Putting on a tricky Victorian Corset

Putting on a corset.

Victorian corsets have a feature no other item of clothing has. The simple steel busk is an engineers dream. On one side is a pin with a large head and on the other is a hook tapered to a slot. This simple device on the front of a corset can be hooked on to the pin and when under tension will not come off. So to put on a corset first you have to loosen the laces. The knot at the bottom of the corset should not be touched. That is not the way in. The two loops of lace from the centre of the corset need to be fed back through the eyelets until they are only approx. 6 inches long. The laces will make the back of the corset widen and it becomes a bit floppy as the two halves move about. The corset can then be wrapped around the waist and the busks clipped together. Once this has been done the laces can be pulled from the two loops and worked back out of the eyelets thus closing the gap at the back of the corset and reduce your waist. Care must be taken when initially tightening the corset as these busks work best under tension and are likely to slip of the pins when the corset is put on before tightening the lacing.  It is always best to adjust the corset position to get comfortable and then tighten the lacing until the pins are under a little tension. A quick check to make sure none have come unclipped and then continue lacing the corset to a tightness you desire. Failure to do this check will result in the time consuming unlacing of the corset. Do not be fooled into thinking you can just simply clip an open busk closed on a tightened corset as it will damage the fabric, bend the other busks or break a nail!  Once the corset is tight these busks will remain pulled into their closed position. Simple and effective. The corset lacing may be tightened towards the centre by gently but firmly pulling the lacing in the centre. The jerking and foot in the back methods are for films only. You will be surprised how powerful the gentle pull of the laces can be and the laces will all take the strain of the corset. One you have tightened the corset to feel comfortable the laces can be tied in a bow at the back. Do not take the laces around the corset as this will damage the corset and can be uncomfortable as it causes pressure when the corset and body become one.