Ok…so you’ve taken the plunge and bought your first “real” corset….a bit different to all of those “bedroom” corsets that are sold aren’t they?

Naturally, being in love with the whole “corset experience”, you’d like to look after your NBF (New Best Friend!). Being all helpful and stuff…and because we want to always see you out and about looking your very best, we’ve put together a few tips that will help you.

Tip #1: “Please don’t roll me up…I’m not a towel!”

Lots of people (ourselves included) have been guilty of “rolling” corsets to store them. It’s really not very good for them… velvet’s “nap” flattens, PVC sticks to itself (and other things) and lots of other fabrics will show the signs of being “rolled”.

Tip #2: “The easiest and best way to store me is right in front of you!”

That’s right... it’s called a wardrobe! All but the very longest of Long-line corsets can best be stored by hanging on a coat hanger. Pass one side of your NBF (New Best Friend!) through the coat hanger and allow the laces to support the panels, one panel each side……EASY! Unable to do this? Corsets may also be stored flat, and corset bags are available for this purpose.

Tip #3: “My NBF(New Best Friend) is showing the signs of the “Red Wine and Whipped cream Appreciation Evening” last night -  help me TnF!!”

Right…well, we’ve all over indulged or made a bit of a mess of ourselves from time to time… one things to do…DRY CLEAN!  Take your laces out and head to your friendly dry cleaner. If your NBF has a lot of lace and frippery on it, ASK the friendly local dry cleaner first. Of course, if your NBF is PVC or leather, it’s easy, a moist cloth will remove most things, and some leather conditioner will improve the look over age of your NBF. Be careful of using household cleaners on leather and PVC, they may affect the finish. The same can be said for perfumes and other cosmetics.

Tip#4: A corset liner can help your new corset to stay looking new longer!

They aren’t for everybody, but they can certainly play a valuable role in protecting your new corset. Corset liners can help to “wick” away and absorb perspiration and skin oils etc. Not all styles of corset lend themselves to using a liner, but they are certainly worth considering where they can be used.

Tip#5: Always, ALWAYS unlace your corset before undoing the front busk or zip!

Failure to do this can very easily result in physical damage or stretching, and once that has happened, it can’t be fixed easily. We know the temptation can be to *ahem* get out of a corset quickly sometimes, but an extra 30 seconds to unlace and release the pressure will do wonders for looking after your corset!

Enjoy your New Best Friend! :-)