Earlier, corsets used to get passed through the generations. This means a lady may use the corset that her mother used to wear. During those times, corsets had a sentimental attachment. Husbands gifted corsets to their wives on special occasions such as the first night after the wedding. Also, expensive corsets were preserved so that many other generations can experience wearing the corset.

While wearing a second-hand corset was quite normal a few years back, many women consider it gross today. Quite obvious, you should not wear an unused garment of anyone else due to hygiene purposes. Still, things are quite different when it comes to the corsets. Today, most women wear corsets either over their shirts or over a cotton lining to protect the corset from any kind of damage. So, the chances of the corset getting dirty also reduces.

Reasons to Wear a Second-Hand Corset

Though most women today prefer to get a new corset, many others also prefer to get a second-hand option. Here are some of the reasons why many women prefer to get a second-hand corset.

• Great for a Fresher:

If you are new to corsetry, getting a second-hand corset can be a great choice for you. Women who are new to corsetry often find it difficult to break through the new corset. Many women may buy a corset, but they might land up ignoring it as they could not season it properly. If you are new to corsets and are still learning, getting a used corset can greatly help you. The used corsets are already seasoned, and you do not have to put in extra effort in seasoning the corset. You can start wearing it instantly for the purpose of waist training without wasting much of your time and effort in seasoning it.

• Highly Comfortable:

Again, a seasoned corset is much more comfortable than the new ones. This is because the bones are all straight, and it takes time for them to get seasoned as per the shape of your body to make you feel comfortable. But if you are in a hurry and do not have too much time to devote to the seasoning purpose, the seasoned and used corsets are a great option. The seasoned corsets will give out a feeling of hugging your waist area. It makes you feel super comfortable even when you have tightened the laces hard. You are wearing the corset for the entire day.

• Low on Cost:

While there are some logical reasons why a seasoned or a used corset can be a great option for you, one of the major reasons for not being ignored is the cost. A second-hand corset comes at a much lesser cost than the new ones, quite obviously. Hence, many of the experts who have a hobby of collecting different corsets prefer to go for the second-hand corsets to spend less and can buy 2 or 3 pieces at the cost of a single new corset.

Tips for Buying a Second-Hand Corset:

While getting a second-hand corset can offer you several benefits, you should make sure that you are still looking for the right quality. Here are some of the ways how you can recognize whether a corset is used or not.

• There will be no crispy feel on the fabric of a used corset. Even, you may notice some wrinkles on the fabric.
• The steel bones will get slightly bent due to seasoning.
• You may even notice a change in the gourmets' position as they may get shifted to the center.

Having such changes in the corset is fine. But you should notice some important factors while buying a second-hand corset.

• You should always try to get a corset that was first worn by someone of your shape and size. Sometimes, if the corset owner's shape was asymmetric, you will not be able to get back the corset to the symmetric shape as per your body.


• Always make sure that the corset has been stretched only to a maximum of 1 inch from its actual size. There is no use in getting a corset that has already been stretched too much.


• It is preferable to get a second-hand corset that has been used only for a few couples of times by the earlier owner. This way, you will not have to spend much effort on the cleaning of the corset too.

Usually, you should get your own new corset, season it, and wear it. But there is no harm in getting a second-hand corset that is already seasoned. You get so many benefits out of buying a used corset. But you should make sure that you make the right selection when you are buying a second-hand corset.