Corset Size & Fit Quiz

The top edge of the corset is flush with the body (not flaring or loos). If this person attempts to force this corset to close more at the top, they will likely experience a roll of skin across the top edge (sometimes called "muffin top"), their bust may bubble over, or they might feel short of breath, none of which is good.

Between the two scenarios, it's better to keep the "V" gap for the sake of comfort - but the best solution is to find a corset that has a bigger bust and ribs.

The bottom edge of the corset is flush with the body (not flaring or loose). If this person attempts to force this corset to close more at the bottom, they will likely experience pinching, numbness, or pain in their hips, which is not good.

Between the two scenarios, it's better to keep the "A" gap for the sake of comfort - but the best solution is to find a corset that has a bigger hip spring (i.e. allows more room for the hips).

The ")(" lacing gap means that both the top and bottom of the corset are too small for the wearer's ribs and hips respectively, and the corseter would be more comfortable with a curvier corset.

You can also see that the line of grommets in this "corset" are not sandwiched by bones (there is a bone only on one side of the grommets but no bone closest to the edge). This garment is sparsely boned, likely with featherweight plastic boning, which is not strong enough to support the lacing system, causing it to warp and collapse.

If you see a corset brand lace their pieces on the model or mannequin in this manner in all of their advertisements or official corset listings, run - don't walk - in the other direction. This brand is using dishonest sales tactics to make the corset seem curvier than it actually is, and you will very likely not achieve the promised silhouette with their products.

There is only one very specific exception to this scenario, and that is if the model naturally has swayback (lumbar lordosis). In this case, the model or corset wearer may consistently notice that the back of all their corsets may collapse inward where their back naturally hollows.

The "()" lacing gap means that the person's waistline is resisting compression from the corset and pushing out at the waist, while the top and bottom are collapsing inward.

There are a couple of reasons why this might happen. The person may be naturally muscular or over-ambitious and they bought a too-curvy corset that their body is not ready for. There is a possibility, with patience and training, that they may be able to eventually close this corset comfortably.

However, most likely the corseter would be more comfortable starting with a less curvy corset.

There are risks to wearing your corset with this lacing gap. The steels that support the grommets are designed to remain straight, whether that's "||" or "\ /" or "/\". Whenever the bones are forced to bend or twist, like "()" or )(" or even in a "Y" shape, the distortion places an unnatural stress on the steel which may cause it to permanently bow, kink, or otherwise stay that way over time. If a steel gets accidentally warped, sometimes the only way to improve the situation is to swap out the bones.

A corset may also make this shape if the steels are too weak and wobbly to hold their shape. If one particularly muscular person experiences this shape with their corset, it's not a big deal, but if a corset brand notices many reports coming back of steels bending or bowing, they might want to consider upgrading their bones to a stronger type. You can learn more about correcting a bowed corset in this article.

Some people like for their corsets to lace fully closed. Meanwhile other people like to have a narrow (about 1-2 inches, or 3-5cm) parallel lacing gap in the back so that the corset steels rest on the erector spinae muscles on either side of the spine and don't rest directly atop of the spine.

I sometimes recommend a lacing gap if you know that you have a bony or sensitive spine, but it all depends on the wearer's comfort and personal preference at the end of the day.

There is one thing to be said about a corset that laces fully closed in the back - if you see this in product listings, there is no opportunity for "manipulation" of fit through tricky alternative lacing gap shapes... as long as photoshop is not used to manipulate the silhouette.

Some people like for their corsets to lace fully closed. Meanwhile other people like to have a narrow (about 1-2 inches, or 3-5cm) parallel lacing gap in the back so that the corset steels rest on the erector spinae muscles on either side of the spine and don't rest directly atop of the spine.

I sometimes recommend a lacing gap if you know that you have a bony or sensitive spine, but it all depends on the wearer's comfort and personal preference at the end of the day.

If one corset leans or twists on you, that could be an indication of a construction flaw in that one corset - maybe the corset was cut off-grain, or (if the strength fabric is twill) all of the panels were cut with the twill facing the same direction, which can cause twisting over time.

However, in this picture, the green corset is made with twill strength fabric, the pink corset with canvas strength fabric, and the red corset with coutil strength fabric - three different brands and styles, all twisting in the same direction.

This consistent issue suggests that the asymmetry may be in the person's body and not the individual corsets. In my (Lucy's) case, I had a twisted pelvis and one slightly shorter leg, which was (mostly) corrected over time with the help of a chiropractor and exercises - after which, most corsets started lacing up straight and not on a slant.

However, if you do ever notice that your new corset is slanted on your body, I recommend taking the corset off right away and trying to lace it as straight as possible - use a mirror and be diligent about lacing it up correctly and not simply "slapping it on." If you wear your corset while it's twisted, there is a chance that it will warp on your body over time and you may have a very hard time lacing it straight again.

There is no flaring of the corset at the top nor bottom edges - the lacing gap is wide and yet the corset fits flush around the ribs and hips. This indicates that the corset is too small a size in general, even though it's technically a "parallel" gap.

The waistline is the most malleable and responsive to the pressure of a corset; the skeletal frame not so much. So if this person attempts to tighten the corset more, only the waistline in the middle can be cinched more while the ribs and hips remain more or less the same (except with discomfort).

This means that the current "|  |" gap will resemble more of a ") (" gap.

Weight loss is not a catch-all solution to an ill-fitting corset, especially for someone who already has very little padding over their ribs and hips. It is not possible to make a larger skeletal frame smaller. The appropriate action here is to simply go up a size (or several sizes).