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If I'm going out and decide to put on a corset, I tend to leave it on as long as I can (sometimes a couple of days), and not just remove it when no longer necessary. I'm curious to know, if you wear a corset, do you usually leave your corset on well beyond your femme outing, take it off as soon as you can, or something in between.
I voted “other” as I very rarely wear a corset. But just as JJ said, if I do wear one, I wear it for longer than is necessary. On the other hand, I have been thinking of getting myself a new corset or two…so maybe I’ll start wearing them more often.
Hugs
Christine
@alison-anderson hi there,
I LOVE the feeling of wearing a corset and is part of my dressing... well that or some Rago shapewear I have and only when I need to get out of my fem wear...
When I wear my corset, I try to keep in on as long as possible. Normally, this is only for a few hours at a time since my dressing is regulated to when my kids are not present. One time when I had the house to myself for a weekend, I wore my underbust corset for about 30 hours straight. Put it on Saturday morning and didn’t take it off until Sunday afternoon. Sleeping in it was not uncomfortable and I noticed my appetite reduced. Currently breaking in two new corsets and looking forward to being able to wear one of them under my male clothing.
Davina
@davinaes I just got my corset with the laces at the back but it doesn't lay flat enough to were under men's clothing. What type will work for that?
@tia It is hard to say which type of corset will work because everyone has different figures. Getting a cheep corset from Amazon or Ebay is not recommended. I have an Orchard Corset model CS-701. It is a satin underbust corset. When I first got it, it did not fit well under my male clothing because I had to break it in. The method I’m following is to wear the corset for a short period (i.e. 1 hour at a time) over several days, then slowly increase the duration I wear it. The corset needs to mold to your figure. I also don’t attempt to tight lace it immediately. With each successive period of wear, I will tighten the laces a bit more. It has taken me several month to get to the point where I think I can wear the corset under my male clothing. The reason for the long timeframe is I did not have many opportunities to wear the corset while breaking it in.
@davinaes I just got my corset with the laces at the back but it doesn't lay flat enough to were under men's clothing. What type will work for that?
@tia You may have to make sure the top of the back is tightened to lay flatter against the back. Sometimes I have to wear a heavier and/or loose fiting shirt to cover the fact that I'm wearing a corset under my menswear.
@alison-anderson Thank you, I'm still breaking it in so it doesn't quite conform to my body yet but it is getting there.
@tia I was going ask, where it had the greatest issue flattening against the body, as was said, tightening the bottom, especially when you have no help, is both art and science. This is where I love looped ribbons, one can really sinch it up, as it tends to loosen just as you tie it. Then it's a matter of "can I breath still? 🙂 Best of...
The top two inches of the corset don't lie flat against my chest just below the breast forms. When I get everything fairly snug the excess lacing is long enough to loop over the doorknobs which allows me to keep them tight and have both hands free. The problem at that point is trying to pull one part of the lacing tight with one hand while groping for the next part with the other behind my back without being able to see what I'm doing. By the time I do that a couple of times I'm exhausted and it is still not flat. I can't afford a lady's maid to help me get dressed so that's where things stand until I find another solution.
@tia Oh, Tia (love your name)...I hear you; been there, it's nice to get a hand. Ideas may need some back & forth...you've surely done most everything I can tell. Usually for me it's the waste so I sucked it in & tightened beyond tight, then as I said any loosening at tying tends to be about right by then. If you're tightening up to the top last, from a tight lower, there may be less lee way as far as "extra tightness" just due movement of using the arms/shoulders to tie etc as well as less ability to collapse the chest. Have you tried to move final lacing to the bottom or is that no go? I'm "B" size, 2 of mine lace lower middle, one bottom (2 loops) so I'm sure you likely tried adding the breast forms last/another part of the process. If re-lacing down gets a better result, (& it may need a few tries) let me know... You gave awesome details happy to assist, even if justs eliminates! Let me how you do! <3
@kyrabrooke I haven't tried doing the top first yet, but that might help. I've thought about lacing it up ahead of time then trying to hook it afterward. That was funny. I could get the top hook or the bottom and no more. Oh well I'll keep trying. :^)
@tia lol...oh yes...the hooking last...hey, if it work(s)ed! You'll find a way! <3 kyr
@kyrabrooke Well, I'm sitting here with my corset fully snugged up against Everything! I tried putting the forms in after I tightened the laces and it feels great. Kyra you're a genius
1 I Love You!!! 
@tia In the past, I have used a skate key (a metal key with a hook that you use to tighten ice skates) to grab at the laces and pull them towards the center.
Instead of a doorknob, I use a "chicken wing" approach. I'll alternate between the top and bottom laces with the loop in the middle of the back. I'll grab the pair of upper loops in my hands at the corset. I'll keep the string firm as I slide my elbows to my sides and pull my hands slightly out front, keeping the same tension on the string. Then I'll pull my elbows out like chicken wings to give the tightening pull. This uses your strong back muscles to do the pull. After a pull, I'll switch to the bottom loops and repeat the process, pulling in the bottom of the corset.
After getting it comfortably tight, I can wear it for one or more hours and usually retighten it a bit more as any looseness in the strings even out over time.
@alison-anderson I found out that as the stays start to conform to the shape of my body it is easier for it to snug up over the whole surface. Now all I have to do is hold the loops in one hand and pull each part once or twice and it forms right up.
@tia Aw...lovely Tia! I am beaming for you and feel great knowing you do! Corset Mastery Badge! lol.
@alison-anderson l very rarely wear a corset, however when l do l leave it on for the whole day.
@alison-anderson You keep your corset on for as long as possible. Shaved legs and painted toes look fantastic with seamed Gio stockings, and the stockings create a fabulous sensation as they slide up and down your legs and the corset 'manages your stockings'.
@alison-anderson I am unsure, as I don't wear one, I own one and would need the proper instruction on how to put it on and tighten it myself. Once and only once my wife helped me and I truly loved the look and the change in my figure.
I do not wear one often, but when I do I leave it on as long as possivle to get the most enjoymemt from it.
Well this is interesting to me, you see I have bought a couple but not tried them on. I suppose you the idea is to tie them tight to reduce the waist measurement, but isn’t too tight uncomfortable, how can you go a couple of days squashed in as such, or are the meant to be just comfortable, I don’t know
Wendy
@wend77 Except for showering, swimming, or long enough to change to a different color, I wore a corset for 6 days and nights straight this year at Keystone. They're snug enough without being uncomfortable, and it saves time the next morning having to it on again, especially after your waist has expanded after leaving it off overnight.
@wend77 The secret to wearing a corset properly is to size it properly, and slowly let it and your body adjust to each other. It takes time for a corset to properly break in, and even longer for your body to adjust. With time and patience the results can be amazing. There are tutorials about breakin and waist training on some of the corset website. A lot also depnds on the corset. Most of the inexpensive omes really aren't very good. The more exspensive ones do a much better job of comtouring the body to the desired shape, but again, it takes time. If done right a corset does not have to be uncomfortable. The prblem is we like the look and feel so much that we are always tightening them.more and more to get a more hour glass shape.
@jjandme I agree with all that you say Jamie, but it is difficult buying a corset online as you really need to be fitted for one I suppose. I wear mine for waist training and it works for a while but that pesky man shape comes back eventually lol.
@wend77 I lace mine up to be snug but not too tight. The instructions said to start slowly until you get used to it then go tighter as you become more comfortable with it. This took some practice for me because the work I used to do involved tying telephone cables onto steel racks and I tend to be heavy handed and had to loosen up a bit so I could breath. I can still only wear it for about three hours a day right now.
It's a bit dependent - Were am I? What am/was I wearing it for? And most importantly, do I want to keep wearing it?
I will say I've never worn one overnight. For me the corset is to give me an hourglass figure, and no one's watching while I'm sleeping. 😉
Essentially, as long as I need to keep a pretty figure and I feel good. A corset is much more comfortable than a pair of stiletto heels, and I have been known to wear stilettos, if I have to, for a few hours.
I don't wear one because I still have a 29 inch waist (genetics) just some hip, butt pads, and breast forms and I'm good to go. I own three but I find them to be to uncomfortable to wear for very long. Kitten heels , are as tall as I want to go, stilettos kill my lower back, but I can wear kitten heels for hours with no problem
@rholtman96 If you wore a corset when you wear heels, would it support your back properly?
@harriette I've tried it and it still hurts my lower back, I'm sure it's because of the arthritis in my lower back and the fact I'm 70 in two weeks. Lacy
The last time I wore a corset....with an overzealous assistant mind you....I felt like a bug having its guts squeezed out! Bulging eyes. Embarrassing stain. That sort of thing. Damn medieval torture device!
Okay no. I lied. That didn't really happen. I couldn't resist.
I still think corsets are medieval torture devices. And they're the most effective way I know of to make my well-endowed waistline appear somewhat feminine. For a few hours....really special occasion....yeah okay. Breathing is overrated anyway.
/EA
I love wearing one. The tightness of it and the change to my posture is a large part of Anna mode.
It may depend on what you are planning to do and how tight it is. Corsets can be very hot and restrictive (puns intended), and they can cause problems when worn too tight when doing strenuous activities, especially if your heart is not at it's best.You can get heat build up in those things. I had a frightening experience wearing a really tight corset and a bra where my blood pressure spiked and my heart was pounding louder than I had ever experienced. So be careful. Wearing one should be sexy and fun but don't leave it on if you start to feel discomfort or you may have to run into the room and have someone tear it off you quickly, but that could be other stories!
@leainvancouver I haven't tried wearing a corset after my heart surgery. Thanks for the heads-up!
@harriette I had open heart surgery about nine years ago for a five vessel bypass, not the funest thing in the world. I can wear a corset for a few hours at a time but I do have to watch how tight it is.
A very timely question. I was looking for a wide belt to finish off an outfit yesterday & dug out an old underbust corset which I haven't worn for a while now. As I had recently replied to a post by Amy Hughes on the topic of corsets I thought it was a good time to revisit the joy's of waist training. Having squeezed into it, I left it on for the whole day & it reminded me why I liked them. I've never slept in one as I like being free in bed & as I am currently renovating an old house I probably won't be getting it on again until next weekend, building & corsets don't make happy bedfellows! The big thing I had to tell myself is not to overdo it straight out of the box, the temptation to go straight back to where I used to be was something to be avoided. As they say, "slowly, slowly, catchy monkey" Now I've rediscovered the bug I'm kind of looking forward to working my way back to the 27" waist I once achieved. As I'm currently at 34 it's going to take a while but it's good to have challenges.
I take my corset off as soon as I come home from an outing. If I wear it too long I get muscle cramps in my stomach and chest.
I have several corsets and I wear them now and again, mostly when we go dancing because the lower back support is wonderful. Most are waspies that are meant as outerwear that look perfectly at home at the goth club. They can be hot, but it's not a huge deal because I tend to show a fair bit of skin at the club and don't overheat. Breaking them in is a bit of a chore which keeps me from getting more, but once broken in (myself AND the corset) they're quite comfy.
I’m looking for a new corset. I’m finding the sizing a little confusing should I buy for the waist size I am or the size I want to achieve?
@lauragrainger That's a good question, Laura.
In actuality, measuring for a corset is a bit complicated. There are general guidelines, such as subtracting so many inches / centimeters from your waist size, but even that depends on, say, how squishy you are. Even though I am not very squishy at all, I still get rolls above the corset's top.
Firstly, I would say for you to consult the corsetier (male) and corsetière (female) who will make your corset. They have the most exact way of figuring it all out and they may guarantee the fit.
You can try following some YouTube measuring videos, or read the many corset web sites for measuring instructions, but you still won't necessarily be spot on. If you do things yourself, you may have to experiment, a bit.
Styles make a difference, too. A longline corset may not cover your male hips the way the maker intended for a female, for example.
@lauragrainger Laura, the corset size is (or should be) the size when completely closed. Usually you should get something 4-6 inches smaller than your natural waist (go to the higher end if there is more fat, the lower end if it is more bone and muscle). You're not likely to close it completely (there's likely to be a 1-2 inch gap), so you want a "modesty panel" at the back so the corset strings aren't right at your back and it doesn't look open.
Unless you get a custom made corset (which I'm sure not many can afford), as @harriette mentioned, you're likely to get rolls where the corset pushed the skin and fat out (like squeezing a balloon, the air will pop out somewhere else).
@alison-anderson The compression will depend on how much spare room there is to compress and still be able to breathe. Because I am relatively slim, most of my corsets compress me about 2”.
@lauragrainger Look on youtube for a channel called Lucy's Corsetry. She has a video on how to correctly measure for one
I voted "Other" because I have never worn one.
So to expand this wonderful conversation, what are your thoughts on a waist trainer vs a corset? I have tried both and it seems the trainer isn’t quite as result productive (how do you like that phrase) but they are much more comfortable and easier to don and doff. I don’t get the roll on top either.
@sheryl321 I've used waist cinchers before, but they're designed to squeeze in a little flab on an already narrowed waist. They don't narrow a male waist or work well with a lot of male belly fat. And I've had them roll at the top or bottom, making them completely ineffective.
@alison-anderson not waist clinchers, waist trainers. They are different. Pretty heavy material designed to decrease the waist measurement and can be worn for longer periods of time to, supposedly, train the waist to a smaller size.
yeah, I’ve tried waist clinchers too and you are exactly right about them. But they are cute though!
@sheryl321 A waist trainer does not create a permanently narrowed waist. Once you take it off, everything should bounce back. Corsets can do this over enough time, but that could rearrange your innards, too, so be careful what you wish for. I am too old to think about doing that.
Some waist trainers are little more than sweatbands (I have one for men like this), so I would recommend getting a ventilated waist trainer (I have one that is mesh). They are more comfortable over longer time periods and you might even find one with laces.
A waist cincher is different. It is usually quite small (narrow, like a wide belt) and, to me, more of an external, decorative fashion piece.
@sheryl321 I agree with you, Sheryl. I've got two different sized waist trainers. They do a good job of pulling my tummy in, but I'm most impressed by the automatic change in posture it creates. When I'm driving the car with a waist trainer on, I need to adjust the rear view mirror because I'm not my normal hunched over self!
