Try Day Friday: I Wore a Corset For a Week and Here's What Happened
Sorry to say, it wasn't a cinch.
— -- An undergarment that's been cinching waists since the 1800s is being revived in the fashion and beauty sector.
Seen on celebs like Amber Rose and Kim Kardashian, modern-day corsets, now referred to as 'waist trainers,' are promising to reduce waistlines while giving women an hourglass silhouette.
Curious as to what a corset-wearing trailblazer like Dita Von Teese must experience, I decided to wear the PreMadonna waist trainer for five days in the newsroom. Here's what happened.
Day 1
Day one was all about adjusting. The waist trainer goes on with a hook-and-eye closure (allotted time to fasten was about 8 minutes, as they kept popping open). To be completely honest, Monday was sort of rough. I felt like I couldn't breath for the first hour, which also made it difficult to sneeze.
By the time I took the waist trainer off, it felt like I pumped out 75 crunches at the gym.
My fellow reporters and I had lots of laughs when we realized that I had kept the corset on for two hours too long. The PreMadonna website says to gradually add an hour or two until you're able to wear the corset for a full day ... oops.
Days 2 and 3
On both Tuesday and Wednesday, it was still pretty challenging getting the clasps to close. It's all about putting your muscle into it, really.
An hour into wearing, it felt barely there. On Tuesday, I wore it for two-and-a-half hours. On Wednesday, I stayed strong for an impressive three-and-a-half.
Notable challenges: bending down, eating mac and cheese without feeling stuffed and being able to slouch in my chair.
On the plus side, my posture had never been more perfect.
Days 4 and 5
Both Thursday and Friday were a breeze. The waist trainer stood the test of four hours and I even forgot I had it on.
Unlike Kim Kardashian, I didn't measure or track any potential waist-shrinking results, but I did feel very womanly.
In all honesty, I don't miss wearing the corset. I do, however, have a new found respect for both Dita and Kim K.
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