“When I met you in the summer…”
While the Indian summer entails great heat and humidity, summers are also the perfect time to head to the beach, and for those (not so faint hearted) among us with killer curves to flaunt them in a one (or dare we say) two piece.
If you however don’t have the curves, and hate the gym in equal measure, we have a way to cheat your way into ‘summer worthy’ shape.
It is called Waist Training. And what it simply means is getting your unruly waist into the perfect defined shape in order for you to slay that beach bod look!
The perfect beach bod of course mandates an hourglass shape, which simply means narrower around the waist. Waist training therefore is the process of using a steel boned corset to modify your waist into an hourglass shape with semi-permanent results. Steel boned corsets have been worn since the Victorian times, helping damsels look their absolute best at stuffy ballroom events. People still wear them as a fashion statement, while others wear under clothing for back and posture support.
So your next question is definitely going to be, how the hell does this work? The hourglass figure is attained as a result of the moving of ‘floating ribs’ and the reduction of space in the abdomen. Weight loss tends to happen mainly because the corset also acts as an external LAP band (a gastric band), which in a way constricts your tummy, and forces you to regulate the amount of food you take in while wearing the corset.
Now mind you, we aren’t talking about ‘steel framed’ corsets here, the waist trainers we are speaking of are made latex (yes, the Kim K variety). This however isn’t ‘Waist Training’ in the truest sense of the word, but is referred to as ‘Waist Taming’. Simply because there is no way to truly cinch them and even the firmest latex can’t compare to stainless steel bones.
Many ‘experts’ and naysayers have damned ‘Waist Training’ as dangerous or unhealthy. However, if you are willing to use common sense and listen to your body, then waist training is not dangerous. Use safe and sane corsetry practices anytime you wear a corset, whether you’re a serious waist trainer or you’re simply wearing a corset as a complement to your fashion choice.
Popular wisdom will tell you that corsets have to be uncomfortable to give you the gorgeous hourglass figure, but that’s just another myth. Breaking in a corset, also known as seasoning, is important for the corset, but it’s also a chance for your body to get used to wearing it. Slow and steady is the rule of thumb for waist training.
How to Measure :
When measuring yourself for a corset, think taut, yet comfortable, not tight and choking. Wrap the tape measure around you, in a way that you’re well cinched in without being uncomfortable. Slacking of the tape is a no-no, but creating a crease or indent in your body by pulling it too tightly, is also a faux-pas. You will need your natural waist hips, underbust and fullest part of your bust (for overbust corsets) in inches.
How to Determine the Right Size :
As a rule of thumb, always order a corset that is 4-7 inches below your natural waist size. In simple math that means if you have a size 29 waist; order a size 24 corset.
Your corset size however will depend on why you want a corset in the first place. If your intent isn’t so much cinching your waist as it is comfort and back support , then we recommend only a 3-5 inch differential between your actual waist size and your corset size. In numerical terms it means that for a 29″ waist could order a size 26 (depending on curve and type of clothing worn under the corset).
If you’re a brand new corset wearer, you may want to ease your body into wearing one that is a little bigger and then working your way down to a smaller corset.
Being lean isn’t always the best thing if you’re thinking of wearing a corset. Lean muscles are unable to ‘squish’ as much as soft tissue. So if you have 28″ waist that is packed with muscle and very little soft tissue, you will find cinching down to a 22″ corset very challenging and very uncomfortable. However, someone with a 34″ waist with ample soft tissue will be able to cinch down into a 28″ or even a 26″ corset, depending on their level of experience.
Individuals with longer torsos will also find it easier to lace down-more area to spread the excess “fluff”. If you are tall and have lots of extra fluff, you may find 8-10 inches is not too extreme a reduction.
Wondering where to get this? Don’t worry, we got you covered.
Where to buy : waist-shaping // classic-satin-waist-cincher
