HOW TO CHOOSE & LACE UP A CORSET
A PROPER corset is completely different from a basque or waspie, neither of which are designed to pull in the waist. The real thing comes in two halves, laced together at the back and fastening at the front with a steel busk, with springy spirals in the lining all the way round to give that wonderful hour glass shape (whalebone has not been used for many years).
All this metal may sound cumbersome, but don't let it put you off. Today's styles are light and flexible and surprisingly comfortable. Many people find the sensation of being gently held straight with the back supported almost relaxing.
Being laced into a corset can be an exquisitely sensual experience; the laces slide across your back as they are pulled gradually in from the top and bottom towards the middle, and the sensation is of being embraced tighter and tighter. You don't have to pull in to a Scarlet O'Hara 18 inches - you may be content with the corset just hugging you or you can lace down to an iron grip. It is usually best to buy a size up to four inches smaller than your natural waist measurement to ensure a snug fit all over. A corset should mould itself to your body after you have worn it a few times.
There are many different types of corset, not all of which suit everybody or every purpose. We advise our clients to be realistic about
their figures and to think how they want to wear their corset before choosing the style.
The cup size with most styles is not critical as a corset laces in to the individual shape, but naturally curvy women will obviously get a more dramatic effect than the less well endowed. On the other hand, men who want a more feminine outline would probably get the right proportions from a model which comes under the breasts, combined with a bra with fillers. An elaborately decorated long Belle 脡poque style is perfect for bedroom wear but not for achieving a slinky figure under today's clothes.
First time wearers are usually surprised and delighted when they look in the mirror; corsets enhance any woman's body, whether she is generously curvy or straight up and down, giving not just a smaller waist, but fuller breast and hips which swell out provocatively. The sexual parts are very much on display which gives a feeling of intense femininity.