Tag Archives: Waist Training Corset

One of the perks of wearing an overbust is that it allows you a break from wearing a bra. Though you certainly can wear a bra with an overbust, it isn't always necessary as the bonnets or cups of an overbust will generally provide enough support for you to forgo your soutien-gorge. But can an underbust provide enough support without your bra?

Overall, the answer is no. Not unless you generally don't mind going braless, whether because you prefer to be without a bra, or your bust is on the smaller side so you don't require the support a bra provides, or you've had your breasts augmented, which generally keeps them in their set place with or without a bra.

But for those of us who prefer to the assistance and support a bra provides us with, you will find that an underbust simply will not provide the same degree of support.

Though you may find that when you are wearing an underbust, and you sit down, the top edge of the corset will sit a bit higher pushing the bust up, this is not at all the same sort of support that your bra gives you.

As obvious as it sounds, an underbust does in fact go under the bust, vs. a bra which covers the bust providing support both from the band that sits beneath the bust and from the cups or bonnets which go over the bust.

So there you have: generally speaking, and underbust cannot substitute a bra but at the end of the day going with or without your bra, is a matter of personal preference.

Happy lacing!

Whether you’ve purchased a waist trainer before or if this is the first time you are considering it, there are a few things that one should always pay attention to before deciding whether or not to make the investment.

Here are my top 5 traits to look for in a good waist trainer:

1. Steel boning

There’s just no two ways about it: a waist training corset must be 100% steel boned. There is not one corset out there made from plastic/acrylic boning that will be able to offer you what a proper waist trainer will. Fashion corsets can be lovely, but they are meant to be worn more for the look of a corset and not for any sort of waist reduction.

Also, a good waist trainer should be made up of both flat and spiral steel bones. Flat steel bones are great and required to form a solidly built corset, but they are usually reserved to the front bust and the back panels. The body of the corset is best made up of spiral steel bones. A spiral steel bone has far more flexibility but all of the durability of a flat bone and as a result, the spiral steel bones will allow the corset to mold more smoothly to the curve of your hips, waist and bust.

Lastly, any good waist trainer that is worth the investment will also indicate in the description how many steel bones it features. Anything less than 20 steel bones? Not a waist trainer. It might still be a fantastic steel boned corset, but it won’t deliver 6” to 7” of waist reduction the way a waist trainer can.

2. A steel busk front closure

There are waist trainers available out there with zipper closures…not the best idea. Yes, they can be cinched in the full 6” to 7” that most waist trainers promise, however a zipper is not built to endure that sort of tension. So whereas you may be absolutely in love with your new zip front corset, it won’t be able to withstand the tension the same way a busk front closure will and as a result, the zip front corset may not have the same lifespan as a steel busk front closure.

And truth be told, under no circumstances will a hook and eye tape ever do the trick when it comes to waist training. Hook and eye closures are nothing like a steel busk front closure. You know those little hooks that fasten your bra? Yeah, those are hook and eye closures…’nough said.

3. Sturdy fabric

Anything that looks very thin or lumpy is a bad idea. Focus more on a strong taffeta or satin fabric. Even a pretty cotton twill or denim is a good choice.

Sturdy fabric also comes down to the fabric content. Cotton, polyester and silk or a blend of any of these is a good choice. Rayon and acetate?  Not so much.

Also, any good waist trainer will have the fabric fused to the lining (more on linings in point #4). By fusing the outer fabric with the lining, it not only avoids unnecessary bunching but also adds strength to the corset.

4. Lining

If you come across a “waist trainer” that has no lining to it, then simply keep looking. No good waist trainer is without a lining. Now, it needn’t be 100% cotton. A cotton poly blend is also okay, but there should definitely be a lining and it should totally have some natural fibre to it (e.g. 60% cotton, 40% polyester).

Not only does a fused lining add strength  to the corset, but it increases the wearer’s comfort and allows for the wearer’s skin to breathe comfortably.

5. Honest photographs

Firstly, look for a photo on a model. If the photograph is just of the corset itself with the model and background whited out, then how can you get any idea of what the corset will look on your person?

And, when it comes to photographs on a model you can generally spot a fake stock photo with a couple simple tricks:

-Have you seen the photograph used on the websites of multiple retail websites? If so it is likely a stock photo, poorly shot, heavily photoshoped and likely copy/pasted from the supplier's catalog.

-Can you zoom in on the product? If so, is the quality good or poor once you’ve zoomed in? If you are completely unable to zoom in on the product or if once you do it is of very poor quality, then this is a tell-tale sign of an edited copy/paste job of a stock photo.

And there you have it: my top 5 traits to look for when you are shopping for a waist trainer worth the investment.

Happy lacing!

Perhaps one thing that most everybody who puts a corset on for the first time loves most about it is the way you quite literally achieve instant results. Your waist, in a matter of the time it takes to lace yourself in comfortably, goes from its original size right down by 4" to 5" with a steel boned corset or even down by 6" to 7" with a waist training corset. A virtually instant and impressive difference!

However, for those of us who wish to waist train or even just wear our corsets, if not all day long, then certainly on a regular basis, we must learn to practice a touch of patience so that we can properly season our corset.

To "season" your corset might sound like a fancy and exclusive term, but its really quite simple. It basically means to "break it in".

The very same way you wouldn't choose to wear your newest shoes out for a long walk, you also wouldn't want to take your corset straight out of its package, tighten it to its fullest capacity and not take it off again for 6-10 hours.

If you were to do this (put it on and lace it to its fullest capacity straight out of the package), then you risk damaging the corset and causing yourself significant discomfort.

So, how does one season their corset? Simple! Just follow these basic steps and your corset will be fully molded and shaped to your unique curves in roughly 7-10 days:

• Before trying to fasten your corset, make sure that you have fully loosened the back laces. This will insure that you do not warp the front busk by trying to hard to get it to fasten.

• Once fastened, gently pull the laces in until the corset feels lightly snug. To a degree where if you wanted to, you could still tighten the corset further, but for the time being, stop there!

• After wearing your corset like this for 45 minutes to an hour, feel free to take the laces in a touch more.

• Continue to take the laces in a touch more after every 45 minute to 1 hour interval until the corset is fully tightened.

• Do not wear your corset tightened to its full capacity for over 1-2 hours.

Continue these steps daily for 1 week to 10 days, and by the end of that period your corset will be well seasoned, the laces will slide smoothly between the grommets, the front busk closure will fasten up with nary any effort and you will be able to take your corset in to its fullest degree with no gaps or pulling, no warping or bending of the bones.

Happy lacing!

Little Britain may be a bit out of fashion now, but we have to admit that we do still have a bit of a soft spot for the character Bubbles DeVere, not so much for her somewhat gregarious view to nudity, but mainly for her delightfully decadent exclamations of ‘Champagne for everyone dahling’! And just as Bubbles wanted to share her love of Champagne with everyone, so do we want to share our love of corsets! As we believe that there really is a ‘corset for everyone dahling’! Weiterlesen →