Corset Tips for a Beginner

[Raelyn Fey]

Due to some major bills this year, I am tossing out my original plans for outfits I had wanted to do this year. I visited The Alley in Columbus and was fitted for a corset just for fun. I'm totally in love with it and am now planning to have one for my costume. I have never worn one for a long period of time, so I have a few questions for the ladies.

Do you wear a bra with a corset or not? I'm not particularly busty. I will be wearing a chemise under it.

With the lack of mobility, any tips for when nature calls?

Do corsets make you hot? My fair is in late September/early October, so I hope for good weather. If I get overheated, how can that be relieved without removing the corset completely?

Is wearing a corset all day dangerous for a beginner?

Here is a picture of the corset. It's more Steampunk than Renaissance, but I think it's beautiful. I plan on wearing a simple ivory chemise and dark green skirt with it. I'm keeping it simple for cost this year. If anyone can answer some or all of those questions and have other tips, please post them! I want to be as informed as possible. Thank you!

Chemise                                                                  Corset

[raevyncait]

1. Practice wearing it at home for shorter periods of time before you try to do a full day at faire with it
2. Since it's not an underbust, you *shouldn't* need a bra, but if it would make you more comfortable to have one, that's up to you
3. Boots/shoes THEN corset, unless you have a dresser with you to tie your shoes/boots
4. If you CAN'T breathe properly, it's TOO TIGHT. This is especially important in the summertime, I've found. When you can't take a good deep breath, it's hard to keep yourself cool
5. Poise/serenity/bladder control pads are your friend, especially if it's hard to reach after you visit the privy. They don't need to be huge or heavy duty, the thin liners are plenty
6. Do NOT lace the waistband of your bloomers/panties under the corset, be sure they're accessible under the bottom hem of the corset
7. If you need a little oomph to push the girls up a bit, rolled up socks or washcloths under the girls do wonders for both helping lift, AND absorbing sweat
8. Speaking of sweat, I find it helps me to use a bit of anti-perspirant and a light dusting of baby powder, to help keep cool
9. A bodice chiller is a wonderful thing, even if it's a ziploc bag wrapped in a washcloth that you can put some ice into. Shop for them, there are a LOT of varieties out there. Another good option are the neck chillers that look like bandanas but have crystals in them so you can soak them in cold water for awhile to get them cool, then wrap them around your neck. Those totally saved my bacon more than once over the years, stuffing them into my cleavage.

That's all that come to mind off the top of my head, after 5 seasons in steel boned corsets/bodices of varying styles/brands

[isabelladangelo]

Technically speaking, all corsets are more steampunk than Renaissance since the hourglass corset didn't show up until the 1830's - around the same time as the arrival of the train.   In period, ie 16th C, ladies wore a pair of bodies or stays.   

If you want to wear a corset, that's fine, but it is steampunk and not the least bit Renaissance.  If you made some minor changes, it would be fine for Victorian as well.   I do not wear a corset to the Renn Faire - I firmly believe in putting the Renaissance back into the festival- but I have worn one to many steampunk events.

First, you want a corset designed for you.  Some people are short waisted, some people are long waisted.  You want a corset you feel comfortable in.

Second, bras were re-invented in the 1910's - as the corset was becoming a girdle and going out due to rationing in WWI.  You do not wear a bra with a corset, stays, or bodices -ever.  If you feel the need to wear a bra, the bodice, corset, or stays DO NOT FIT.  I can't stress this enough because you are not the first person to ask the question.   As a general rule, you want your corset to be at least 2" smaller than your uncorseted measurements.  I'd go for as many a 4" smaller around your waist.  Ie, if you have a 28" waist uncorseted, you want a corset that has a 24" waist to it.

Third,  feeling hot is all relative.  As long as you wear a cotton or linen chemise beneath the corset, and don't have anything covering your neckline area, you should be okay.  Although, you might want to make sure the corset is made with silk or cotton and not a poly/acetate/other man made fiber. 

Fourth, if the corset is made correctly, you shouldn't have any issues with using the restroom.  I have seen some individuals who lack foresight and have a corset that covers their bum, but as long as the corset only comes down 2" over your hips, you should be fine.

Fifth, don't lace up as tightly as you can the first time you wear the corset.  Rather, just lace it up until you feel comfortably tight - like you are in a very big hug- and don't worry about measurements.  A corset is about the shape it gives you, not how tiny it gets you.   (Yes, even in the tight lacing Victorian age it was really only the aristocrats that did the super tight lacing.  It was the plastic surgery of it's day.)  Wear it for a few hours.  IF you feel you need to loosen it, loosen it.  If you feel you need to tighten it, tighten it.  But get a feel for the corset and don't just make it as tight as you possibly can. 

Hopefully that answers all your questions!

EDIT:  Also, I would NOT get a bodice chiller.  I have seen them break while someone was holding one.  I have also spoken to a lady who saw one break inside someone's cleavage - and yes, the lady ended up needing plastic surgery.  I have also seen people go into shock because having anything that cold next to your heart when you are hot is NOT a good idea.  If you get hot, just dip a handkerchief in water and put that around your neck.  Never, ever use a bodice chiller.  This is a medical thing not an accuracy thing.  I do not care how cool it looks to anyone, it's not worth your health, ever.

[Raelyn Fey]

Thank you both so much! Both posts have been very helpful. I know it's not at all accurate, but I saw a lot of people wearing corsets and this one is just so lovely. I couldn't help myself. I plan on buying it a good 2-3 months ahead of the fair, so I'll begin practicing it at home. I'll go back to The Alley for a lacing demo with my mom to make sure we're doing it correctly. If anyone else has tips or pictures of your own corsets, feel free to post them.

[LadyFae]

I'm with Isabella on this one.  My "how-to's" on bodice wearing:
No bra needed.  Cotton or linen chemise is a MUST.  Potty breaks are easy enough, just don't lace your bloomers way up under the bodice!  (I wear low waist bloomers.)  Start your day laced snuggly and as the day goes on you can continuously tighten up more.  I feel it happens naturally as my body gets more used to the bodice, it starts to feel loose so I just keep tightening.  =)  I'm super short-waisted and not busty AT ALL and I love wearing my bodices!  I use a fan (hang it from my belt) so if I feel hot I can just fan away.  I'd never use a bodice chiller, but that's me.  Stay hydrated and find shade when neccessary.  Sunscreen is you best friend (though I usually always forget this one.)  If you are wearing natural fibers and keeping your skin covered you will probably be WAY cooler and far more comfortable than those 'Danes in the shorts and tee-shirts!  Most of all, go have fun!   

[Meagan]

When lacing your corset, make sure the edges are parallel. If the edges bow in or out at the waist you have the wrong size. It will put undue strain on the corset and make it wear out faster. Corsets should be stored flat. It is very tempting to just roll them up but this is not good for the boning.

The corset is beautiful, by the way.

[Lady Kaalyn]

I personally always wear a bra but that is just becuase i dont feel comfortable not wearing one,  As for bodice chillers dont get one.  I had a doctor yell at me because it can send you into shock if you are not careful, It lowers the temp in your chest to much to fast. 

[Rowan MacD]

Once you get used to the unaccustomed constriction, a well fitted corset is a delight to wear, and you will feel less tired due to the extra back support.
   Bodice chillers: I don't use them.  They don't cool enough skin surface quickly enough to make a difference, and the icy cold is uncomfortable to me.
    If you want to wear one for the look; buy a pewter one with a decorative top and use it to stash your paper money in.  Those are about the size and shape of a cigar tube and they have a watertight screw top instead of a cork.  Don't use glass or anything breakable for obvious reasons.
    If you need a cool off, stash a couple of those gel filled neck bands in a cooler somewhere handy, or you can carry one with you stuck in an insulated wine sleeve (or better, the ones that you stick in your freezer) in a basket or a drawstring bag to pull out when you start feeling overheated.   To wear, roll it in a thin scarf or pretty fabric scrap if you like.
    Drop by the cooler to switch them out as they get warm, or see if you can get a vendor to soak one in ice water for a minute or two in a pinch.  Sometimes the Red Cross tent will have ice buckets you can use.

Edit: topic from last year where we discussed making your own neck coolers....

http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php/topic,6850.msg372717.html#msg372717
   
 

[Adriana Rose]

Go for what is comfortable! Do not try to go Scarlet O'Hara on this! My mom laces to the point she is comfortable, basically enough to hold her chest in and to hold the corset on.

[Raelyn Fey]

Wow! Thanks for the support everyone! I'm one for comfort, so I will not be lacing too tightly for sure. Once I'm able to afford the corset, I'll be taking it to the shop I was fitted at and have them lace me in to make sure it's going to work. My mom will be there to learn how to lace it. I have a couple faire friends who have offered to help as well. I'm a little nervous about not wearing a bra, but we'll see where the corset hits me to see if I need extra coverage for modesty or not. I will be wearing a cotton chemise, so that will certainly help.

[gem]

I'm a little nervous about not wearing a bra, but we'll see where the corset hits me to see if I need extra coverage for modesty or not.

This might actually be an argument *against* wearing a bra. I like wearing a bra with most of my bodices (not true corsets, tho'; I'm a believer that a proper corset should do all the work!), but it's difficult to find ones that aren't cut too high, and show above the neckline of the bodice. It's annoying to have to tug at your chemise all day to make sure it's covering your bra straps. 

Last year I did an Anna Valerious/Van Helsing ensemble, and the "corset" was only a lightly boned fashion garment, not a serious, steel-boned workhorse, and I ended up wearing a strapless longline bra underneath it. It worked great! It did all the work of shaping and support, and the fashion corset looked like a much higher quality garment than it really was.

[stonebiscuit]

Pretty much all my points have been covered by Isabella. One thing I will reiterate is to make sure your corset is made from all natural fibers (cotton, silk, linen, whatever; no polyester, rayon, nylon, etc) and to ALWAYS wear a chemise or shirt of natural fibers under it. According to my highly scientific calculations, this will increase your comfort by a magnitude of three thousand.