How to put on a corset with hooks by yourself

Whether wearing a bustier as outerwear or lingerie, it takes a little patience to put this curve-clinging garment on. Similar to a corset, a bustier enhances the waist and breasts, enhancing a woman's hourglass figure. Bustiers may cinch in the front or at the back, depending on the style you choose. If you prefer a lace up bustier, allow the garment some break in time before cinching it too tightly. Like a corset, a bustier may have restrictive boning that needs to bend over time to mimic your shape.

Examine the bustier and look for a row of hooks. Unhook all the hooks. The bustier will fold out to one piece of fabric.

Put the bustier on gathering the hooks in the front or the back, depending on the type you have selected. For a bustier that fastens in the front, connect the top hook first and then button up the bustier from the bottom. If you have a bustier that hooks in the back, put the bustier on backwards and hook the bottom hooks first. Twist the bustier around and then reach around to connect the remaining hooks.

Tie a lace up bustier by grasping both sides of the ribbon and tugging the laces to cinch it in sturdy bow. Leave a gap of 2 inches if you need to train your bustier. Pull on the bow slightly to make sure the bustier is secure.

Look in a mirror to make sure all the hooks look secure. Lean forward in the bustier and tug upwards on the sides to ease your breasts forward into the cups.

References

• Bare Necessities: Felina Essentials Seamless Hidden Wire
• Refinery 29: Trendy Not Trampy

Writer Bio

Mimi Bullock's writing reflects her love of traveling the back roads of small towns and sampling the local cuisine. As a regular feature writer for "Southern Hospitality Traveler" and journalist for "Beachin' Magazine," she gets to experience the rich heritage of the southern culture. She is also a licensed cosmetologist who has her own skin care line.

Tighten your corset gradually – pulling the laces until the corset is gently, comfortably snug. Let your body adjust to the corset, and in 15 minutes to half an hour, you’ll be able to tighten the corset further. By doing this gradually, you will be able to wear you corset for a longer period of time. If at any time you feel pain in your lower back, please loosen your laces immediately. Corset wearing is perfectly healthy, as long as it is done in moderation. Your body will tell you when enough is enough. Be sure to listen!

1. Close the Busk

First, loosen the laces so there is no struggle to close the corset front. Pull the corset around your body. Begin closing the busk (front closure) by hooking the second from the bottom button. Grasp the corset top. Gently bend the right side of the corset away from your body. Then, one by one, hook the clasps closed by pressing the loop side beyond and over the button. You may miss one or two clasps – don’t worry, just go back and do it up after you’ve closed more of the corset front. Sometimes a loop gets stuck under a button, making further progress impossible. Pull the loop to the side, away from the button, then over it.

2. Position the Corset

After all the corset clasps are closed, tug the corset down on your body, settling the corset waist at your natural waist, then begin tightening the laces.

3. Locate the Pull

Tabs You will find a “pull tab” at the waist of the corset. It is the only place where the ribbon runs vertically.

4. Pull the Tabs

Hook a finger into each of these loops and pull until the waist is comfortably snug and there is excess ribbon at the top and the bottom.

5. Grab an “X”

Grab an “X” (of ribbon) near the top, and pull it taut, then do the same to the next “X” in line, being careful not to get tangled in the previous “X”. Repeat until you reach the waist.

6. Pull on the Waist Loop

Pull on the waist loop until snug. The important thing to remember is that the top half of the corset ribbons are connected to the bottom half of the waist loop and visa versa. Repeat the same process, working the loose laces up from the bottom to the waist.

7. Tie the Bow

When the corset is comfortably snug, tie a bow and tuck the laces under the bottom edge of the corset.

Corsets have a rich history dating back to the 16th century. The most recent peak of popularity was in the early to mid-19th century, also known as the Victorian era. In this period, corsets were made from fabric with boning inserted into sleeves in the fabric. The boning kept the fabric stiff so that it could shape and support the midsection. Corsets are composed of two side panels that are held together by lacing (much like that on a shoe) and a type of hardware called a "hook-and-eye" closure. Putting on a corset for the first time is easier with the help of another person.

• Corsets have a rich history dating back to the 16th century.
  
• Corsets are composed of two side panels that are held together by lacing (much like that on a shoe) and a type of hardware called a "hook-and-eye" closure.

Connect the hook-and-eye hardware together to connect one side of the corset. You'll see on the left side of one panel of the corset small holes down its length; these are the "eyes." The opposite side has hardware that is made of little hooks. Place each hook into its opposite eye, working either from top to bottom or bottom to top.

Loosen the laces. Most corsets come partially laced. It's easier not to undo the laces completely, but loosen them so you can slip the corset over your head or step into it and bring it up from your feet.

Slip the corset on, and position it around your midsection. Rotate the corset to have the laces either in the back or the front. Most corsets are meant to be worn with the laces in the back and the hook-and-eye closure in the front. However, you can turn the laces to the front, if you choose, and have the hook-and-eye in the back.

• Most corsets come partially laced.
  
• However, you can turn the laces to the front, if you choose, and have the hook-and-eye in the back.

Tighten the laces. This is done more easily with the help of a friend, because there is more leverage to pull the laces tightly from outside the corset. The tightness of the laces is ultimately up to you. The tighter the laces are, the smaller your waist will appear. If the laces are too tight, you risk not being able to breathe properly or fainting. Walk around in the corset after the laces have been tightened to make sure your breathing remains normal. If breathing is at all difficult, have your friend loosen the laces.

• This is done more easily with the help of a friend, because there is more leverage to pull the laces tightly from outside the corset.

TIP

To remove the corset, simply unhook the hook-and-eye closure. The next time you put the corset on, wrap it around yourself and you'll only have to fasten the hook-and-eye hardware. If the hardware is on the back, you may still need a friend to close it for you, but you won't need to do much with the laces.