As with any clothing purchase, proper and careful care of your corset is necessary to ensure that your garment remains in pristine condition for as long as possible. Please take careful note of the instructions listed on this page to make sure that you get the longest possible wear out of your corset.
When lacing up your corset to your body, first make sure your corset is closed in the front and that everything is in the correct place on your body. (Your corset MUST be loose when you close the front.)
Once the front is closed, start gently lacing up the back of your corset from the top to the waist and then from the bottom to the waist, leaving your "bunny ear" loops for last. You may then tie your bunny loops with some possible further adjusting of the laces to get to the shaping that you desire.
When wearing your corset, it is highly advised that you wear something between your skin and your corset. This is so that your corset does not bear the brunt of collecting your natural body oils and sweat. This will then help to reduce the amount of washing that your corset will need to be exposed to and therefore increase the longevity of your corset.
Particularly with more extreme waist shaping corsets, it is very important that you slowly break in your corset to not only ensure that your body can adjust to the new shaping, but also so that your corset can too without any warping or damage.
To break in your corset, you will need to start by lacing it up to a point of being "snug" to your body without any intense restriction. Wear your corset at this level for an 1 hour at a time for the first 3 wearing sessions. After you have done this and you are ready, you may lace it up a little tighter with each wear going forward, making sure to gradually increase the restriction so you may break in your corset correctly.
Store your corset in a cool, dry place. Keep it away from any sunlight that may cause fading of the fabric pigments and away from any moisture that may cause fabric mildew or the rusting of spring steel boning. Do not store your corset rolled up or in any position that may cause unnecessary pressure on the seams/boning. This may cause irreversible distortion or warping of the shape. You may store your corset in a plastic bag or in a box - this will help to keep it in good condition.
After wearing, it is important to air your corset out to rid it of any sitting moisture and reduce any potential staining. Hang your corset over the back of a chair with the lining facing outwards until it is completely dry.
A corset is not meant to be washed regularly - DO NOT machine wash your corset under any circumstances.
If your corset develops any marks or small stains, you may use a damp cloth to gently remove by dabbing the affected areas.
If your corset develops any odours, you may use gentle anti-bacterial powder products and fabric freshener sprays to remove, but please make sure to test these products on a small and inconspicuous area of your corset first. Make sure to only apply these products to the lining of your corset ONLY. It is also a good idea to air out your corset for longer than you currently are doing if you are experiencing odours.
If you absolutely must wash your corset, please take it to a respectable dry cleaning service so they can do this for you.