Few months ago, famous American socialite Kim Kardashian posted a photo of herself wearing a corset. She said it was her new secret to a perfect waist. She is known for her shapely body with curves wanted by every single woman across the globe.

The 34-year-old reality star started this trend and many celebrities followed suit, including her sister Khloe Kardashian, Blacc Chyna, Trina, Amber Rose and others. Everyone wants a piece of her tiny waist, so when she revealed she was an advocate of the waist-training corset, women in large numbers started to do the same.

After the photo was posted, sales of the corset went up the roof, with claims that the waist trainer allows the body to shrink and sculpt into the shape of the corset. “This magical corset is made to be worn under the clothes for a duration of time. This garment burns fatty tissue by making you sweat, targets the back, torso, waist and abdomen areas, helps you loose those extra inches, and provides abdominal support,” said training expert Jasmine Halal. “Many say that waist shapers work temporarily and can be a solution, just not a permanent one because all you are actually doing is squeezing your stomach and putting the fat elsewhere, not getting rid of it. I would recommend you to exercise, eat well and eliminate refined and processed foods from your diet. Then you’ll have the abs and waist of your dreams,” she said.

Halal recommends women to hit the gym for at least every other day and wear the corset under their gym clothes. “You would need something intense for quick results. Do a variety of exercises from push-ups, squats, burpees, running on a treadmill, kickboxing, box jumps, rock climbing and weight training,” she said. “This garment promises to reduce the appearance of your waist up to two sizes and straightens your torso and back for great posture instantly. The corset is supposed to be four to five inches smaller than your current waist, and you start by training your midsection by wearing it for anywhere between 8-16 hours a day for 3 to 12 weeks,” she added.

The corset is now being sold and many fitness brands started copying the original corset using similar fabrics and materials. “It is designed with different rows of hooks that will allow you to adjust the corset according to your comfort level to enable a continuous refinement of your figure. On each side, it incorporates a flexible rod that goes from below the bust to the pelvis,” she added. “It is not easy to find the right size, many women have a general idea of their size, but to ensure a perfect fit, it’s best to get an accurate measurement. Taking your own measurements is easy — all you need is a cloth or vinyl body-measuring tape,” she added.

“If you don’t have either, simply print and put it together. To identify the size that best suits your body follow the instructions below,” said Halal. “Make sure that the tape is level and not too tight or too loose. Plus, be sure to measure yourself in your undergarments, not over clothes,” she added.

According to Halal, the body-hugging feeling around the waist, wrapping the stomach, may reduce your appetite or ability to consume larger amounts of food. Corsets made of latex increase sweating, leading to a loss of water weight. “The whole idea is that if you wear the corset long enough, it will change your shape and contour your ribs but for the most part, it pushes your inside away from your waist,” she said. “It is only safe if used appropriately.”

For the hourglass feminine figure, women wear the corset and challenge themselves to a not so comfortable time. “This practice of corseting is hardly new. The first corset was created in the 1500s and became a historical staple of the Victorian and Edwardian eras,” said Halal. “The corset allowed the woman to keep a youthful figure longer, a factor important to most ladies to this day,” she added.

After a nearly 100-year hiatus, waist training has returned to popular culture. The thinking is that if you wear a corset all day for an extended period of time, you will eventually train your body to retain a slim, curvy figure even when you’re not wearing one.

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