Lacing up a corset is one thing that women struggle with especially if the piece arrives undone. It is vital that you lace correctly since this will affect how great the corset will look on you. There are different ways to lace depending on the type of corset that you have as well as body type. Not all styles will work for you, and that is why it is important to learn different techniques. This guide on how to tighten a corset is for you if you have a new corset and you don’t know how to wear it or if you need a change on how you go about it.
How to lace up your corset
First, before starting to lace a corset by yourself, you need to untie any ties that were on the corset so that you have the lace and busks separate. It is best if you do this while at a table, so both busks are lying flat and are on the same level.
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European/ Standard Lacing 
If your corset arrives laced up if will probably be in this style, it is simple and will hold you correctly. For the standard lacing here are the corset lacing instructions:
- Get the lace through the grommets (holes) at the top, so you have equal lengths of lace on each parallel side.
- Next, you want to take the lace end from the opposite side and get it through the opposite grommet. It merely is crisscrossing just as you would tie your shoelaces.
- So each end goes into the opposite grommet. Do this until you reach midway or where your natural waist will lie.
- At this point, you will skip one row of holes and crisscross on the next grommets.
- You will then go back and insert the corresponding lace back to the hole that you had left. This is so that it will create ‘bunny ears’ which you pull when lacing the corset.
- Alternatively, you can crisscross to the middle then take each lace end and insert in the hole right below it, so it is parallel.
- After this, you can go back to the crisscrossing until the last hole. If done right, you should have two ends at the last opposite holes.
- You will then make a tight knot with the ends, so they are fully closed. Ensure that you do not tighten the corset busks when you are lacing up it should be about 3 inches wide.
Offset/ Double Spiral Lacing
This style was used in medieval times. It is simpler to tie, but the corset has to fit you perfectly for it to work. However, the grommets need also to be offset meaning that they will not be parallel with the opposite side.
- You need one end for this one, so insert one end through the inner grommet, so it comes through the outside then make a knot.
- You will then use the remaining end to criss-cross from a hole on one side to the next one.
- Once you are done, make a similar knot as the first one at the bottom.
The above are the two main corset lacing techniques but if you are a beginner the first is the best as it allows you to use the corset even it is not perfectly fitting. When purchasing corsets online, make sure that it doesn’t have the offset eyeholes as you will have to use the second style.