Can I Wear My Corset Backwards?

You wouldn’t put your pants or shirts on backwards and walk around all day making some kind of kooky fashion statement.

This wouldn’t be functional or attractive, and likely you’d get a lot of side-eye, if not outright mockery for your choice.

So why would you want to give your corset an about-face?

As you may or may not know, corsets are fairly versatile garments.

Although they are designed to be worn with laces in the back and the narrower end at the top (wider at the hip), there are definitely options to adjust your wear to fit your particular frame.

For example, many men interested in gaining the support and compression of a corset will turn a women’s garment upside down for better fit, since they tend to be slimmer in the hip and wider at the chest than the average female wearer.

As it turns out, you can also wear your corset backwards if you so choose.

What would possess you to do such a thing? You may gain certain benefits in the process, but there are also caveats to consider.

Easy Adjustment

Although many women find tricks to help them adjust and tie the laces on the back of corsets (like hooking rabbit ears over a door handle and pulling away to cinch laces), many of us struggle with being flexible enough to tighten, tie, and tuck corset laces appropriately for daily wear.

Wearing your corset backwards will certainly make getting in and out of it and adjusting it easier since all the lacing is now up front.

However, ease of use probably won’t make up for the problems you’ll create by wearing a corset backwards.

Spinal Curvature and Tummy Trouble

Unfortunately, corsets aren’t exactly designed to be worn any which way.

The rigid steel boning is generally designed to flatten the soft abdominal tissue in the front while adding significant curve on the sides and conforming to spinal curvature in the back.

This can result in some discomfort if you wear it backwards, not to mention limited support where you may need it most.

Since the front is meant to hold the belly flat, it can force your spine into an uncomfortably upright position when placed around back and cause pressure, bruising, and friction.

Then there is the front.

If you have much of a gap between laces, your tummy is going to pooch out, which can be both uncomfortable and unsightly.

It can also place added strain on the lacing.  A modesty panel could help here, but keep in mind there is no boning, so the benefits will be limited to adding a measure of comfort (as opposed to having laces digging into your skin).

Custom Corsetry

If you have your heart set on lacing your corset in the front, your best bet is to look for a front-lacing model.

These aren’t easy to find, but you can always opt for custom corsetry designed to meet your particular needs.

The upside is that you’ll get a garment that perfectly fits your measurements and takes any physical limitations into account to add ease and use value.

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