Corsets

Does anybody use a corset? I've read that wearing one frequently can take about 4 inches off your waist line over time. I'm thinking of buying one but was hoping for some feedback.
«1

Replies

  • powership00
    powership00 Posts: 20 Member
    I thought those were banned, unless you are Lady Gaga.
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
    So from what I've read (and I've never actually tried it so this is only based on reading that I've done) if you wear one pretty much all the time, your organs move around (similar to pregnancy) so you waist will be smaller but not due to fat loss. I've also read that it can make your core muscles weaker (with constant wear) because your body doesn't use them and cause shortness of breath (because your organs are pushing against your lungs).

    Again this is just what I read and may or may not be true, however, based on that alone, I wouldn't do it...
  • rm7161
    rm7161 Posts: 505
    they're fine, as long as you don't wear it all the time and not tightlacing. Better to permanently reduce your waistline with fitness.
  • adwilkins0521
    adwilkins0521 Posts: 12 Member
    I thought those were banned, unless you are Lady Gaga.
    Haha you can get them to be worn under your clothes. I don't want to make any fashion statements. Lol
  • adwilkins0521
    adwilkins0521 Posts: 12 Member
    they're fine, as long as you don't wear it all the time and not tightlacing. Better to permanently reduce your waistline with fitness.
    I don't really plan to wear one ALL the time, i just have some cute shirts that are meant to be tight and until I can lose my belly fat I want something to help in that area. That is crazy about moving your organs tho. I'll have to research more.
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
    they're fine, as long as you don't wear it all the time and not tightlacing. Better to permanently reduce your waistline with fitness.
    I don't really plan to wear one ALL the time, i just have some cute shirts that are meant to be tight and until I can lose my belly fat I want something to help in that area.
    Then I'd suggest Spanx rather than a corset.
  • justagirlgeek
    justagirlgeek Posts: 49 Member
    I often cosplay at cons and wear my steampunk gear, which includes corsets.
    I look GREAT in my corset, but they're REALLY uncomfortable and, yep, dangerous to wear often.

    If worn too often or too tightly, they cause fainting, loss of breath, damage your ribs and/or organs.

    So, no. They're not really a good way to lose those inches permanently. :)
  • For temporary reduction? Yeah, they can be a quick fix to fit in clothes. However prolonged wear is definitely not suggested for the reasons already mentioned. They can do some serious damage. Spanx and other such shapewear would be a better solution.

    edit: and if you do decide to go for a corset, don't buy the cheap ones with plastic boning. They are horrible at keeping their shape and are then useless for shapewear. Look for steel boning.
  • Extended wear of a corset will move your internal organs around as someone mentioned. Occasional wear is fine, but not meant to help get rid of fat.

    Now, if you just want something to help mold your figure to a better shape under tight shirts, I'd go with shape wear. You can get it at Target, Walmart, Sears, you name it. I always wear one under a form fitting dress. :flowerforyou:
  • coke_bottle
    coke_bottle Posts: 259 Member
    I do not currently own one. but I plan to get one instead of wearing a dumb bra! Bra's hold toxins in your skin where they sit which isn't good either!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    Back in the day, there were "fainting" couches because of corset wearing. And women that wore them all day were having painful times after removal. I learned about this from plantation house we visited here in Livermore.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
    Cathie Jung, woman with the smallest waist achieved it with "corseting".

    Her husband is an orthopedic surgeon. I can't believe he allowed his wife to take it this far. Then again, maybe she is his Frankenstein.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrx3jgqJy1E
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXRrkV1nVh8
  • ephemerata
    ephemerata Posts: 82 Member
    You mentioned wanting one to reduce your waist, and then you mentioned wanting to flatten your abdominal area under tight clothing, so it looks like you don't mean reduction due to tightlacting. A corset won't provide a flat base for clothing on top due to the boning and fabric. I think you're talking more about Spanx and girdles which are intended for that purpose.

    Edit: Also..
    I do not currently own one. but I plan to get one instead of wearing a dumb bra! Bra's hold toxins in your skin where they sit which isn't good either!

    What? What are you talking about?
  • 5auce
    5auce Posts: 51 Member
    Not a corset but I've been known to rock the shiz out of a girdle. It didn't slim my waist but I did gain about a B cup...too bad it was on my back.
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
    I do not currently own one. but I plan to get one instead of wearing a dumb bra! Bra's hold toxins in your skin where they sit which isn't good either!
    ummm.... no!:noway:
  • angelams1019
    angelams1019 Posts: 1,102 Member
    they're fine, as long as you don't wear it all the time and not tightlacing. Better to permanently reduce your waistline with fitness.
    I don't really plan to wear one ALL the time, i just have some cute shirts that are meant to be tight and until I can lose my belly fat I want something to help in that area. That is crazy about moving your organs tho. I'll have to research more.

    If you have tight shirts that you want to wear you should probably wear Spanx under it or something. A corset is going to show really bad underneath a tight shirt. You'll have lumps and lines everywhere lol
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i like these :
    http://www.hourglassangel.com/waist-cincher

    but you do not lose 1-4 inches. that's a huge lie :laugh: downside i it's made of some type of rubber so i can get pretty hot.

    I do not currently own one. but I plan to get one instead of wearing a dumb bra! Bra's hold toxins in your skin where they sit which isn't good either!
    this really makes me sad about the state of science education in the modern era. i mean c'mon people, it's 2013, not 1013. there really is no excuse for this :cry:
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    I'd say get some Spanx.

    Much smoother looking if you're planning to wear it under clothing ... But not very sexy looking.
  • Kmanouchehri90
    Kmanouchehri90 Posts: 81 Member
    I'd rather be able to breathe, personally.
  • gailmelanie
    gailmelanie Posts: 210 Member
    Interesting that next to your question to start the thread there is an ad for corsets. Ninerfbuff is correct about the fainting couches. That's what smelling salts were for, too, since they needed to be revived after being deprived of oxygen because they couldn't take a deep breath. When women wore corsets from the time they were in their early teens, even into pregnancy until they couldn't wear them any longer, and resumed after, their ribs were deformed much like the feet of the Chinese women that were bound. The deformation of the ribs left no room for the lungs to expand, interfered with the heart doing its job, cramped the liver, stomach, pancreas and spleen. It was one of the cruelest fashion fads of all time. Unless you are still growing, it will never do anything permanent to your waistline except make it hurt. They might be fun to wear for a short period of time, if it fits comfortably, and if you intend to have it taken off of you soon after putting it on. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. The shapewear that is available today is really just another word for "girdle" like our mothers and grandmothers wore. It can help you look smoother under your clothes, but nothing will keep you that way except exercise and strength training. Work your abs so you can bare them and show them off, not hide them under a corset.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Are you wanting to do real corset training or tight lacing?

    corset+tight+lace+3.jpg

    This requires a steel boned corset, 18 hours on 6 hours off for months at a time. It does move your internal organs, compress your ribs and lungs. It's hard to eat because you feel full, faint, and weak. (Very feminine!)

    Or a fashion corset?
    royal-blue-satin-800x800.jpeg

    Because one takes a lot of time, being uncomfortable, and one lets you look slimmer till you lose the weight on your own.


    Kep in mind when you take it off, you'll still look like the normal you. ;)

    Aka you have to wear it to look really defined!
    Spencer_corset_1941_before_after.jpg
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    You can also get a smaller waistline if you remove the bottom two ribs. Or ingest a tapeworm. Great Victorian techniques as well.
  • shelbystatic
    shelbystatic Posts: 61 Member
    If I have a slim fitting shirt or dress I will sometimes just wear a waist sincher from Wal-mart or similar. Like the kind that has many tiny hooks in the front. You can still bend and move.

    Wal-mart also has some slimming tank tops that look like under shirts; they take really take off inches but they smooth out the belly (i have cellulite).

    I wouldn't recommend the kymora body shaper; mine didn't look good after about 10 mins of wear. It created and extra roll and my boyfriend had to help me get unstuck from it.

    And there is always the cheap diy route: really tight saran wrap, it will slim you and cause your belly to sweat so you will lose water weigh in your middle.

    Hope this is helpful. :)
  • EvelynBfly78
    EvelynBfly78 Posts: 240 Member
    I thought corsets went out of style along with girdles & longline bras.
    I'd rather exercise to tone up than wear one of those body restricting contraptions.
  • shelbystatic
    shelbystatic Posts: 61 Member
    If I have a slim fitting shirt or dress I will sometimes just wear a waist sincher from Wal-mart or similar. Like the kind that has many tiny hooks in the front. You can still bend and move.

    Wal-mart also has some slimming tank tops that look like under shirts; they take really take off inches but they smooth out the belly (i have cellulite).

    I wouldn't recommend the kymora body shaper; mine didn't look good after about 10 mins of wear. It created and extra roll and my boyfriend had to help me get unstuck from it.

    And there is always the cheap diy route: really tight saran wrap, it will slim you and cause your belly to sweat so you will lose water weigh in your middle.

    Hope this is helpful. :)

    that was supposed to say "don't really take off inches" about the tank tops. oops!
  • phoenixgirl81
    phoenixgirl81 Posts: 309 Member
    I love my corsets (not for waist-training, but for fashion/period costume). I find them incredibly comfortable to wear.

    The overbust metal-boned corsets are not for wearing under clothing. They are designed to be shown off these days.

    The underbust "cincher" type metal-boned corsets can be worn under or over clothing relatively easily. I wore mine every day for about 6 months a couple of years ago. It does make your stomach flatter but it can be tricky to sit in until you get used to it. Perfect for standing at parties and the like. I got used to wearing it and was able to wear it to work without issue. It took off at least an inch or two off my waist measurements while I was wearing it and I went back to my normal size/shape the moment I took it off. But I got to wear the most feminine clothing and I loved it.

    It doesn't help you with your core muscles at all. In fact it made mine even more lazy as the corset did all the supporting/holding me upright for me.
  • adwilkins0521
    adwilkins0521 Posts: 12 Member
    I'd say get some Spanx.

    Much smoother looking if you're planning to wear it under clothing ... But not very sexy looking.
    I can see the point in what everyone is saying and I did look at spanx but after a long day in spanx if I came home and took off my clothes my hubby would laugh me out of the bedroom. LOL Guess I just need to research more options.

    Oh and if a girdle creates more cleavage I definitely can't go that route. I'm already a DD! Lol
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Cathie Jung, woman with the smallest waist achieved it with "corseting".

    Her husband is an orthopedic surgeon. I can't believe he allowed his wife to take it this far. Then again, maybe she is his Frankenstein.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrx3jgqJy1E
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXRrkV1nVh8

    Wow, look how poochy her belly is under the corset.
  • adwilkins0521
    adwilkins0521 Posts: 12 Member
    Are you wanting to do real corset training or tight lacing?

    corset+tight+lace+3.jpg

    This requires a steel boned corset, 18 hours on 6 hours off for months at a time. It does move your internal organs, compress your ribs and lungs. It's hard to eat because you feel full, faint, and weak. (Very feminine!)

    Or a fashion corset?
    royal-blue-satin-800x800.jpeg

    Because one takes a lot of time, being uncomfortable, and one lets you look slimmer till you lose the weight on your own.


    Kep in mind when you take it off, you'll still look like the normal you. ;)

    Aka you have to wear it to look really defined!
    Spencer_corset_1941_before_after.jpg

    I just want something to smooth my tummy out under tight fitting shirts until I can lose the fat and tighten it up. Not really into the pain of tight lacing.
  • adwilkins0521
    adwilkins0521 Posts: 12 Member
    I want to say "thanks" to those of you that left helpful comments and didn't judge or try to be a smart *kitten*. :smile: