Right, bit of an embarrassing thing to admit but I recently bought a load of slinky lingerie for my minimoon and I have been unable to wear the basque because I just cannot see how on earth you put the ruddy thing on by yourself.

It fastens at the back with approx 25 hook and eyes and then has lacing on top of that. Being a basque it is naturally quite tight and I just can't see how you get the ruddy thing on without getting your partner to get you into it which rather spoils the TADA!!!!-ness of it. Also don't really want to have to go to a friends house and ask them to help me into lingerie either.

Am I being really dumb or is it just spectaularly badly designed?

Hi, you put it on and do it up back to front, then fold the top half down before twisitng it the right way round - you can fold the bottom bit up too so it's all in your waist to make twisting even easier if you still find it difficult.

See I got that far but is well uncomfortable and I still couldn't lace up the lacing without dislocating a shoulder or something????

That's how I do it too

EDIT just seen you have lacing too... hmmm not sure about that one!

Forgot about the lacing, as far as I'm aware with laceing you need somone to do it for you.

Sorry, I know its not what you wanted, maybe you could ask someone to come round and help you, before you partner arrives home? and then quickly shove them out the door

I think that is all I can do! Thanks for the tips I will try and get a willing accomplice some time soon. Bit of a pain that I couldn't do it whilst we were on minimoon but I thought it was a bit above and beyond the call of duty to ask the receptionist for a hand!

While you're not wearing it, lace it up as tight as you think you'll need ti (tighter in the middle and probably looser round the top, then put it on and fasten with the hooks and eyes, it's a bit of trial and error at first, you may need to keep taking it off and fidding with the ribbons then putting it on etc.

Take out the laces and replace them with appropriately coloured elastic. They are generally not needed functionally speaking. You can then leave it permanently laced up, yet they can still be undone for the purposes of slow removal, if that's desirable.

Some of the ones I've seen, I'm after one myself, have lacing at the back and hook and eye at the front. You undo the lacing a bit then put it on and do up the front. you can then reach round the back and fasten up the lacing from top to bottom so you can pull it in tight at the waist and tie together.

I have no idea, I have only ever taken them off.