tightlacing, corsetry

[kalt]

I've been searching extensively on literature of corsetry on MtF transsexuals with the aim to slim the ribcage by both shrinking the muscles that expand it(obliques, intercostals) and pushing it in.

I think that the most important part of a feminine figure is the contrast in circumference from the torso to the hips.  It's not the waist alone that should be slimmed, but from below the breasts all the way to the top of the hip bones.

That said, does anyone have experience with slimming done by corsetry?

Is it possible, that with a very low bodyfat, extended corsetry over the years, HRT, and possible lower rib removal, that permanent changes could be achieved?

[tinkerbell]

You can always remove rib bones surgically.

tink

[tarasita]

Lower rib removal? Do they really do that? I have heard that some people have had lower ribs broken and then worn a corset  during the healing process to have them heal in a new, narrower position, but I've never heard of having them removed. 

[Wing Walker]

Hi, Kalt, I have first-hand experience with corsetry and IMHO it works.

The ideal feminine symmetry is something that few women have and all would want.  As I see it, there is no real "cut-in-stone" ratio, like 36-24-36, that means that you're a woman and if you don't have it, you're not.

I suggest that you find a corset shop where you can be fitted as few of us are made for "off the shelf" corsets.  You should be able to try any corset on before you buy it.  I did and it turned out that my corset had to be custom-made to fit my frame.

Both men and women practice the "divine discipline" of waist training. 

Hope this helps.

Wing Walker

[kalt]

Lower rib removal? Do they really do that? I have heard that some people have had lower ribs broken and then worn a corset  during the healing process to have them heal in a new, narrower position, but I've never heard of having them removed. 

That sounds painful.

I wonder how much rib removal actually does for attaining the hour glass figure...

Posted on: October 07, 2007, 12:13:35 AM

Hi, Kalt, I have first-hand experience with corsetry and IMHO it works.

The ideal feminine symmetry is something that few women have and all would want.  As I see it, there is no real "cut-in-stone" ratio, like 36-24-36, that means that you're a woman and if you don't have it, you're not.

I suggest that you find a corset shop where you can be fitted as few of us are made for "off the shelf" corsets.  You should be able to try any corset on before you buy it.  I did and it turned out that my corset had to be custom-made to fit my frame.

Both men and women practice the "divine discipline" of waist training. 

Hope this helps.

Wing Walker

Hey, could you please share some more of your experience, and knowledge of other's experience, on the forums please?
I'd really like to know, I don't want to be a permanent corset trainer, but if it's possible to see some good gains towards my goals then I'd go all out.

[Berliegh]

Hi, Kalt, I have first-hand experience with corsetry and IMHO it works.

The ideal feminine symmetry is something that few women have and all would want.  As I see it, there is no real "cut-in-stone" ratio, like 36-24-36, that means that you're a woman and if you don't have it, you're not.

I suggest that you find a corset shop where you can be fitted as few of us are made for "off the shelf" corsets.  You should be able to try any corset on before you buy it.  I did and it turned out that my corset had to be custom-made to fit my frame.

Both men and women practice the "divine discipline" of waist training. 

Hope this helps.

Wing Walker

It sounds a bit transvestite but if it works.......

As for rib removal.....I have heard of it a few times before but the pschiatrists at a well known London NHS clinic had never heard of it.......and desputed it when it was mentioned. I think they do it in Brazil but it's a bit complicated. I'm pretty sure that females have the same amount of ribs as males so maybe it's not the answer?

[ketti]

Hey, i wish there were "corsets" that mashed the shoulders together!

[kalt]

It sounds a bit transvestite but if it works.......

Woah, you're on a site with hundreds of people who are suffering from the bigotry of others and you're finding time to still hold biases?
Ouch.

As for rib removal.....I have heard of it a few times before but the pschiatrists at a well known London NHS clinic had never heard of it.......and desputed it when it was mentioned. I think they do it in Brazil but it's a bit complicated. I'm pretty sure that females have the same amount of ribs as males so maybe it's not the answer?

Yuo're right.
I think that the rib shifting would work better, breaking the ribs.

The thing isn't based off the numebr of ribs.  Female rib cages don't go down as far as male ones do.  So, with them both no going as far down and being narrower, the only way to modify to that standard would be to remove a few ribs and bring em in.
Unfortunately, the ribs attatch to the spine.  So, it'd be a highly risky operation.

Posted on: October 07, 2007, 10:40:07 AM

Hey, i wish there were "corsets" that mashed the shoulders together!

Lose the muscle, become a distance runner, don't eat much.

And, if you design your own corset, you could do that.
But, be careful.  Mashing the shoudlers together would likely screw up your rotator cuffs.

PS: they have them.   They're called, "straight jackets."

:-P

[ketti]

Lose the muscle, become a distance runner, don't eat much.

And, if you design your own corset, you could do that.
But, be careful.  Mashing the shoudlers together would likely screw up your rotator cuffs.

i was talking about the bones and not the muscles. i probably use the wrong words. i think shoulders can refer to those things on your back? what do call the place where your arms attach? that is shoulder too? anyway the little muscle i have is just the minimum to move things around. they don't add anything to the bone really. i guess everything around the place where the arms connect is called shoulder. and if you reduce your muscles in that area the will look more petit. but the only thing i am conserned about is the with from one top of the upper arm to the other. only limiting factor there is the skeleton, and while the ribs are quite soft and easy to play around with, the same don't seem to hold for other places.
sorry for the confused post...

[tinkerbell]

Lower rib removal? Do they really do that? I have heard that some people have had lower ribs broken and then worn a corset  during the healing process to have them heal in a new, narrower position, but I've never heard of having them removed. 

Oh yes, you would be amazed at what they can do.

http://www.aaronstonemd.com/RibRemoval.shtm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib_removal

tink

[melissa90299]

I like my ribs >>

Chicago, KC, Texas or Deep South style?

Posted on: October 07, 2007, 03:36:34 PM

It sounds a bit transvestite but if it works.......

The term transvestite is a pejorative. A lot of women wear corsets and tight-lace, it can be a fetish but bit is tied to the BDSM crowd more than anything, I have a $400 corset from Dark Gardens and  have been wearing it daily, it gives me awesome cleavage and an hourglass figure, somethng I never thought possible.

I am hoping it will reduce my waistline permanently.

[LostInTime]

I LOVE corsets. It is like being constantly hugged.

For play, service, and fun I have a really heavy duty one made by Stormy Leather. I will probably need to get a new one next year as I am now wrapping the laces around my body one and a half times and the gap in the back is getting smaller. Men and women love the way I look when I have it on, tonnes of compliments.

I will eventually throw about $600 or so into one that I can wear all of the time and be properly fitted.

Look up exercises to perform and tips on how to eat properly and what to stay away from (like carbonated drinks). If one wears a corset all of the time, you may eventually become dependent on them and yes, I have met such a person and her waist is way thin.

[gothique11]

Go to a corset shop that specializes in corsets. As someone mentioned, you don't want waist train with off-the-shelf corsets. Over time, your body will change. I believe you must wear the corset 20 hours a day all the time. You may also want to partner to help you with adjusting the corset, taking it off and on, etc.

I have an off-the-wall PVC corset, but I only use it occasionally. It's a pain to get on since it's just with strings in the back and I need someone to help me put it on (some have snaps on the front, so you can easily remove it).

As for the ribcage stuff, I'm not sure where you can get that done. I would imagine that there are a lot of risks with that (and then again, so do corsets).

[kalt]

Actually, I've been drawing up a design for a non-boned, elastic corset.

[Ember Lewis]

I'm a former Period Dressmaker and Historic Dress Consultant, and I speak from experience in todays world, it's not fun to wear a period corset for more than a couple hours. A modern lightly boned one may be a bit more bearable for everyday use. You really have to have a serious passion and dedication to wear a corset everyday for a long time to see any results. Historically, girls where bound just after weening so there was far more potential for body modification in past centuries. Often it would change the silhouette by bringing in the wast and creating steeply sloping shoulders, you see this a lot in 19century paintings. Sorry for the boring history lesson, if you are interested in making your own corsets try...

:-*Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh
:-*Waisted Efforts by Doyle
These are the best corsetry books available however Waisted Efforts is my favorite but very expensive I paid around $80.00ca for it.

[melissa90299]

Go to a corset shop that specializes in corsets. As someone mentioned, you don't want waist train with off-the-shelf corsets. Over time, your body will change. I believe you must wear the corset 20 hours a day all the time. You may also want to partner to help you with adjusting the corset, taking it off and on, etc.

I have an off-the-wall PVC corset, but I only use it occasionally. It's a pain to get on since it's just with strings in the back and I need someone to help me put it on (some have snaps on the front, so you can easily remove it).

As for the ribcage stuff, I'm not sure where you can get that done. I would imagine that there are a lot of risks with that (and then again, so do corsets).

It took awhile to master the skill but I can put my corset on and tie it in the back in five minutes or less. I am rather proud of this as I see it as a feminine skill/trait.

[kalt]

So yes, I'm reviving this.

I'm seriously looking into tightlacing, because I've got a naturally large ribcage.  It makes for a great male figure, but not so much female one.  I've been using these walmart elastic waist slimmers for the past two weeks, I tried to put the m on my bare skin and got rashes, then discovered placing them over a tight shirt works best.  I am also easing into it fulltime, it's drastically improved my waist size already.  I was at 3% bodyfat but a 28 inch waist at 5'2, which is pretty bad.  So...

I don't know any local corsetry shops.

I was looking online at some stores, and found this site: www.corsetheaven.com

I was looking at some of the corsets, but don't have any advice on whether or not cinching the rib cage would actually shrink it over time, or if I should just focus on the lower rib cage.  What I mean is, binding all the way from below the breasts in front and an inch or two under the underarm in an attempt to bind more than just the lower ribcage in an attempt to shrink the entire torso, or if I would be better off focusing on just the lower rib cage.

If anyone has any advice on good online brokers, or corsetry shops on the southeast coast of USA, hit me up with it!

[Dark Angel]

I'm also very interested in this. One of my clubbing buddies linked me to this eBay store recently which sells a bunch of corsets good for tightlacing. When I have money saved up again after getting back from my trip to Germany in February, I'm going to take the plunge and buy one. If I come up with anymore info before then I'll post back here! =)



|Jessicka|

[kalt]

When I have money saved up again after getting back from my trip to Germany in February, I'm going to take the plunge and buy one. If I come up with anymore info before then I'll post back here! =)
|Jessicka|

Fitting is my primary concerns, I've already decided I'll be spending my tax returns on getting a quality corset.

[Ms Jessica]

Hi to everyone.  I'm new here and in the process of reading up.  Couldn't resist responding to a corset thread, though. 
I have a little experience with corsets, and if you're in the US, then Versatile Fashions is a great place to buy from.  Dark Garden and Stormy Leather are both excellent corset makers, too. 
I've had several corsets from Versatile over the years, and always been happy with them.  They're very well made and durable.  I've never bought from Dark Garden or Stormy Leather, but they have great designs and I've only ever heard positive comments about them.

As for some of the questions posted, I've collected answers to most of them over the years--

The modification of the lower ribs (the floating ribs) by a corset is possible, but requires pretty dedicated corset training (think about moving teeth with orthodontics-- you have to have braces for years sometimes).  Someone had mentioned 20 hours a day and that's pretty close to what you'd need. 

The same goes with waist slimming.  There's quite a bit of dedication required, but the shape a corset gives is just amazing. 

There are a few things to keep in mind, too. 
First, new corsets require a bit of a breaking in period, so that the boning can adjust to your body.  Cinching a corset closed when it's brand new can stress the bones and damage the corset.  Plus, you have to let your body adjust to it.  In most cases, if you've never corsetted before, you might only be able to wear it for an hour or two at a time. 
Also, you want to get a corset with a metal busk and steel stays.  There are a few different types of steel that can be used, and if I remember correctly, the spiral steel is the strongest.  Avoid corselettes if your goal is waist training/tightlacing.  Corselettes aren't made to deal with the stress of tightlacing and will break/rip/tear easily because they aren't reinforced the way a good corset is. 
A corselette is good for a waist reduction of about 2 inches from your current waist size.  A good corset should be able to reduce your waist anywhere from 2 to 4 inches.  Individuals who have been tightlacing for a while should be able to get as much as 6 inches off their waist. 
Last--A corset is not a good way to get into clothes that don't fit.  The bulk of the corset will add width to your torso and depending on the corset, to your hips, too.  Some jeans, etc. might not fit the same as a result.