Frequently Asked Questions

Corsets 

          1. What is the right way to lace up the corset?
          2. How tightly can I lace the corset?
          3. How should the corset feel?
          4. What can I wear with a corset?
          5. How should I clean my corset?
          6. Why does a custom corset cost so much more than ready-to-wear?
          7. My custom corset feels too tight!  Is something wrong?
          8. How can I keep my corset clean?
          9. What if I shrink out of my corset?
          10. What if I outgrow my corset?
          11. What if my corset needs repair?
          12. Why has my corset become bent in spots?
          13. What can I do about it?

          14. Which way is up?

Ordering from Felix & Kitty
         1. How do I place an order?
 




Corsets - Care and Feeding

Your new corset is a robust beast, and should serve you well for years to come, provided that you treat it gently and care for it in the proper manner.  Here are your answers to some common questions.  If you have any other inquiries, please don’t hesitate to email Kitty for information.

1. What is the right way to lace up the corset?

There are several ways to do this. Whichever method you use, remember to lace up gradually.  When you first put on the corset, the fabric is cold and fibers are more brittle, so don’t pull on it suddenly, or you may snap the threads and weaken or even tear the garment.  Tighten the laces only until the corset feels comfortably snug but not too tight, and wait five to ten minutes before lacing it tighter.  Move around a bit to warm up the fabric and make it more elastic.  If you like to wear your corset very tightly, make sure you have one, two, or even three  more ten-minute rest period before lacing it all the way.

For corsets with straps: The easiest way is to have someone help you.  Put on the corset and grab it at the bottom edge about four inches away from the lacing holes, then pull straight down while your helper laces you up. This makes sure everything is in the correct place as the corset tightens around your body.  You can let go once the lacing reaches your bust level.  If you need to lace yourself up into a front-laced corset, try lying on your back after putting on the corset, pulling on the bottom edge as far as you can, then lacing yourself up as though you were lacing up your shoes.  Lacing yourself into a back-lacing corset is very difficult, unless you have a front busk.

For strapless corsets: Hold the corset around your body at the correct height, making sure that the lacing holes are centered.  Lace up the holes as though you’re lacing up a pair of shoes.  There are other lacing methods, but this one is generally the fastest and easiest.  If it’s sitting too high or low after lacing, grab the lower or upper edge and give it a tug to bring it into place.

2. How tightly can I lace the corset?

That depends.  The more panels a corset has, the more boning it contains, and the more it can support your figure.  The heavier the material, the more strain it can take when you pull it tight.  In general, more expensive corsets have more panels, more interior support, and smaller stitches, and can be laced tighter.  If the material or stitches are showing signs of stress, such as horizontal pull wrinkles or visible stitching at the seams, you are lacing too tightly.  Loosen it off a bit or try a larger size.

3. How should the corset feel?

Contrary to popular myth, wearing a corset isn’t painful or uncomfortable.  A properly fitted corset that follows the contours of your body should never hurt, pinch, or dig in anywhere.  You should feel like you’re being evenly contained all over.  Your back feels supported, your posture becomes perfect, your abdomen is gently held in, and if you’re large-busted, your shoulders should relax as they no longer have to carry the weight of your breasts.  The first time you put on a corset, you may feel short of breath; if that happens, loosen it off a few inches.  In a short while, your body adjusts, and suddenly, you’ll want to tighten it up.  Ten minutes after putting on a well-fitting corset, you should forget you have it on, unless you’re deliberately tight-lacing.

Remember to drink water, since corset wearing can get quite warm.  Also, make sure you remember to eat; your body may not realize you’re hungry due to the constriction of your stomach.  Small quantities of food more often works better than one large meal.

4. What can I wear with a corset?

That depends on the effect you want.  A corset over a very full ballgown skirt makes your waist look tiny and creates a dramatic, elegant formal dress.  The same corset by itself or over a T-shirt with leather pants makes great club wear.  Worn with a simple pencil skirt or dress pants, it becomes an outfit for a date or an evening out.  You can take it to a historical re-enactment event by wearing it over a white chemise and simple gathered skirt, and to a cosplay or anime convention as a “Gothic Lolita” character outfit over lace and tulle petticoats. 

5. How should I clean my corset?

We can’t guarantee that dry cleaning will be safe because of all the hardware that goes into a corset.  Washing the entire corset is not necessary if you wear something between you and the corset.  If you spill something on the surface, you can usually spot-clean it by gently dabbing it with a dampened (not wet) soft cloth (don’t try this on a silk or satin surface!). 

If you absolutely need to wash it, you could try this: fill your bathtub with several inches of cool but not freezing cold water and add three or four tablespoons of gentle clear (preferably colorless) liquid soap or detergent.  Stir until dissolved.  Lower the corset into the water, keeping it flat, and immerse all at once.  Swirl around in the water and rub any stain very gently with a finger, with a small dab of extra detergent if needed.  Drain the water and fill the tub with clean water, and swirl around until rinsed.  Take out the corset, lay flat on a large light-colored towel (so you don’t risk getting dye transferred onto your corset), and roll up tightly.  Press evenly to blot excess moisture, and repeat with new towels if needed until you get the corset as dry as you can.  Lay the corset on a dry towel and use your blow dryer to thoroughly dry the area around the metal grommets to prevent rusting, being very careful not to scorch the fabric. 

When in doubt, contact us for help before cleaning your corset!

6. Why does a custom corset cost so much more than ready-to-wear?

Mainly because it takes much more time to construct a custom corset.  When you order a custom corset, you need a consultation and a pattern-making session, and possibly an accompanied fabric shopping expedition.  You get to choose your own fabrics, trims, and details, and you can select every aspect of your garment from the height of the neckline to the length to the exact shape you want the corset to give your body.  A ready-to-wear corset takes about five hours of work for two people.  A custom corset, on average, takes fifteen hours, more for reversible corsets.

Also, a custom corset usually has more panels, extra boning, and closer-set grommets, which mean much more support, tighter shaping, and greater durability, but also higher materials costs.  It will also have couture hand-finished details rather than the regular machine finish.  Also, if you opt for a reversible corset, you can effectively get two corsets for very little extra cost.

7. My custom corset feels too tight!  Is something wrong?

Corsets are under tremendous tension.  Most fabrics grow a bit under the constant pull, so we have to compensate for that by making your new corset a bit too tight, or it will become too big within a few hours of your first wearing.  The amount of “growth” depends on the fabrics you choose, though the lining and underlining fabrics are selected to take most of the stress and control the rate of stretch.  When we fit the finished corset on you, we’ll be able to tell you if the fit’s right or not.  If it really is excessively tight, we’ll let you know and make you a new corset!

8. How can I keep my corset clean?

If you’re wearing your corset to a historical event, you’ll probably wear a chemise beneath it, so this won’t be a problem.  If you want the corset-only look, consider protecting your corset from body oils and perspiration with a cotton-spandex tube worn underneath.  This will also prevent laces from digging into your skin at the gap of back-laced corsets without modesty panels.  Just tuck in the visible spandex fabric away under the corset after lacing to make sure it stays out of sight.

9. What if I shrink out of my corset?
On some strapless styles, it is sometimes possible to stitch a small tuck on the side front and side back panels to take in the corset by as much as 2 inches.  If you have sensitive skin, this may not be an option, since the tucks can dig sometimes dig in.  This is not possible for corsets with straps.  If your corset is still in good condition, you can contact us and see if we can sell it on consignment at an upcoming event.

10. What if I outgrow my corset?

If you just need an extra inch or two, we could add a modesty panel under the lacings of most styles.  On a strapless back-laced corset, you can gain as much as four to six inches this way.

If you don’t want to keep it, contact us and see if we can sell it on consignment at an upcoming event.

11. What if my corset needs repair?

It happens – you catch the fabric on a ring or splinter, you pull too sharply on cold fabric, you scorch it on a candle, and so forth.  Contact us, and we’ll see if it can be repaired.  You’d be surprised at what we can do.  If you followed all your care guidelines and it’s been a year or less since you bought your corset, repairs are free – you just need to cover the postage.

12. Why has my corset become bent in spots?

The boning in your corset molds itself to the curves of your body in time.  This is a good thing to a point, because this is what makes the garment comfortable and fully customized.  However, if you have a ready-to-wear corset, you may find that some panels bend more than they should, or buckle a bit at the narrowest point.  This is because you curve more than the number of corset panels can accommodate, and each boning channel is being asked to support more of you than it can.  If you’re very curvy, you probably can’t get away from this unless you go for custom work. 

This rarely happens in a custom corset, because it has been made with your body in mind. If the problem is really bothersome, contact us, and we can suggest several solutions depending on exactly what you need.
If you bend too suddenly or sharply while wearing your corset, you can put a kink in the boning.  If this happens, you can usually press it out as described below.

13. What can I do about it?

If you have an off-the-rack corset, chances are that it’s lined with heavyweight cotton denim.  Put your corset on a clean ironing board, denim side up.  If your corset is made of velvet or a fabric with a fuzzy or irregular surface, put a terry-cloth towel over the ironing board first so you don’t flatten the pile.  Turn your iron on to the cotton setting with maximum steam.  Press carefully along the bent area, holding the iron over the boning channels with the steam going.  Make sure you don’t scorch the fabric.  Press the boning channel as flat as you can.  Pick up the corset and bend the still-warm boning channels in the opposite direction from the way they want to curve until it stays straight when you let go.  Let cool in the straight position, weighting it down with a book or two if needed.

If you can’t make it behave on your own, contact us and we’ll help you deal with it.

14. Which way is up?

Most of the time, the edge with the binding points down.    If you are having any fit problems, please contact us.

Ordering from Felix & Kitty

1. How Do I Place an Order?

Right now, please email us directly.