Corset Care

Even though a corset is a heavy duty garment, any improper handling can lessen its lifespan so reading this over will help your investment last a lifetime! This information will be included with your corset for you to save and reference.

BREAKING IN YOUR CORSET

When you first receive your corset it will be stiff as it is freshly made and the corset coutil layer has a light starch finish. You must allow some time for your corset to mould itself to your body to become comfortable. Do not let anyone else wear your corset as it will re-adjust the mould.
For your initial wear do not tighten the corset all the way. It should be snug for 20 minutes to let the corset warm up to your body then tightened further to complete the reduction. It may take a few wears to close your corset completely. Even at its tightest, your corset should be comfortable and should not restrict your breathing. You must listen to your body. Unlace and take off your corset if you start to feel uncomfortable.

TYING YOUR CORSET

Make sure you loosen the back laces entirely before putting on the corset. Do not EVER attempt to put on or take off a corset with the laces tightened as you can risk damaging the front closure and cause unnecessary strain. Wrap the corset around your torso with the correct side up (Inner label should be on the left side) and carefully close the front closure. For busks closures, make sure all the knobs are all properly clasped, or else the pressure will not be distributed evenly and the knobs can damage. Wiggle around and shift the corset to make sure it is properly centered on your body. Even though it is handy to have a friend lace up your corset for you, it is best for you to do it yourself. It will take a few tries to get used to it but at the end you will prefer it. Grasp the lacing loops that are located at the waist, pull on them firmly to get rid of the excess slack. Now start from the top of your corset, evenly work the excess lacing down to the loops. It should be a bit tight but comfortable. Now work the bottom laces up to the loops. The corset back closure should be parallel to each other and not flared out anywhere. Tighten the laces further if needed. Tie off the loops like a bow, leaving the tails longer so you know where to grasp when you want to untie the bow. Tuck under the excess length into your corset or lacing. Careful to not knot in case you need to get out of the corset quickly.

CLEANING

Corsets are SPOT CLEAN ONLY as there are metal components in the corset that can rust if it comes in contact with liquid. It is recommended that you wear a liner underneath the corset such as a tube top, mesh girdle, or modified tank top. This will help keep skin flakes and oils away from your corset. After wearing your corset, make sure to lay the corset flat with the lining up to air out. You can spray vodka, Febreeze or any other deodorizing anti-bacterial spray sparingly on the lining side and allow to dry. You can spot clean your corset with mild lingerie soaps carefully, making sure you do a test patch first if possible. If your corset becomes heavily soiled, you can do a rare dry cleaning. Not recommended with silk or leather corsets. Take your corset to a trusted drycleaners and make sure they know that there are metal components inside the corset and the garment must be drycleaned by hand.

STORAGE

Make sure to store your corset in a dry and dark place. The corset can be stored flat, carefully folded, or hung by it’s laces on a hanger. It is ideal to have an odor eliminating sachet near the corset to keep it fresh.