You have been fitted and purchased your corset. Congratulations. Now the learning begins.
At MacCamie Studios we have a few rules with corsets that will help with the longevity of the garment and help to keep you safe while wearing it. We value our customers and want to see them return again and again because they love our products.
Rule One: Boots Before Corset: You must put on your shoes before you put on your corset. Our corsets are steel boned and that means they are supportive garments. However, this also means your movements are restricted in some ways. Steel does not bend far enough to tie your shoes. This also means that there are other things that you should not do: like wear it in the car or to bed. Our corsets are comfortable and beautiful, but they are not meant to be worn in some situations.
Rule Two: Laces Before Busking: You MUST loosen the laces EVERY time. This is because while your corset is laced tightly to give you that beautiful shape, it is under tension and the steel is ready to spring back into its original configuration. If the corset is not loosened up from the laces before trying to undo the front clasps several things could go wrong. First, you could tear the seams of your corset. This would mean that the corset would lose structural integrity, and the fabric would fray and continue to tear from that point or points. Second, you could end up getting stuck in the corset because the busking has no slack to move around. While wearing the corset this is not a problem, but once you are ready to get out of your corset and into your mundane comfort clothing you want to be able to move each side of your corset easily. Thirdly, it could bruise or injure you. This is rare but it does happen. If there is an emergency, we would rather you cut the laces than try to undo the busking. This does two things: Gets you out faster and protects the corset and you from harm. Laces can be easily replaced rather than having to buy a new corset.
Rule Three: DO NOT PUT IT IN THE WASHING MACHINE: The steel in the corset and the steel of the washing maching and dryer will destroy each other and it will be an expensive proposition to replace all of them. So how do you clean your corset? A damp wash cloth on large areas to remove dirt and grime. DO NOT SOAK the corset. That will cause the steel to rust and cause staining to the corset. If you just want to refresh the fabric because it was hot and you sweated, you can do two things. One: Turn on the shower to as hot as it will go and let the bathroom steam up. Hang the corset on the shower rod, not in the stream of water, and let it steam for about ten minutes. Or two: make a mixture of one part water and one part vodka and LIGHTLY spritz the corset. This acts just like Fabreeze. Again do not soak it. Let it dry completely before putting it away.