Do corsets work for smaller waists? - YouLookFab Forum

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Do corsets work for smaller waists?

Rose1993

I'm considering waist training I want to get down to an 18" waist but I'm scare if it's realistic how long it can stay that size and if it's unhealthy? I'm really skeptical. But like currently I like having a 22" waist. I just want to get smaller because I'm a smaller person I feel like I look better with a smaller waistline. I want to at least get down to 20. Would this help? And when would I get results?

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15 replies

Latest reply was from

trekkiegirl

Veteran

First off, don't expect overnight results. Second, you may see and hear a lot of negative feedback on the issue - take it with a grain of salt. Corseting can potentially be unhealthy, but you have to go to great lengths for that and it's NOT as common as the naysayers would have you believe.

Your best bet is to go to a custom corset maker. You can achieve the results you are looking for, but it will take time.

Anonymous

I originally read this to mean "weight training" not "waist training." I was very confused. I eventually figured out what you meant. Good luck what ever you decide to do.

jackiec

Veteran

I have no help regarding corsets, but 18" seems awfully tiny to me. The best waist is the waist where you feel happy and healthy and comfortable. Don't worry too much about what you think would look "best." Try to be as healthy as possible.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Sorry, but whaaaaaaat?

Feel free to take my negative feedback with a grain of salt, as TrekkieGirl suggests, but I am going to say DON'T DO IT in big fat uppercase letters. Trying to force your 22" waist (already very small) to become a 18" waist by squeezing the living daylights out of your innards is indeed unhealthy, as you seem to have already realized. Why do it?

Anonymous

Following Aziraphale with DON'T DO IT. For heaven's sake, how could that possibly be worth it, especially for someone already very slim? You look very young and hopefully you will be needing that body for a long time, take care of it! Wait until you're much older to do really silly things, the damage won't be as long lasting!

trekkiegirl

Veteran

It does not damage your "innards" all it does is redistribute skin and fat
Your goal may be completely unachievable, particularly if there isn't much to redistribute but at your size you could probably narrow your waist maybe half to an inch in the first corset wearing.
Wearing high heels over long periods of our lives is far more damaging than wearing a corset, it's simply not in fashion currently and there is a lot of misinformation about it.

trekkiegirl

Veteran

I will say, you never want the corset so tight that you have trouble breathing deeply, or so that it adjusts the position of your ribs. THAT is when it can become dangerous and unhealthy.

There, soap box disengaged

Aziraphale

Veteran

Yup, agree with you about the high heels. They are bad for your back and feet. Doesn't mean you can't indulge occasionally. It's like eating Cheetos! They are so bad for you, but yummy...I think your liver can handle a bag from time to time, as long as you don't overdo it. Same goes for high heels. Most people's bodies can handle wearing high heels for short periods of time -- say, an evening out -- and not everyday. The real damage comes from wearing stilettos all day, every day, for years.

Also, when wearing heels, women aren't trying to re-shape their feet on purpose. (Sometimes they get misshapen as a side effect, and it's never desirable). What Rose wants to do is more akin to Chinese foot-binding. She wants to physically squash her waist down by two to four inches. That's going to change the position of her ribs (as you noted) and it is not a good idea.

Wearing a corset tight enough to give your waistline some structure but loose enough not to constrict things is probably OK, I agree.

deb

Veteran

OK, I originally passed this up but now I am back after doing research. The only damage verifiable is to the back muscles -

Muscles

Wearing a corset for a very extended period of time can result in muscle atrophy and lower-back pain. The pectoral muscles also become weak after extensive tight lacing. These weakened muscles cause a greater reliance on the corset.

For those interested, here is the full document.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.....n_the_body

BUT, why do you want to do it? And, how long are you willing to do it for? These are questions that should be answered because If you get to the desired measurement are you planning to wear it the rest of your life?

Echo

Veteran

Corsets will work for almost anyone, provided you get the right kind. Genuine corsets intended for tight lacing can be very costly and usually have to be special ordered. Regardless of where you get your waist while wearing the corset, most people are unable to achieve a smaller waist while not wearing the corset - at least for any length of time. Even people who have been tight lacing for years generally cannot permanently change their natural, uncorseted, waist size. For most people, the effects will last several hours at best without the corset.

So you need to consider your goals. You can special order a corset and you can likely reduce your waist size by 2-4" while wearing the corset. But without it? Unless you wear it almost full time for a decade or more, you cannot expect any permanent reduction in your uncorseted waist size. People who do achieve a reduction in uncorseted waist size generally have either had their appetites reduced by tight lacing (understandable) or have been training for over a decade).

Last, the look of a true wasp waist is generally a fetish thing. If that's your thing, then that's your thing; no judgement from me. But if you think that others will find it an attractive look, you are probably wrong.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I have never worn a steel-boned corset for an extended period of time (more than six hours). I tried corset training for about three days, a few years ago, but it always seemed like life got in the way.

I have worn a steel-boned corset for costumes, and I find that it actually makes me pull in my core muscles more tightly. Doing that is what makes wearing it more comfortable, relatively speaking. I've also found that, for about day after wearing a corset for 4+ hours, my waist looks smaller, my clothing is looser, and my posture is better. I think that this happens because while wearing the corset, I have been making an additional effort to sit and stand up straighter. This effect has lasted anywhere from 1-3 days, but obviously, this effect goes away as I get all lazy and slouchy again I don't know if this effect would continue if I did long-term training, or if atrophy would eventually set in. I imagine that if you have an active exercise or dance regime, that would offset atrophy.

Dita von Teese, the famous burlesque performer, did train her waist, and as far as I know, never had any health issues from it, as she performs regularly onstage.

I cannot speak for what is best for someone else, or would work for them, but if this is something you really want to do, then obviously go slowly and carefully, and do your research

ElleH

Veteran

Hmmm. I don't know the answer to this but I see you have plenty of feedback already. It makes me wonder if my barefooting at home has made my feet wider. I seem to have more trouble fitting into shoes than I used to.

trekkiegirl

Veteran

Nothing personal against Deb and I hope no one else takes offense because I mean none, but Wikipedia is not a "verifiable" source. Why? Because anyone can edit the contents. As a resource for valid data from other, credible sources yes - if you go to the footnotes and references, then read from those in context.

The information on muscle atrophy is taken from a single case study of one woman who wore her corsets 24/7. This is not something most women who currently wear corsets do, nor was it typical of the era or ever common, even during the time period when tight lacing enjoyed it's height of popularity.

As Echo and LaBelle state, it is impossible to achieve permanent results of the proportions the original poster describes.

We are all seeking to achieve a certain image via the tools of our wardrobe, a corset is nothing more than another piece of clothing that helps achieve a certain aesthetic.

Anonymous

Echo-ing Echo

Anonymous

My waist used to be as small as yours. When I look back at pictures, I realize I was too thin. Even back then, I never wanted to wear a corset to make my waist smaller. That's just not a good idea, if you ask me. Also, if it does indeed weaken the back muscles, then it is a big deal. Weakened back muscles can cause sciatica pain to radiate down your legs. I know because I have that problem in addition to osteoarthritis, and have to do exercises to strengthen those muscles--with the ultimate goal of alleviating lower back and leg pain.