Corsets are amazing. They give a hard-to-get waist appearance without having to go through all those heavily strenuous exercises and are also best for a quick fix.
But the real deal is when you are trying to lace a corset. Although most high-quality corsets come pre-laced, you will need them to unlace at some point of time, after which the headache starts. So, if you’ve also been fumbling around these long wires trying to get the right fit, here’s how to do it.
Step by Step Guide to lace a Corset
When lacing a corset it should be arranged in a manner where the lace goes from both above and underneath the holes. The same is then to be repeated with the other side to create the perfect lacing for your corset.
To say it in simpler terms if one lace goes from the hole above and is brought across, it has then to go through the adjacent hole from underneath. The lace is then pulled above through the hole, inserting them into the next one from above and then repeating the same as mentioned before.
This creates a ‘criss-cross’ pattern, with the lace going in from both sides in a way that the top ‘cross’ stays underneath, while the down ‘cross’ stays at the top. To understand better, below we have categorised the steps differently. So, let’s start.
Step 1
If your corset has a front closure, always proceed by strapping it up gently across your body before proceeding with the lacing. To do this properly, loosen the laces from the backside. This will allow you to comfortably hook the buttons from top to bottom, but make sure to keep the lace attached to the top-most eyelets of your corset’s backside, or it might take another few hours. Afterward, gently clasp the buttons for which you may need to suck in air to make your belly a bit slimmer, hence close all the clasps appropriately.
However if your corselette has no front closure, you can directly initiate with Step 2.
Step 2
Next, tug down the undergarment’s body so that it reaches your natural waist length prior to tightening the laces. If ignored, it could cause a hindrance when lacing up or even cause friction-related injuries due to poor fitting. A misfitted corset could easily rise above your waistline, causing it to pop out of shirts or leading to an embarrassing situation out in the crowds.
Step 3
The most difficult step of it all, perform lacing (as stated above) from the top to bottom. But before that the lace on both sides need to be of the same length when inserted vertically from the top-most lace holes. After that, make sure that each lace goes above and underneath the required eyelets forming a crisscross pattern that is composed of both top and underneath ‘cross’. For instance, a top cross should be preceded by an underneath cross and so on.
Forming such a pattern allows the user to easily tug the laces for fitting at the final stage and hence following a ‘shoelace pattern’ when it comes to the corselettes never works.
Step 4
Once you reach the bottom following the pattern, start with tugging the X’s one after another. Pull the laces until they are appropriately snug to give you the look you are going for.
While doing so it is crucial to remember that the top X’s are for tightening the bottom half of the corset while the ones touching the skin are for the top half of the undergarment. Therefore, to get the perfect fit, it is best to start from the X’s on the bottom half towards the top.
Step 5
Finally, when you feel everything is done, and tended to, it’s time to make a bow and get going with your beautiful slim waist size. Tie the bow and tuck any remnant laces under the corset to prevent them from getting stuck out of your shirts or loosening when on the move. Put on your party or ball dress on top of it, and get prepped up to impress everyone with your absolutely gorgeous ‘hour-glass’ figure.
Things to remember when lacing a corset
Now that we know the perfect way to get the flawless Victorian slim-waist look, here are a few things to remember when it comes to lacing a corset safely.
- Never wear your corselette too tight or too loose- This product is an undergarment accessory meant to flaunt your physical proportions and hence should be dealt like that only. Tightening them too much is bound to make you breathless and even hurt your diaphragm and ribs, when continued for long. Similarly, a poorly fitting one risks bruises and scratches against your skin due to the friction.
- Never pull the laces from the bottom- Always work through the tightening by moving on to one ‘X’ from the other. Mindlessly tugging it from the bottom can lead to their rupture, leaving you with no choice but to buy another lace.
- Always invest in a good-quality corset- Cheap items are tempting, no wonder. But when it comes to cheap corselettes they may have snappy wires that could rupture anytime injuring your skin severely, and thus it’s always best to go for high-quality, durable ones. Similarly, when purchasing from online stores make sure to read through the reviews and specifications prior to clicking on the ‘purchase’ option.
- Never hand wash your corsets- These undergarments come bearing a huge variety of base materials, such as plastic, steel or other metals. Therefore when hand washed it could gravely impact their design, causing them to rust out or worse come out of their setting, making them useless for further usage.
- Always start with an underbust corset- Designed especially for beginners, underbust corsets are great for everyday training. They come under the ribcage, allowing individuals to breathe effortlessly all the while maintaining the perfect waist image. They are also easier to fit almost every body style and sizes, as compared to overbust ones.
Over the years, the popularity of these alluring clothing accessories has been on a steep rise. All thanks to celebrities like Dua Lipa, the Kardashians, Camila Cabello, Dakota Johnson, and many more, this one traditional dress trend has been able to gain a new limelight and come back to fashion once again.
More and more models, social media influencers and even international sensations, both men and women have been spotted flaunting their newfound appearances both onscreen and offscreen. And while these accessories definitely stake up your visual aesthetics, always remember that there’s a proper way of using them. Going to the extremes is never advised as it could have medical consequences, which we will be discussing in another topic.
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