Katie's Corset Story
I first discovered corsets when I worked at Skin Two Clothing in 1995. I loved the way they immediately changed the figure and emphasized the waist. Today I wear a corset nearly every day and love the accentuated shape it gives me. For a lot of us, investing in your first corset is a big step, and you need to take some time to research and decide what corset is best for you.
You should find everything you need to know on this page, but if something is missing please let me know.
Measuring Yourself for a Corset
Our Corsets are sized by 'reduced waist size'. This means the size of the corset when fully closed. For example, a size 24" corset will measure 24" when fully closed.
To determine your corset size you need to measure your waist firmly and deduct a number of inches. Please note that your jean size is not your waist measurement! You need to measure the narrowest part of your torso which is a lot higher up.
The amount of inches you take off will depend on a variety of factors, including the corset style and your build, but is generally between 3 and 5 inches (precise details are included for by corset style).
Please be aware that you need to check your measurements before ordering. For our Underbust Corsets we supply both the vertical lengths and circumference . Please compare your measurements to ours to determine which corset will be right for your figure type. Finally, be aware that the top and bottom corset measurement we provide are for the corset being entirely closed at the back. It is pretty standard to aim for a gap of 2-3".
How squishy are you?
Our corsets come in reduced waist sizes 18" to 34" which roughly equals UK dress sizes 8-18, US dress sizes 4 to 14. If you are a UK dress size 8 (US 4) you will have less body fat than if you are a UK dress size 18 (US 14), so it will be harder for you to immediately get a dramatic corseted shape.
We recommend you stick with the sizing recommendations for each of our corsets, which can be seen by clicking the sizing tab at the top of each product description.
If you are a UK dress size 12-14 (US 8-10) you should be able to get a great corseted shape, without too much effort and without worrying too much about flub at the top and bottom of the corset. Again, you need to go by our sizing recommendations. The only thing that might cause you difficulty is if you are very athletic and have a high muscle to fat ratio. Then, like your more slender friends, you will find it harder to waist train as muscle is far less squishy than fat.
If you are a UK dress size 16 (US 12) or above, then you're in luck as fat is squishy and you'll be able to quickly tight lace yourself to create hourglass curves. You might want to go for a size smaller than stated as it's common for curvier girls to be able to reduce their waist by 6 or even 7 inches with one of our curvier corsets! However, please check the rib and hip measurements of our corsets before doing this as if they are too small for you, they will result in what can only be called, rather unglamorously, flub.
Modesty Panels
A modesty panel is a piece of fabric that covers the gap between the your corset lacing and your back. All of our corsets used to include a modesty panel, but as people tend to either love them or hate them we now sell them as an optional extra with our underbust corsets. They are still included with our overbust corsets which are more likely to be on show.
If you are wearing your corset with a corset liner, then you really don't need a modesty panel. However, if you do wear your corset over clothing you might like to wear one as it can look neater .Our modesty panels can be laced in to your corset, or simply slotted in.