How to Choose a Corset

There are so many corsets and corset tops that it can be difficult to tell which are high quality and which aren't. This how-to will teach you what to look for in a corset and hopefully stop you from getting ripped off.
Steps
1
If you decide that you want a real corset, not just abodice, you will need to look at the boning.All good quality modern corsets are made with steel boning of some kind, which serves the purpose of holding the fabric taut and stopping it from going into folds at yourwaistand bunching at the back where it laces up. The boning in tops and bodices is usually just thin plastic, so don't make the mistake of imagining you will be able to wear a normal boned top as a corset.
To test if the boning is good enough, bend it quite sharply and it should spring back. If it kinks, it's a sure sign that it will dig in to your waist and be very uncomfortable.
It doesn't matter if the boning around the corset is slightly more flexible, so long as the bones at the front and back are fairly rigid.

2
Next examine the fabric.Even if you're looking for more of a bodice than a corset, you'll still need a strong fabric like coutil, drill, heavyweight, orcanvas. Corsets usually have a fashion fabric and a lining, so you might not be able toseethe strong layer but you will be able to feel that it is quite tough.
Take the corset in both hands and tug on the fabric. It should feel very sturdy with no give whatsoever. If the fabric is thin enough to scrunch in your hand, it won't be sturdy enough.
Incidentally, if theshopassistant thinks you're damaging it, it definitely won't be strong enough to last!

3
Check out the fastenings.Remember that a steel busk is the usual fastening for the front of a corset, and with very few exceptions it's the only type of fastener that is strong enough.
Hooks and eyes will not last long, and likewise zips are best avoided.
A busk looks like a piece of fairly solid steel boning with loops and studs (a bit like hooks and eyes) attached. If a corset doesn't have a busk, it will need to have some other kind of solid boning down the front.

4
Look at the laces down the back of the corset.These are usually made of flat cotton, like shoelaces. Some types of ribbon can be used, but they have to be very strong material. Eyelets should be very well attached, otherwise they can pop off easily.
Check that the laces have washers on the back, rather than just gripping into the fabric. There should also be solid boning either side of the eyelets to distribute the tension.


5
Know that style and fit of a corset can be the biggest issue especially if you are an unusual shape.Corsets are always sized by waist measurement, not dress size. The number on the label will be something like "22" "24" "26" etc., which is the actual measurement in inches of the waistline of the corset. You will need one about 4 inches (10.2 cm) smaller than your own waist, so you can lace in a bit and have a gap in the laces.
Corsets are designed to give a curvy figure to an average-shaped person, so if you are already quite curvy, you might need to get a "tight lacing" corset which has bigger hips (or even better yet, get one made-to-measure).

How to Get a Smaller Waist

Having a small waist in proportion to your body shape is considered to be an attractive feature in both men and women. Although your natural waist size is mainly determined by genetics, it is possible to achieve a smaller waist through weight loss, dedicated exercising and strategic clothing choices.

Steps

Part 1

Changing your Diet

1. Be prepared to change your diet. Getting a smaller waist will require weight loss, which cannot be achieved through exercise alone. You will also need to adhere to a healthy diet and reduce your calorie intake in order to really see results. You should find a trainer to help you calculate a proper amount of calorie intake a day. This will require discipline and determination. In addition to reducing your calorie intake, there are also some smart food choices you can make that will specifically help to reduce your waistline.
• For example, in a scientific study, people who ate all whole grains (in addition to five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry) lost more belly fat than another group that ate the same diet, but with all refined grains. Remember that fruits have sugar, so exceeding your intake of fruits per day will impede your progress.
• Keep in mind that in order to lose a pound of weight, you will need to cut 3500 calories from your diet. Health specialists advise that the optimal level of healthy weight loss is one to two pounds a week, so it is not recommended that your starve yourself or follow fad diets in order to lose weight more quickly. Follow what your trainer says.
2. Start the day with a healthy breakfast. Kicking off the day with a healthy, balanced breakfast is one of the best things you can do when following a weight-loss diet. A good breakfast kick starts the metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories throughout the day. It also keeps you fuller for longer, reducing your tendency to snack throughout the morning and afternoon, which may result in a higher calorie intake overall.
• Try eating a combination of filling wholegrain cereals and breads, protein-rich eggs and high-vitamin fruits for the perfect balanced breakfast. If you're on the go, grab a fruit smoothie and a cereal bar for convenient, yet filling goodness.
• You should also try to drink a glass of water before breakfast (and every other meal throughout the day) as this prevents your body from confusing thirst with hunger, which may lead to you eating more than you need. Plus it helps to keep you hydrated, which is always important.
3. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. It is very common for dieters to try to starve themselves between meals, with the result that they actually eat much more than necessary when the food is finally in front of them. One of the best kept secrets of successful dieters is that they actually eat more frequently throughout the day, they just eat smaller meals.
• Eating smaller, more frequent meals prevents dieters from becoming too hungry, causing them to eat less overall. It also stimulates the metabolism, which allows the body to burn more calories throughout the day.
• Try eating six small meals a day, rather than your regular three large ones. You'll find sticking to your weight-loss plan much easier in the long-run if you're not in a constant state of hunger!
4. Eat healthy fats. Many dieters believe that they need to avoid fat like the plague when trying to lose weight. However, eating a certain amount of healthy fat is essential for a balanced diet and can actually aid weight loss. In fact, studies suggests that a diet with a higher ratio of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) (avocados, nuts, seeds, soybeans, chocolate) can prevent the accumulation of belly fat. As a result, 25 to 30% of your daily calorie intake should come from such healthy fats.
• Polyunsaturated fats - such as the Omega-3 fatty acids found in mackerel, salmon, herring, walnuts, canola oil and tofu - are another type of healthy fat that you should try to incorporate into your diet. They help to lower bad cholesterol and boost brain function.
• Trans fats, on the other hand, (found in margarine, crackers, cookies--anything made with partially hydro genated oils) result in more fat being deposited in the abdomen, so you should avoid these as much as you can.
5. Get more fiber in your diet. Fiber-rich foods are an essential component of any healthy diet, for a number of reasons. Firstly, fiber-rich foods help to normalize bowel movements, which minimizes bloating and blockages. Secondly, fiber-rich foods help you to stay fuller longer and may require additional chewing time, thus preventing overeating. High-fiber foods also tend to be lower in calories than other food types.
• Try to incorporate a wide range of high-fiber foods into your diet, to get the bene fits of both soluble and insoluble fibers. Examples of soluble fibers include oats and barley, peas and beans, apples, carrots and citrus fruits. Examples of insoluble fibers include wheat bran and products containing whole-wheat flower, nuts, beans and green vegetables.
• Soluble fiber, in particular, has also been shown to lower insulin levels, which can speed up the burning of visceral belly fat.
• Plain water is the best alternative, as it flushes out your system, reduces bloating and keeps the body hydrated. However, if you find plain old water too boring, try drinking water with a hint of flavoring like mint leaves, lemon, lime, or even toss in a few frozen raspberries or create a combination- Be crea tive! Vitamin water, or naturally sweetened iced teas also make a significantly healthier alternative to sodas.
• Don't use straws. You should also avoid using straws to sip your drinks, as straws cause you to suck more air into your stomach as you drink, leading to bloating and a bigger belly. Drink straight from the cup instead to avoid.
6. Avoid processed foods. Even if you are carefully monitoring your portion sizes and consistently working out, your weight loss can be significantly impaired by a continued consumption of processed foods. This is because processed foods typically have high sugar and starch contents, which limit weight loss and lead to the buildup of harmful toxins.
• Be extra careful when it comes to products that are marked "non-fat", such as cheeses, breads, yogurts, etc. These products may have a low fat content, but they are usually packed with extra sugar and empty carbohydrates, and offer very little, if any, nutritional value. Some frozen processed organic meals are actually not too bad, as long as you make sure to carefully read all the labels and check the content and ingredients list.
• You should also avoid processed food products with a high salt content, such as ready-meals and frozen goods, as the salt leads to water retention and causes bloating. Just go for fresh foods instead of pre-packaged or frozen whenever possible.

Part 2

Tailoring your Exercise Routine

1. Commit to an exercise routine. If you really want to trim your waist, you will need to commit to a regular and rigorous exercise routine. Great results will only come with hard work and dedication, so make sure you are prepared to put in the necessary effort before you begin. On the other hand, if you begin exercising too rigorously from the get-go, you may become disheartened and disillusioned, and therefore much more inclined to give up.
• To overcome this, try making an exercise plan where you start at a reasonable level, before gradually building yourself up to longer more intense exercise routines. Keep a log of what you're doing each time in a record book or diary and check your progress against this.
• Eventually you'll find yourself exercising regularly without feeling worn out or disinterested in it and your waist, along with your overall health and fitness, will have bene fited a great deal.
2. Do plenty of cardio. As mentioned before, weight loss is essential when it comes to losing inches from your waist. Unfortunately, there is no way to target weight loss in a specific area of your body, so overall weight loss is the only option. Cardiovascular exercise is the best form of exercise for burning calories, so it is essential to any weight loss routine.
• Running, skipping and cycling are all excellent cardio options, which usually don't even require a gym membership. Cheap, yet extremely effective, there's no excuse not to incorporate a little cardio into your workout.
• Trainers advocate tracking your heart rate during cardio. For example the best way to shed fat is by walking on the trail or outside and keeping your heart rate at low-medium level. Have that after a session of endurance training and you are on the way to shed this fat.
• You should aim to do 30 minutes of cardio exercise, four to five times a week, for best results.
3. Make sure you work out the correct core muscles. Many core strength-building exercises focus on the oblique muscles, which run along the side of your stomach. Although working these muscles will give you a toned and flat stomach, it will also build up the muscle, making your waist appear wider than before. This is definitely not what you want when aiming for a tiny waist. To work your core and trim your waist you should focus on your transverse and rectus abdominals.
• Your transverse abdominals work as your body's natural corset and so with enough work in this area you can achieve a smaller waist. Pilates does a lot of work that focuses on the transverse abdominals and therefore can be a very effective method.
• Remember to breathe when exercising core muscles. While it may seem obvious, many people forget in the concentration on getting the muscle action correct and then you leave your body tense and fragile. Instead, remember to breathe in and out, on the way up, on the way down, etc. If you can't work this out in a rhy thm that works for you, consider joining yoga or Pilates for help.
4. Do specific waist-shaping exercises. Even though you can't target weight loss on your waist, you can certainly perform certain exercises which tone and slim the muscles around the mid-section.
• Do the 'hundred' exercise. This is done by lying on your back and lifting your legs up to a 90 degree angle and your shoulder blades off the floor. Begin by pumping your arms straight out to the side, and repeat for 100 pumps. Breath in through the nose for five pumps and out through the mouth for five pumps.
• Suck in your stomach. Try to keep your stomach sucked in throughout the day, while sitting at your desk, in the car or at the grocery store. This works the stomach muscles, while simultaneously making you look slimmer. Over time, you won't even notice you're doing it!
• Do sit ups. Try sit ups using a sturdy object such as a medium-sized yoga ball or the arm of a sofa. The best way to do sit ups is with your hands crossed against your chest. Putting your hands in front of you puts less strain on your neck and makes it easier for you (resulting in less of an ab workout). Work up to doing five sets of sit ups, with 30 repetitions in each set.
• Do twist crunches. This requires you to lie on your back and bend your knees up while keeping your feet flat on the floor. Bring your fingers up to touch your ears and slowly contract your abdominal muscles, lifting your torso off the ground. When you're at the point of feeling you can't lift your body any further, contract your side muscles and turn gently to the left. Return your torso flat to the floor. Repeat on the right side. Build up to a set of 10 repetitions.
• Do the bridge. Get into the position for doing a push up. Rest on your elbows and keep your eyes to the floor at all times. Pull your stomach muscles in tight, imagining them touching your backbone. As you do this, your bottom should be down and your back straight. Aim to hold this position for about a minute.
• Do the horizontal plank. Lie down on a comfortable mat, on your right side. Rest on your right arm and extend your legs outward, placing your right foot on top of your left foot. In this position, slowly lift your pelvis up from the floor. Continue to bear weight on your right forearm and feet. Aim to hold this lift for around 10-15 seconds. Repeat 5 times for each side.
5. Build your chest and shoulders. Emphasizing upper curves can make the waist seem to shrink, so you should incorporate some shoulder and chest building exercises into your workout routine in order to give the illusion of a smaller waist. Some specific exercises include:
• Bench dips. This exercise works the arms and shoulders and is performed using an exercise step or kitchen chair. To do a bench dip, sit up straight on the edge of the bench or chair, extending your legs in front of you. Firmly grip the edge of the bench or chair and slowly slide your body off the bench, lowering yourself towards the floor. Keep your back straight, and keep lowering until your arms from a 90 degree angle. Push your body back to the original starting position and repeat.
• Push-ups. This classic exercise works the chest muscles. It can be done by propping your body up on your toes (for a more advanced version) or by balancing on your knees (for an easier version). To do it, place your hands palms-down on the floor, approximately shoulder width apart and raise yourself up, using just the strength in your arms, until both arms are fully extended. Slowly lower your body down again until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Raise yourself back up into the extended arm position and repeat.
6. Try something different. Exercise regimes can become repetitive and boring, making you less inclined to follow through with them. This is why it's important to shake things up from time to time and try something new, whether it's a new form of exercise, or simply incorporating a new prop. Here are some suggestions for shaking up your exercise regime that can also help to improve your waist reduction:
• Use a hula-hoop. Your waist and hips will bene fit from 10 minutes a day of hula-hooping, with the added bonus you get to behave like a kid again each day!
• One way to get and keep your waist (and the rest of your body) looking great is to dance! You don't have to start up dance lessons, but turn on the radio or listen to your iPod and party around for about 20-30 minutes every day. Make sure you're moving all of your body. Dancing burns off lots of calories and it feels great when you're having fun, and you'll look and feel great!
• Use dumbbells. Build shoulder and neck muscles by lifting dumbbells out from your sides for resistance. Lift 10 times for each set, four sets a day. The broader your shoulders and outer thighs, the narrower your waist appears.
• Consider doing yoga or Pilates; these are great activities for core abdominal muscle exercises and you can also be part of a group session which can be very motivating.
• Make exercising comfortable; ensure that you have floor mats, breathable clothing, a water bottle, and other things that help increase your enjoyment of exercise. Music in the background can also add motivation.

Part 3
Dressing Right

1. Wear waist-cinching belts. Draw attention to your waist by wearing belts that emphasize and nip in your middle. They can be wide, skinny, jeweled, braided -- whatever! Wear them over dresses, long tops and even winter coats to get an hourglass figure which gives the illusion of a smaller waist.
2. Wear A line dresses. A line dresses are those which are tight at the hips, then flare out towards the hem, giving the illusion of a smaller waist. They are very flattering on almost every body shape, as they emphasize the waist, while skimming over any imperfections around the hips and thighs.
3. Avoid low-rise jeans jeans. Low-rise jeans can be very unflattering to anyone who carries even a little weight around their middle, as they create the dreaded "muffin top" effect. High waisted jeans are much more forgiving as they cover up any excess fat around the hips, and draw attention to the waist. Worn with a tucked-in shirt, these type of jeans can be very flattering indeed.
4. Try wearing a body-shaping undergarments. Picking the right foundation garments can greatly reduce your waistline.
• Try "shapewear". Most quality lingerie stores carry lines of undergarments that are designed to smooth and support your figure.
• Corsets. Worn under gowns as a figure enhancing item of lingerie in centuries gone by, the corset has gained renewed popularity recently for providing an effortlessly sexy silhouette, whether under other clothes or on its own. Steel-boned corsets (not as painful as they sound - promise!) do the best job of cinching in your waist, and can actually permanently reduce the size of your waist with prolonged wear! 

How to Put on a Corset

Corsets are coming back in a huge way. Not only are they a great, sexy fashion accessory, they also provide posture correcting and support benefits that women have forgotten they could even have. However, they're a little tricky to get on! No worries, we'll show you how to do it. By starting with correct lacing and using the right way to tighten the corset, you'll be more comfortable than you thought would be possible.

Part 1

Lacing the Corset

1．Check the pre-lacing. When you bought your corset, it may have come pre-laced. If this is the case, don’t worry about lacing the corset unless the corset is laced incorrectly. It should look similar to how a shoe is laced (with X’s), but with the strings meeting in the center of the back, instead of at either end.

• There is an addendum here. The laces should meet in the middle of the corset at the same level as your natural waist (where your waist is naturally smallest). If your natural waist is a little higher or lower, you might want to re-lace the corset to adjust where the two sets of laces meet.      
• Yes, you read that right: two sets of laces. Corsets are laced with two sets of laces which meet in the center of the corset. Meeting in the center is very important because it will allow you to create the small waist but it also makes sure that the tension in the corset is more evenly distributed. If you lace the corset any other way, you will break your corset over time.

2．Start at the top grommet. If you do have to lace the corset yourself, start lacing at the top grommet (the hole where the lacing goes in). If you have an even number of grommets, start by pulled the lacing up through the bottom of the top grommets. If you have an odd number of grommets, you would go down from the top.

• Lacing should be provided when you buy your corset. If it is not, avoid ribbon if you are planning on having your corset laced firmly. Ribbon will not be strong enough to really hold you in and it will warp how the corset fits.

3．Create X's. Take the right string and pull it over to the other side. If the first grommet has laces coming out through the top of the hole, then put it down through the top of the hole on the other side. If the first grommet has the laces going down into the hole, then pull the laces up through the bottom of the hole on the other side. With the right side done, do the left next in the same way.

• Keep your laces even. Make sure you keep the ends of the laces even with each other as you pull the laces through the grommets.

4．Lace down to the center. With the X complete, keep going down the line until you reach the center. You should end up with X's alternating between being "on top" of the corset and "below" the corset.

5．Start again from the center and repeat. With the top section done, repeat the same process with the second string but start in the middle.

Part 2

Putting it On

1．Stand in front of a mirror. If you have a buddy helping you to put this on, great! That is the best way to do this. However, it’s totally possible to put a corset on yourself, without the helping hand. If you’re going to be riding solo, use a mirror (or preferable a few mirrors, like a surround mirror) so that you can really see what you’re doing.

2．Put on an underlayer. Before you put on your corset, put an underlayer on first. Of course, if you’re doing this for an intimate encounter, that’s not necessary. However, everyday wear definitely requires something underneath the corset itself. This is to absorb moisture and dirt from your skin, protecting your corset.

• They make corset liners, which are sort of like tube tops, but you can also just wear a shirt or blouse. It depends on your outfit.
• If you do use a corset liner, get one made of cotton or other breathable material.       Anything made of Lycra or spandex will just make you sweat more.
• Most places that sell corsets will also sell liners. You can also make your own if you have basic sewing skills, since it’s just a tube.

3．Make sure you have the corset in the correct orientation. You might want to make sure the corset is oriented correctly. For detailed corsets it should be easy to tell but for more uniform ones, beginners might struggle.

• The nicer fabric should be on the outside.
• The side with the laces is the back and the side with the holes and knobs is the front (no arguments here, that's how corsets work).
• If you have an underbust corset, telling which side is the top from bottom can be tricky. Usually the top of the back will be more straight across than bottom, but not always.
• When you're getting ready to put it on, the busk (front) of the corset should be open and the laces at the back should be closed but loose.

4．Wrap it around you. Wrap it around you to start putting it on. You're going to start by closing the front but you might need to make some adjustments first. You should be able to fairly easily close the busk in the front, needing to pull the sides together a bit (some resistance is good) but you should not need to seriously inhale in order to get it to close.

• There are different schools of thought on this. Some people like to have to pull harder in order to get the front closed. Others believe having the back more loose makes it easier to close the front. Experiment to find what works for you.

5．Adjust the modesty panel. The modesty panel is a rectangle of fabric which will be attached, probably on the left side of your corset at the back it is intended to bridge the gap between the sides of the lacing. Your corset may not include one, especially if it is cheap and not intended for tight-lacing. When you put the corset on, make sure that the modesty panel is flat across your back and pointed towards the other side of the corset.

• Slide the corset into place if you're having trouble getting the modesty panel straight on your own. You do this by starting with the corset skewed to side opposite from the modesty panel and twisting the corset towards the modesty panel side, so that the modesty panel is dragged into place.

6．Close the busk. The busk is the metal pieces on the front of the corset, with the knobs and holes. You're now ready to fasten the busk, by putting the knobs into the holes. This is trickier than it sounds, however! (Or, at least, it can be.) Here's how you do it:

• Fasten either the second from the top or the middle clasp first. Simply put the knob through the hole. Don't worry about the other ones yet.
• Pinch the knob side of the busk. Now, with your thumb and pointer finger, pinch the hard part of the knob side of the busk. This will give you a little more dexterity to work the rest of the knobs.
• Fasten the rest of the clasps. Now go down from the first knob you fastened and close each successive clasp. Once you reach the bottom, close the knobs at the top.
• Refasten any that come undone. You might notice clasps coming undone as you close the ones at the bottom. This is normal! Simply reclose those once you reach the bottom. No worries!

Part 3

Tying the Corset

1．Lightly tighten the laces. Get the laces just tight enough that the corset will stay on without needing to be held up. This should mainly involve just pulling the sides together and giving a gentle tug on the long ends of the lacing.

2．Make a second pass to adjust the tightness. Now that you've mostly got your lacing ready to go, take another pass and get all the lacing as tight as you can. How tight you can go will have to do with the quality and fit of your corset, so look for signs of strain (like boning channels not being straight). As you tighten, adjust the tightness of each X so that it keeps the two sides straight and parallel. With the X's tightened, make a final strong pull using all four strings at the center. This will draw in the waist.

• Pinch the center of the X's and pull them away from your back, starting at the ends and moving toward the center. This is the easiest way to tighten the corset so that it fits to your body.

3．Adjust the modesty panel as you go. As you tighten the laces, you’ll probably need to pull the modesty panel back into place a few times. Do what you can to get as much coverage as possible and minimize wrinkles.

4．Do not try to bring the two sides of the back together! Your corset is made, assuming you got the right size, to have a gap between the two sides where the lacing occurs. Do not keep pulling and tightening trying to close that gap. You'll hurt yourself.

5．Tie the corset. Now that the corset is nice and tight tie all four laces together into a bow or knot. They may be somewhat loose but that's okay. Just make sure to double knot and you should be fine.

• Most people simply tie the laces right there at the back. However, if you have a lot of extra lacing at the ends, you can get a smoother look by looping the laces around your stomach and then making a smaller bow or knot at the back.

6．Check for signs that you need to adjust your corset. Now that you're laced in, take a look at yourself in the mirror. So sexy! However, you might want to look for signs that your corset doesn't fit right. First of all, is it comfortable? A corset should not bite into your sides, pinch you, or be anything other than...noticeably firm. You should be able to breathe. You'll also want to look at the back lacing and take notice of the shape of the gap.

• A well-fit corset should have a gap at the back with sides that are perfectly parallel. If the gap is wider at the bottom or top, you may need a custom fit corset. If there's and bowing in the middle you probably need a larger size corset.