All About Corsets

Katie's Corset Journey

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.

 

Corsets Post Pregnancy

Should You Wear A Corset After Birth? In this video I tackle the controversial subject of wearing corsets after birth. Are there any advantages of wearing a corset after pregnancy? What are the pros and cons?

How to measure 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".

Standard Vs Extreme Corsets

I developed the first corset line for What Katie Did in 2004, and over the years, have refined our designs into a capsule collection that is designed to suit a wide range of different figure shapes, torso lengths and sizes.

Unique to What Katie Did is our range of standard and extreme underbust corsets. You can start with the standard version of one of our corsets then move on to the extreme version if you want to take your waist training further.

What is a Demi Corset (& Sizing)?

Find out about our Demi Waspie Corset and how the sizing works for both our Demi Waspie and Demi Corset.

Our Demi Waspies and Corsets are half way between a powermesh waist cincher/waspie and full non stretch corset.

YOUR SQUISHABILITY!

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 difficultly 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.  

Putting on your corset

Putting on a corset does take a little practice but gets easier each time.

Remember to allow 10-15 minutes to put on your corset the first few times so you have plenty of time and dont get stressed out.

You are ideally looking for an even gap at the back of your laces: so two parallel lines, not a V (or upside down V) which would imply that the corset is too small for you on your ribcage or hip.

There is no hard rule as to how big the gap at the back of your corset should be, but I like to aim for a 2" gap once I've worn my corset in.

seasoning your corset

Seasoning corsets never used to exist and it’s frustrating to see people post in corset Facebook groups an ill-fitting corset and be told it will be fine once seasoned.

At What Katie Did we believe a corset should fit well from day one, and when trying it on for the first time you need to tighten enough so you can see if everything fits. You will need to loosen a little while your body gets used to your corset after trying it on but you do need to be confident that you are happy with the fit before wearing it properly.

Your corset will soften and mold to your body slightly, and you will be able tighten more after a few wears, but don't expect any major changes to the fit.

Comparing Waist Cinchers & Corsets

Cinchers, waspies, corsets oh my!

If you're confused about the different waist shaping garments available we've put together a video not only explaining the differences, but showing each garment on model Miss Sugar Rush so you can really see the difference.

Extras: 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.

EXTRAS: KEEPING YOUR CORSET CLEAN

1. Wear a liner. If you plan to wear your corset frequently then you can prolong it’s life by wearing a corset liner. We advise wearing a close fitting stretch cotton camisole with little spaghetti straps that can be tucked inside the corset or snipped off if required. We don't sell corset liners as cotton camisoles are so cheap and easy to pick up.

2. Hang up to air over the back of a chair or draped over a clothes hanger. Always air your corset before storing.

3. Although we advise professional dry cleaning it is possible to sponge clean (check lighter colours as this might result in water marks). If you air your corset and use a corset liner then you should be able to go a long time without full cleaning.

EXTRAS: WHAT TO WEAR WITH YOUR CORSET

Corsets in the Press

Find out why corsets are presenting in such a sensational way in the press (it's all about the headlines!)