

Tube/ Barrel (Not curvy)

Tube/ Barrel corset

Mostly recommeded for men, or anyone who wants a corset for support, this type of corset can keep your back very straight, but it is very difficult to fit in this type of corsets if you have natural curves

Gentle Hourglass (Natural curve)


this is me! :)

This is a feminine and natural shape, and it is suitable for people with little or no training. man and women can use this type of corset, which offers better back support and a higher level of comfort.

This is a great silhouette for beginners and probably the curviest you can find OTR, the next silhouettes can only be obtained using custom made corsets.

Hourglass (Very curvy)


Hourglass

This is the look we all have seen in old Hollywood movies, this type of corset won't go unnoticed, it is very curvy and makes you look extra curvy, focusing all the attention on the
waist.

This can be a great silhouette for you if you have a naturally curvy figure, or if you are very squishy.

Wasp Waist (Extreme curve)


The amazing Fakir Musafar


This is an impressive level of reduction (and body modification), only obtainable after training intensively. This type of corset should be used by experienced corset wearers.

Even for them it is a process that took years of dedication , and many custom made corsets to get to this point.

NOTE: None of this silhouettes is better than the others, it's just a matter of purpose, fit,

and of course personal preference.

2.6 Seasoning 

Once you finally get your corset its time to try it on, the first thing we all want to do is tighten those laces and look amazing, but one must be careful not to damage the corset since it has never been worn before , (unless is a previously owned corset) and the fabric and bones need to adapt to the stress of tighlacing.

You should be able to tighten your corset just enough so you can see if it fits,but not so tight that it is almost closed, if it is, you got a size too small. 

If the gap is bigger than the modesty panel, or (in case you don't have a modesty panel) if it is as big as a sheet of paper, it is probably too small for you

History of the corset

Again this depends on personal preference, for example, my friend Claudia tried both a 24" and a 22" corset, the gap on the 24" was less than an inch, but she said she liked that one better than the 22" because it was really comfortable.

On the other hand, I recently closed my 22" and it made me feel  bad that it did not compress me, I felt as if I wasn't training anymore. So I bought a size 20" and that size is more comfortable for me.

If you are happy with the fit of the corset, it is time to start seasoning.

Erin's picture form The tighlacing society

The Seasoning process will help you, and the corset to adapt to each other. 

You'll begin to get used to the tightness slowly , and this will allow you to learn how much reduction is comfortable for you, which is usually not much at the beginning.If you try to get your corset too tight you might hurt yourself, or give up on corseting because of the discomfort caused by the sudden pressure, so it is very important that you get used to it very slowly.

It will also allow the fabrics of the corset to stretch without putting too much pressure on them, the bones will mold to your body (slightly) always keeping their intended shape thanks to the pattern. And this will extend the life of the corset.

It is reccomended that you start wearing your sorset for one to two hours , wearing it snug but not over tight.

 I ussually can fit a hand under the hip and underbust area the first day, but the waist feels compresed already.

Lucy explains in one of her videos that you can make the process a little faster if you season twice a day, for example in the morning and in the evening.  That's what I ussually do, because I am very impatient

I tighten the corset a little more after half an hour, wait two hours at most. and then take my corset off and hang it by the laces.

I repeat this a few hours before going to sleep. Seasoning a cotton corset takes about  1 week and a half using this method.

Different fabrics need different seasoning, My Mesh corset was fully seasoned in less than a week, and I started wearing it pretty tight after tree weeks now it's almost closed.

 I've heard leather gets seasoned very fast too.

There are a few things that will let you know if your corset is seasoned, as the days pass you will be able to put it on more easily, it will hold it's shape when you take it off and 

 the flare at the top and bottom will be reduced, this is a picture of my first corset when it was still not seasoned:

I tried to wear it as tight as possible (not recommended) for the picture, because I wanted to ask Lucy if it was ever going to fit.

--Poor Lucy I sent her lots of emails when I started waist training but she was always super kind and helpful! I'd probably would not have succeeded in this journey if it wasn't for her .  Thanks Lucy for  being so nice and willing to share your knowledge! :) all the community loves you--

As the days went by the corset eventually fitted, it started to lay flat against my underbust area, and as I continued to tighten it , it became almost impossible to notice it under clothes , I always stealth as some of you may know. So this was very important for me.

I hope you find this information helpful !

We are making a new fb group dedicated to waist training, so if you are interested you can find it here 

Have a nice day.

PART 2: The basics; Buying a Waist training appropriate corset

This is the continuation of the previous post PART 1

Now that you have decided that you can fit Waist Training into your daily routine, you can start researching brands and saving some money, because good corsets are not cheap. not even OTR.




2.- What will you need to buy?

2.1 .- One thing that you will need plenty of, is liners, you can also wear camis or tank tops underneath your corset, and this is something that you should never skip.

Forever 21

The reason for that is that you need a breathable material between the corset and your skin. This will keep the corset dry and clean, thus extending it's life, but more importantly, it will keep your skin fresh and avoid the contact with the sturdy fabric of your corset.

Corsets are meant to be very strong and for that reason, the fabric may not feel very comfortable against your skin, another issue that you might experience if you skip the liner is that some corsets do nor have a modesty panel, and the laces could hurt your skin .

ebay

Tip: I bough some spandex tops from ebay and they were very cheap, I cut two of them to make them tube tops, and left the other two as they were.

Some times I wear those tops, and other days I wear Forever 21's camis which are pretty cheap too.

2.2 The most important thing to buy is a corset, and this involves a lot of research

2.2.1 OTR (off the rack) Semi custom or Custom made.

All of these corsets are useful, the right one for You depends on what you need and what you can afford.

Tip: Underbusts are recommended for waist training, Overbusts can be used, but they will not be as comfortable and it will be a lot more difficult to find one that fits you.

Drawn by Christine Wickham
This is Lucy of course! click to see a very
important post of hers about
 how to determine fit and proportions

When money is an issue, or Waist Training can't be a priority in your budget you can look for a good OTR that fits you, if you do your research a lot and are a bit lucky you could find a corset that fits your 4 most important areas:

A) Underbust
B ) Waist
C) Ilac crest

You will also need the vertical measurement from A to C

Many sellers have a chart, and you can use that to see if a corset will be good for your body shape or not. Some other corset sellers tell you how much more inches will it have at A) and C) compared to the waist (B) but if they don't  you can always ask them .

OTR's have standard sizes, and unfortunately not everyone has standard bodies, so some people will not be able to find a right OTR for them,  in that case, semi or fully custom will be their only option.

Also, Waist trainers that expect to size down a few times before getting to their goal, can start with OTR corsets, and then move to custom once they have trained for some time, and need a more pronounced curve. Remember that when sizing down in OTR you will have less space in the Underbust and Ilac crest, and not only the waist, in this case those two measurements are what determine if the corset fits you.

There are may sizes offered in standard corsets just as shown in this beautiful painting 

In my case,  I started with a  natural 26 " sometimes 27 " waist. And my current goal is to get a 22.5" natural waist.So far I've managed to do my training using OTR corsets only .

I started using a size 22" corset, and slowly trained until closing the corset. by then my natural waist was 2" smaller. A size 24".

But no matter how many hours I wore that corset it would not help me shrink anymore, because it was completely closed, and I could not size down on that same model since it was very tight on the bottom and it would cause some muffing top.


I could have gone custom back then, but I was happy with my reduction and decided to keep using the same size corset for many months.
Just recently I decided that I wanted to pursue my original goal again, and get that 23" waist before my wedding ( 7 months from now ).

Luckily the brand I use came up with a few new corset styles, so I managed to not go custom yet.
If I ever try to get a smaller waist I 'll need a custom corset because my measurement are no longer close to the standard. For now, I think my goal is not that extreme and hopefully I'll get there in a few months

If money is not an issue, Custom made are the best bet. because they are meant to fit you perfectly.
The down side of custom made corsets is that they are expensive, and it takes much more time for the corsetier to get all of your measurements, the fabric you chose, make a pattern just for your body etc.

Cora form the lingerie addict has a great article explaining Why are corset expensive 

I must say that if I had the money I'd already be wearing custom corsets, I love my Orchard Corsets, but after almost a year training I know that this investment is worth it, and that I will definitely wear them a lot.
Besides, most people can close their first corset the fastest, and the speed of the process then slows down.

Chart by Mystic City Corsets 

The last corset is the semi custom, this is a great alternative too, since the corsetier can  alter a few important measurements such as the height of the corset, or the height of the waist, this can make a corset a lot more comfortable.
But is less personalized thus less expensive than a custom corset.

Whether you have the money or not, I'd recommend starting with an OTR (Of course if you fit into the standard sizes) which usually go between size 18" to size 34" , just so you can make sure that you will feel comfortable training daily, besides, you can close your first corset in a  few months and for me, it's hard to make a big investment if I won't wear the corset for a long time.

The 3 options are good, and depending on your natural measurements can decide which one will work better for you.

Just keep in mind that you need more than the waist measurement to decide if a corset fits you. So forget about those corsets marked in sizes S, M, L etc, that's rarely a good sing unless they provide the measurements mentioned above like  this:


 2.3 How many corsets will you need?

It's recommended to buy a couple of corsets instead of just one, so you can alternate between them, but it's OK if you decide to start with one, while you save some money to buy the second one.

After a while you will probably buy a few more ;) I have bought 5 corsets during my journey, and while I could have saved all that money to get a custom one, I do like the variety, and I know it will extend the life of my corsets as well. When you size down it's easy to sell pre-owned corsets at prices between 60- 70 % of the original price. And you can use that money to buy a new one.

I sold one of my older corsets to my friend Claudia when I sized down, and I gave the other one to my mom as a gift, she wears corsets daily as well, but she does it only for back support.
Which takes me to the last topic...

2.4 What's your purpose (Not the same as Goal) ?

Corsets are worn by both man and women, and many aren't looking for an amazing hip-spring or getting more curves, but only for the support they offer, some others do it for posture, and there are people who use real corsets for fashion.
Some people even use them to help them with medical conditions, so the purpose is a very important factor when choosing a corset.

I'll only talk about Waist training today, since that's the purpose I am more familiar with.

When using corsets for Waist training, the purpose is to get a smaller waist, in order to get that result you will need a corset 4 to 6 inches smaller than your natural waist and you can keep sizing down as you progress in your training. (remember that there are many important measurements involved, not just the waist)

Right now I am wearing a corset 6 " smaller than the waist size I started with, I could even go for a smaller size, since my natural waist is now at 24", but there is no OTR corset that works with my new measurements

To this day my measurements are:

29 "            Underbust
24"             Waist
32 "            Ilac crest
9"               Height  between Underbust and Ilac crest

Hope you find this post helpful, :)

and if you have any question you can use the comment box below :

PART 1: The basics of Waist Training

Hello!

Laura's post "What not to do when buying your first corset" was super popular, 
so I realized that many of us are just starting or wanting to start Waist Training.


I am making a list of the basics you'll need to decide whether or not you'll be able to adapt Waist training into your lifestyle, the buying and seasoning process, and tips that may help once you are training.


1.- Decide if Waist Training fits in your daily routine

If you have been reading about waist training and seen everyone's amazing results I am sure you are tempted to start your own Waist training journey, but you must consider a few things before jumping to buy a corset.

6 months Results

1.1 You need to dedicate many hours to Waist Training

The first thing you need to think about is your daily activities, imagine yourself doing everything you do in a day but with a corset on.

Corseting takes time 

For example,

If you were a personal trainer at a gym, and you'd work 5 hours at the gym and then 3 hours at the pool every morning, you would only be able to start training after those activities. (Which is not impossible, but that's 8 hours a day that you won't be able to Waist train)



But if you have an office job, and you will be sitting for 8 to 10 hours without doing any physical activity, you would be able to Waist train at work without much effort, and that's a great way to start training.



I've read that you need between 18 and 23 hours a day to see results, but that actually depends on every person.

I began training 2 to 3 hours a day the first couple of weeks, 10 hours a day the next month, and 20 to 23 hours a day the following 2 months, by then my waist was already 2" smaller, and my corset was fully closed.

I was happy with that reduction and began decreasing the training time again to 10 hours , I wore my 22" corset fully closed for about six months, and I just recently decided to size down.

1.2 Be aware that you MUST do some exercise if you are waist training

pinterest

Another important consideration is that you will need to do core exercises at least twice a week.
That's because the corset will be supporting you all day and your core muscles could get weak.

And of course doing exercise is a great way to get faster results and feel your best. (and we all should exercise to be healthy , waist training or not)


1.3 Be ready for a few diet changes

Although this is not completely necessary and some people never change their diet, there are a few things that you can avoid in order to make your training more comfortable, for example:

Sodas, Coffee, excessive fats, bread, gassy foods and everything that would cause bloating or inflammation.

This is a post from the tighlacing society with some real life examples

And just as exercise, this is something that we should be doing anyway.

Also, a  positive side effect almost everyone experiences is that you can't eat large amounts of food when waist training which is very healthy too and helps you to avoid overeating.

In my experience this has been true, I used to eat until my tummy hurt lol, but now the corset won't allow that much food and it will become slightly uncomfortable if I eat a little more than a normal sized portion of food.

So if you want to make this the right and healthy way, it will definitely be a positive lifestyle change.
Just make sure you have enough time because it requires effort, but trust me the results are worth it!

Have a great day and stay tuned for the next post : Buying a corset