How to Lace and Tighten a Corset

Aaahh… corsets! Show me a girl who says she doesn’t sometimes like to wear a corset, and I’ll show you a girl who’s not exactly telling the whole truth.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the sensuous feel of satin or slinky silk, black leather or cool PVC against bare flesh, or maybe it really is to try to help and get that “hour-glass”, sexy, feminine figure, but almost every girl I know hankers to occasionally try on one of these most erotic of garments.

Yet, now that you’ve actually purchased the corset of your dreams from En Femme’s extensive selection, unpacked it carefully, held it against your body and seriously admired it in the mirror… some fairly major questions remain: Just exactly how does one lace up into your silky (or satiny) pride and joy? How do you go about cajoling your body into this most attractive piece of underwear, and then tying up the lacing effectively?

Well, En Femme corsets already come laced, but ideally, you still may need a “friend” to help - not always possible I know, but it does make it that much easier (and much more fun!) It's also important to understand how a corset is laced in case you every wash the corset and need to re-lace it again.

Right, for those who don’t know, let’s run through the lacing first, step by step; also, for novices, please note that corsets have a single length of lacing, so be sure to resist the temptation to cut this into two, ala a pair of shoe laces…

How to Properly Lace a Corset

1. Stretch the lacing out and find its center, then position this point between the corset’s top two holes

2. Start lacing downwards, criss-crossing the lace, until you reach the middle point of the line of holes on each edge of the corset—this will typically be six or seven holes down

3. Remember to lace the corset loosely, leaving approximately 8-10 inches between the sides—don’t forget, you have to get the garment around you at some point!

4. At the center holes create a large loop on each side by extending the lacing out and then back into the next hole down, ending up with a good length of lacing on each side

5. Keeping the lengthy loop mentioned above, continue lacing until you reach the bottom of the corset, where there are two options to consider: some people prefer to tie the lacing together at this point. The other method is to tie large enough knots in each end of the lacing to prevent it slipping back through the corset’s holes; the choice is yours…

Well, now you’re just about done, so, on the assumption your corset is laced correctly, how do you put it on and tighten it up? If you are alone, it might be tricky at first, but not impossible…

How to Put on and Tighten your Corset

1. Depending upon the type of corset, the garment may have a series of pins and holes that clip together at the front which need to be lined up (these are sometimes called the “busk”). Holding the firmly corset under your arms, line up the pins and holes and begin to clip the busk together; of course if the corset is a bodice type and doesn’t have a busk, then you only need to focus on lacing up the back!

2. Now the fun starts, and it’s time to start tightening the lacing; beginning from the top, pull the laces one by one, making them gradually a little tighter—all the time making the two loops that you made when lacing the corset larger as you go

3. The next step is to go to the bottom of the lacing and start pulling it tighter there, making sure to work the loops of lacing up through the corset to continue to extend the large loops in the middle

4. Repeat the above steps, working the top half of the lacing tighter and tighter, and then doing the same with the bottom half

5. By now you will certainly be feeling the effects of the corset tightening around your waist, but make sure you don’t get carried away and try to make the sides of the corset meet; aim to leave 1-2 inches between the edges of the garment when it’s tightened. To have the corset too tight could potentially be damaging if the rigid structure of the garment is directly over the vertebrae of the spine

6. Aim to keep the sides of the corset roughly parallel, and both sides vertical, plus all lacing connections of almost equal length

7. If you are doing the lacing by yourself, a useful tip to remember is that, once the corset is beginning to feel a little tight, do 2-3 back stretches, both left and right, to even out the strings; then tighten the lacing again and stretch once more (plus, once again if you feel able!). This will help you achieve a more even tightening experience and ensure the top and bottom of the corset are not loose when compared with the middle

8. In any event, it may take you 2-3 times to get the corset to the desired tightness. Initially, it’s wise to stop when the corset is tight but still comfortable as, once you get used to wearing the red silky or pink satiny garment, you can decide if/when to tighten it further—but, even so, still leave a small gap at the back

9. Now, another tricky part, as you need to tie up the loose lacing on the back of your corset. This can be done in either a large bow knot, although some people choose to wrap the loose lacing around their waist once before tying it off at the back and making a smaller bow. Another option is too tie a double bow (if you are alone and able to master this, that is!)

That’s just about it—not that difficult really and, after a few times, you’ll become quite an expert at putting your lovely En Femme corset on… although, for now, we’ll leave aside the issue of how to undo the bow(s) to take your corset off…

Of course, once you have managed to get into your corset, and the initial exhilaration, that russshhhh of euphoria has subsided slightly, it’s time to decide what to do next. If you are content just prancing around in the comfort of your home, looking every few seconds in the mirror at your wonderful, slim line, new found shape; looking at the way your soft, protruding breasts are accentuated by the tight fitting garment that’s fine—and the initial buzz you got from getting into your corset will sustain you for quite some time…

Yet, if you are planning to don a dress or other outfit with a view to going out and about on the town, then there are still few things to know, some things to learn: walking, sitting, or maybe I should say, generally moving about, are all rather different when your waist-cincher is doing its job effectively.

But that’s for another time….

Each En Femme corset is made with a broadcloth interior lining, metal boning (for strength), heavy satin exterior and superior, strong metal garters.

To estimate your size if purchasing a standard corset: measure around your waist, then subtract two to four inches; a two inch reduction will reshape you into sexy curves and support your posture. A four inch reduction will do the same, but with quite that bit more extra squeeze!