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How to Keep a Corset From Bending / Warping

Posted on by Rachel Barb
How to Keep a Corset From Bending / Warping
05
Jul

Featured Corset: Dita Black Cotton Corset

When you look at a corset, you may assume that it’s meant to bend, due to the curvature of the garment. In truth, it’s meant to bend only in specific ways. 

Unlike Gumby, bendy straws, and inhabitants of the Matrix, corsets are not designed for contortion. They’re meant to hold a rigid shape – the hourglass silhouette you want your torso to conform to. They’re like spoons – not really meant to bend beyond the shape you see (unless they’re the cheap ones from IKEA, in which case, you sort of get what you pay for). 

With that being said, you’re not going to permanently strap yourself into a corset. You’re going to take it on and off daily. You’re going to tighten it during the course of waist training. 

Unfortunately, these adjustments could cause some issues if you’re not careful. This is why it’s important to understand how to keep a corset from bending. 

Here are a few things you should know if you want to get the greatest longevity from this supportive compression garment. 

What is Bending and Warping?

Waist training corsets are built to be robust. They often feature resilient textiles like cotton, canvas, satin, brocade, mesh, and even leather. These materials are not only designed to withstand long-term wear, but they also resist damage from the tension the garment is under, as well as any potential friction from steel boning, busks, and grommets. 

Then there are the metal elements, which provide the rigid framework for your garment. Steel boning is essential when waist training as it maintains the shape of your corset, including intended curves, such as the spring. Although spiral steel boning is more forgiving, flexing on two axes, it’s still not meant to go every which way. 

Generally, these materials are robust enough to withstand a lot of use and abuse. After all, waist training requires an incredible amount of tension on the garment. However, the steel bones, the busks in front, and the lacing guards in back can bend, warp, and believe it or not, even break with improper use. That is why you need to know how to keep a corset from bending when you put it on, wear it, and take it off. 

Common Causes of Corset Warping

There are a couple of reasons why a corset might suffer from bending or warping. One of the most common problems occurs when laces aren’t adequately loosened before putting on or taking off the corset. If there’s too much tension when you unhook the busks, the torque of twisting the garment can impact the busks and/or boning in the front. 

Another potential issue centers on the lacing guards at the back – no surprise that the moveable parts are most prone to potential damage. You always want to try to keep your lacing guards more or less parallel to one another. If they bow inward toward the spine or outward toward the sides of the torso, either due to improper lacing or a corset that is the wrong size or shape for your physique, warping is possible when you tighten laces and put tension on the guards. 

How to Keep a Corset from Bending

The best way to keep a corset from bending is to make sure you purchase the right size and style for your body and season it correctly. Follow tutorials on how to properly lace your corset, as well as put it on, tighten and loosen laces, and take it off.  When properly seasoned, your garment will conform to your particular dimensions and fit like a glove, and with correct wear and waist training, it will serve your needs with nary a bend or warp.

Other Helpful Articles

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