Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean your waist training has to stop! If you want to be discreet in a corset while traveling, be sure to keep these seven corset travel tips in mind the next time you book your trip. I had to learn these lessons the hard way through trial and error, but hopefully you can take these seven tips with you and save yourself a headache, or two!
1. Stealth Outfits: The key to discreet corset travel starts with choosing the right airport outfit. The color or print of my airport outfit is determined by my destination, but I stick to linen or cotton fabrics because I get really hot on airplanes (for me, corsets make me hot because they keep the heat in near the internal organs) . I don’t like wearing shorts (or short skirts) on airplanes because my skin can get irritated on airplane seats. I will also skip my favorite leggings and go for a linen or cotton loose-fitting pant (you could also do a long linen/cotton skirt, but if you’re like me and don’t want your legs touching for 4+ hours, I’d stick with the pants). These usually have a draw-string which I tie around my waist, hiding the bottom part of my corset in a very comfortable way. I pair that with a tank top and a linen or cotton button up. So it would go: tank top (which also acts as a corset liner), corset, and then button up on top to conceal everything. Sometimes I’ll replace the tank top with a crop top and a corset liner (a tube top or an actual corset liner), in case I decide to remove my corset after the flight in a hot or humid climate. Now usually I don’t really care if my corset is visible to others on the airplane (flight attendants and the 4 people and crying baby who are not sleeping), but I like having the option of going into stealth-mode if I want to. So I will take off my button up and wrap it around my waist for some discreetness; I can either tie it in the front like “normal” or I can tie it in the back and the knot gives my lower back some added support. If I do get chilly on the airplane, I can put my button up back on, and maybe tie the bottom front in a loose knot for a cute effortless look. I tend to do this once the plane lands so that my corset is mostly hidden and I’m giving “put-together” rather than “thrown-together” (linen and cotton are notorious for wrinkling).
2. Wear a Short Torso Corset or a Waspie Corset: Whether you have a short torso, average size torso, or long torso, it’s important to travel in a corset that best fits you while you’re sitting down. Sitting down shortens your torso, and then add the fact that you’re in a small condensed space for hours, and even sometimes are unable to move or adjust yourself. In my experience, wearing a short torso corset or even waspie corset is more comfortable on an airplane than wearing an average-torso corset or long-line corset; and I have tried them all on an airplane! My torso leans average to long, but because I have high and wide hip bones, I am most comfortable in a short torso corset. My absolute favorite corset to travel in (and wear everyday!) is the CS-201 from Orchard Corset (not sponsored, yet…lol). It has a high hip spring that sits right above my hip bones, but a longer front panel that helps cover and control my belly, sitting just above my pelvic bone. But because I’m considered more average-long torso, I have about one to two inches of space from the bottom of my bra to the top of my corset, which creates a nice juicy fat gap and gives me the most unflattering layer of squished fat right below my breasts. Regardless, I will still wear and recommend this corset for travel due to its shape and size.
3. Prevent Travel Itch: A pressurized tube with recycled air always causes my skin to get dehydrated and dry, especially under a corset. So before I get on the plane, I will moisturize with lotion, add some squalane oil on top, & maybe even lightly powder my torso to keep the moisture in and prevent further irritation, before putting on my tank top aka corset liner, and then corset. I am notorious for not wearing corset liners during my everyday corset training; however, if I am going to be on an airplane, I will 100% put on a corset liner for extra protection from travel itch, aka dry skin!
4. Lace Up After TSA: During a Euro-trip I did back in 2022, I decided to wear my corset through the airport. 0/10 I do NOT recommend! Obviously steel (steel-boning in corsets) will trigger metal detectors. And I knew this… but for some reason my adult brain told me it would be okay as long as I informed the TSA agent that I was wearing a corset. I figured that most people, including TSA agents (because they’re people too, right!?) knew what a corset was, and would just pat me down or something. And I had TSA Pre-Check so I should be good-to-go, right?! WRONG! As I made my way through TSA in the Orly Airport in Paris, France, I realized I had made a terrible mistake from the way the TSA agents were gawking at me and my corset – yes, it was clearly visible! At the metal detectors, I kindly informed every TSA agent I passed that I had a corset on, which only got me stares and nods. Before I was even through the metal detector, I was told to follow two female TSA agents where they guided me into a covered area (it looked like one of those portable changing rooms). They patted me down and stared at me while they both spoke in French to each other; one of them spoke little English. I informed her that I was wearing a corset and it had steel-boning. She attempted a smile and told me to take it off. And so I did, fearful of being put in airport jail; I don’t know why that was my first thought, but it was. I unlaced myself right there in front of these two women while they spoke to and giggled with each other and stared at me while I removed my corset. After that humiliating nightmare was over, one of them again patted me and my corset down. Finally she gave me back my corset and pointed to where my family and luggage were. Looking back as I tell this story, I admit and agree that it was literally one of the most stupidest things I have ever done in my corset. But I’m sure I’m not the only one who has either done this, or contemplated on doing this. So please, learn from my Paris mistake & avoid the pat down or a forced removal!
5. X-Ray Prep: At the airport (or train station, in the Disneyland metal detector lines or literally any place that has metal detectors!), I 100% whole-heartedly recommend that you remove your corset from either your body or your bag, and place it into one of those bins or trays, by itself! Even if the TSA agent says it’s not necessary!! Even if it takes you a bit longer to do because now you have 3 bins to look out for (1 has your carry-on bag, 1 has your phone & other small electronics, and 1 has your corset). Have your corset ready to be placed into a tray so the people behind you aren’t giving you dirty looks while you take it off. LOL. Trust me! Doing this will save you time, and from getting a headache and heart palpitations you would get from a TSA agent asking you to “step aside” while they dig through your carefully packed bag, remove your corset, put it back through the scanner, ask another agent their thoughts, and then finally give it back to you after 5 minutes of evaluation. This happened to me at the LAX Airport. All because I assumed and decided that the scanner would know that the corset inside of my carry-on bag was a garment and not some dense mystery metal. HA! Joke was on me…
6. Adjust Lacing Tension for Cabin Pressure: Especially during flight take offs and landings, I will always loosen my corset about an inch or two for cabin pressure, bloating, and breathing room. A pressurized tube that is 30,000+ feet in the air has an effect on my body, so adjusting my laces as I see fit is not the end of the world. Waist training should always be comfortable, and if you’re not comfortable then you’re doing it wrong. After years of “pushing through the pain” and then more years of ego deaths, I realized (finally) that it’s 100% okay to loosen my corset if it starts to feel uncomfortable, especially on an airplane! I will also loosen or tighten my corset as needed during the trip, either in my seat or in the bathroom.
There you have it! Seven corset travel tips for discreet waist training that will hopefully help you continue your training even on an airplane. I hope this helps you stay comfortable, travel with confidence, and enjoy your trip without drawing unwanted attention to your corset. Safe travels, and happy corseting!
Until next time…
♡ S