There are quite a few people out there who, if they decided to corset, would not be able to reach around and access any laces behind them – these may include people who may have limited mobility or strength in their arms and shoulders, or those who may use a wheelchair. Since front-lacing corsets are so few and far-between, it’s not uncommon for me to get the question, “Can you turn a regular corset back-to-front and wear it as a front-lacing corset?”
Truthfully, I wouldn’t recommend it. Your body is not symmetric from back-to-front. In the front of your body, you have your peritoneal organs and soft tissues; you have to worry about the corset being rigid enough to hold in the tummy and keep your abdomen supported and flat. Many people are also concerned about the corset being long enough to support the lower tummy, but short enough to be able to sit down comfortably in it.
In the back, you have your retroperitoneal organs, and a good corset will not affect these organs. The corset should be high enough in the back to prevent muffin top, and the bones in the back edges should be strong enough to support the grommets, but flexible enough to contour to the natural curve of the lumbar spine, and avoid pressing uncomfortably into the tailbone or the bum area.
So what happens when you wear a corset back-to-front? I demonstrate in the video below with three different corsets: a longline underbust, a mid-hip underbust, and a cincher. Watch the video below to see the conclusions.
Longline underbust corset (CS-426 from Orchard Corset), worn the right way:
- The sturdy busk in front keeps the tummy flat.
- There is this contoured shaping at the underbust and lap area.
- There is the flat steel boning that is a little less rigid than the busk – so it can conform to your lumbar curve, but still support the grommets.
Longline underbust corset, worn backwards:
- The lumbar curve is mostly lost from the rigid busk – it’s forcing me into an unnatural posture.
- I feel a little unsupported from the laces now in front; the laces are bowing at the lower tummy.
- I feel a bit more pressure on my hips in the front, and less pressure on the back.
- The cut on the top and bottom edge is too long in front so I cannot sit comfortably, and the contouring looks ridiculous from the back.
- I feel that I cannot expand my lungs quite as much as when the corset is worn the right way around, because of the awkward/ unusual pressure on the back of my ribcage, and less in the front.
Short-hipped underbust corset (Timeless Trends “Spring Delight” standard underbust), worn the right way:
- Tapered panels in the center front cause the bones to converge towards the lower tummy and give more support.
- At the bottom edge of the corset, there is less pressure on the sides (hips) than in the front.
- Although the bones in the back are still less rigid than the busk, these bones are more sturdy than the bones used in the longline underbust.
- There is some contouring of the top line to curve under the breasts, but not that much contouring at the lower edge.
Short-hipped underbust, worn backwards:
- The support from the tapered panels has been lost from the center front, so I feel less flattening of my lower tummy and more pressure along the front hip. However, due to the sturdier bones compared to the last corset, I don’t feel as much bowing in the center front.
- The rigid busk is not conforming to the natural curve of my spine – there is a gap between my spine and the corset.
- The length now in front is slightly better compared to the last corset, but the contoured line in the back is still a little ridiculous and it accentuates my back fat. We need to try this experiment one more time, with a corset that’s nearly identical from back to front.
Last try: Cincher (Orchard Corset CS-301, which has no contouring under the bust), worn the right way:
- This corset is very short, and there is no contouring under the breasts or over the lap, so it shouldn’t look that bad when worn front to back.
- There are only 4 panels on each side of this corset, and the shape of the panels are nearly identical from front to back, so I’m curious to see the fit.
Cincher, worn backwards:
- This one is the least conspicuous when worn reversed (but it’s probably still a good idea to hide the busk in the back)
- Busk is still not laying flat to my lumbar curve, and the bottom edge of the busk is poking into my sacrum uncomfortably.
- The corset is angled a little bit, so that the now-front of the corset is not covering my tummy all the way.
- There was a tendency for the bones by the grommets to bow in a ( ) shape. I felt that I needed a stiffened modesty panel to properly support and flatten the tummy.
Conclusion – although it is certainly possible to wear a corset from front-to-back and wear it as a front-lacing corset, it is not the most comfortable or flattering experience. If you require a front-lacing corset, would recommend commissioning a corsetiere to make you one specially, or I would recommend modifying a corset to replace the busk with some front lacing, so you can still wear the corset the right-way forward, but avoid complications with fit and comfort. However, wearing a corset upside-down, when more comfortable and more flattering for an individual than right-side up? That is still fair game.
