Corsets that create a Conical Ribcage

Last updated on July 23rd, 2021 at 12:41 am

Rather than an hourglass silhouette, some people prefer their corsets to give them a more conical, tapered ribcage like what was so popular around the 1950’s New Look era. A human’s floating ribs (the 11th and 12th ribs) often have flexible joints, and they’re designed to swing in and out like a hinge with each breath you take. It is also possible for some individuals to train their ribs to be pushed inward, so they have a slightly tapered ribcage with or without the corset on.  There are arguably over 100 different makers who can cater to the conical ribcage to give that 50’s “wasp waist” look, but I will just show some of the corsets I’ve tried over the years, and some other particularly impressive corsets that I’ve found to give this shape.

As mentioned before, different ‘schools’ of corsetry have different definitions for silhouettes. I was first introduced to this style as the “wasp waist” silhouette, as rib shaping is often more demanding to wear compared to more rounded hourglass silhouettes. Others may call this the conical silhouette, or the ice-cream cone silhouette – so when purchasing a corset, do clarify what kind of silhouette you’re looking for.

Corsetieres, if you also specialize in making corsets with a conical ribcage and you have a photo to contribute to the gallery, you’re welcome to email them to me here. Safe for Work photos are preferred! Thank you!

OTR/RTW Conical Rib Corsets
Custom Conical Rib Corsets
Honorable Mentions (archived/retired)

OTR/RTW Conical Rib Corsets:

What Katie Did has a special place in the OTR corset market, having carved out a niche in 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s retro and pinup fashion. Arguably their most popular corset is the Morticia underbust corset ($275) named after the popular wasp-waisted character from the “Addams Family” show in the 1960’s. In my review of the older version of this corset, you’ll see it creates a very conical ribcage and a wide hip spring.

Lucy’s very own own creation, the Gemini corset, was named after “the twins” (one being the conical rib, and the other being the round rib, so you are never limited by just having one silhouette!). Available in standard length (9 inch) and longline (11 inch) versions, as well as over 50 different colorways (including special orders), there may be a Gemini to suit every taste (as long as it fits your other measurements!). See the Gemini longline review/ feature video here.

MystiC City Corsets is a popular OTR brand that had its humble beginnings on Ebay. It has now moved to Etsy and offers some of the curviest patterns in the OTR corset market, some with rounded ribs and some with straighter ribs. This store specializes in small stocks (often just 3-4 corsets in each size) and their styles are constantly rotating with slight variations in proportions, so it’s likely that sooner or later a corset may pop up with the measurements you need. Be sure to check both their website and Etsy as they sell different styles and sizes on each platform. 

Rebel Madness is a run by Magda and Maciej, the incredibly RM duo in Poland, and RM is the first of the “Polish Trifecta” of OTR corsets. Their corsets are somehow lightweight, strong, beautiful and incredibly underpriced for their quality. I have already gushed about their grommets in multiple past reviews. See my review of their simple black underbust here.

PaperCats is a Polish brand (the second in the Corset Trifecta) and arguably the least expensive corset options on this list, with the cincher starting at just $55 USD. While their corsets are not the curviest, they are lightweight, fashionable and affordable, and their construction is strong enough to taper the ribcage. Many of their corsets are well-suited to those with shorter torsos, with even their longline corsets being only around 9 inches in length.

Restyle is yet another affordable option in this list, at just €52 (about $61 USD). The third and last brand of the “Polish Corset Trifecta” on this list, the Restyle WH corset is a “short longline” corset designed for those who have a shorter torso, narrow ribs, and a wider pelvis. See my review of the Restyle WH corset.

Meschantes corsets are made in the US at unbelievable prices, and often blur the line between OTR, RTW and custom. Their most popular design is the bare-bones closed-front waist training underbust, available in black or beige. This design sports a somewhat conical ribcage and mid-length rounded hip. I would recommend purchasing from their Etsy shop as communication is somewhat limited through their main website. See my review here.

Morgana Femme Couture has dozens of beautiful and high-quality corset selections, made in the UK. The majority of their corsets arguably feature a slightly conical or tapered ribcage; many of them Edwardian inspired like the longline piece seen above. They offer both ready-to-wear and made-to-measure options. See my MFC review.

Isabella Corsetry‘s creations almost all have a slightly conical ribcage, but her Josephine underbust corset (normally $180; currently on sale for $144) is particularly well-known for its tapering ribcage and swelling hip spring. You can see my review of this corset here; the ribcage is just slightly more rounded than the Morticia above, which may be a bit more gentle-looking but still effectively training the ribs inward. They also have a new petite Josephine which is a bit shorter, and you can special order the Josephine as a custom option if desired.

The Vanyanis Ruby Corset may be RTW but it is truly in a league of its own. Lowana’s first collection featured the Ruby (above) and the longer hipped, silver-hued Lillian corset, both of which featured a distinctive Vanyanis conical silhouette and impeccable wrinkle-free finish. This corset is almost continuously boned, and smothered in lace – at $795, it’s a limited edition collector’s piece not to be taken lightly.

Custom Conical Rib Corsets:

Versatile Corsets has a wide selection of patterns and styles; some with gentler silhouettes and others with more curvaceous silhouettes; some with more rounded ribs, and this Valerian off-shoulder overbust which is designed to have a more conical fit, with contrastic tapering panels contributing to an even more dramatic visual effect. Every Versatile corset is made in California so American clients can feel good about purchasing sustainable, ethical and local. See my review of this very same Valerian overbust, here.

Jennifer of Wyte Phantom is a UK based designer with an ongoing project to clear her neverending fabric stash by making some of the most breathtaking samples in a variety of sizes on Etsy. Wyte Phantom corsets are usually one of a kind, but they all have the same “fingerprint”; their patterns usually feature a conical rib and front panel shapes, and often fit well for those who are long-waisted.

Geraldine is a one-woman business in the UK who runs the immensely popular Valkyrie Corsets. Several of her made-to-order styles like the Bellecurve (shown above) sport a very conical rib and dramatic-yet-graceful hip spring, but she is capable of customizing the pattern to suit your preference and comfort, as well as tweaking the length of her corsets (shorter, standard or longer).

L’Atelier de LaFleur usually focuses on opulent, luxurious showpieces, but every so often Mina does take the odd order for a simpler commission, like these “twin” corsets in red rose coutil. Mina has been in the business for the better part of 20 years, and has extensive knowledge in drafting anatomical-shaped corsets, extreme round rib corsets, as well as conical rib corsets seen here.

Also specializing in wasp waist/ conical silhouettes is Julia Bremble of Clessidra Couture/ Sew Curvy (Now JB Corsets). Using only the highest quality materials available in Europe, Julia has the ability to turn the idea of a simple black short-hipped underbust corset into a stunning statement piece with her dramatic yet comfortable silhouette, and striking red flossing. Her underbusts start at £400.

Gerry of Morua Designs demonstrates how her corsets create a beautiful conical silhouette here in her peacock-bedecked overbust! She specializes in bespoke corsetry, guaranteeing a couture experience – each corset is made to your requirements and measurements. Gerry works in both the US and in the UK at certain times of the year, and takes commissions in both areas. Overbust corsets start at $900.

Waisted Creations (UK) has a specific aesthetic as well, often patterning for a small, tapered ribcage and fuller cupped hips. After having carefully honed her craft for years, Lucy is now capable of creating incredibly smooth, wrinkle-free silk designs with painstakingly matched lace embellishment.

Jeroen Van Der Klis, the engineer behind Bizarre Design, is especially known for a very distinctive wasp waist silhouette. The impressive silhouette and highly skilled corset construction has gotten the attention of the likes of Cathie Jung – Jeroen can fit the most challenging of bodies, and create a beautiful tapered ribcage for those who enjoy this aesthetic.

A very early piece from Innova Corsetry (Puerto Rico, USA) for a very long-waisted, tapered-rib customer with the measurements 30″ (rib), 20″ (waist), 36″ (hip) with posture-correcting shoulder straps, contrast rib and hip gores, and a most impressive hip shelf. Innova has since honed their aesthetic and primarily make gorgeous corset dresses and men’s corset vests.

Orchard Corset‘s only “level 4″ or Extreme Curve corset, the CS-479, is said to sport an impressive 9″ rib spring and up to 16” hip spring! This has a conical rib and a gently cupped hip, and is meant for extra-compressible or extra-experienced folks.

Yana Sinner is a corset model-turned corsetiere, and often showcases the impressive results of her own creations. Yana is capable of creating slightly different variations; you may notice some of her corsets are slightly rounded through the ribcage, while others are more conical. Her Rock’n’Rose overbust corset is an example of one of her more conical pieces; and this style also features large impressive hip gores to contribute to a very dramatic hip spring. Sinner Couture corsets can be made to your specifications and start at $288.

Jupiter Moon 3 has made over 1500 corsets (so far!) and her most popular style is the conical silhouette shown above. This is described as her “hourglass” silhouette when you order from her website; she also offers a more gentle, swooping “sloped curve” silhouette if you prefer. Jennifer achieves the conical ribs by hand-bending the flat steels at the sides to help mold the waist into this shape and contribute to a more impressive hip spring. (Currently on Maternity Leave) See my JM3 review.

Corsets & More was a one-woman business by Doris Müller (Now under new management), located in the heart of Germany. They are capable of creating nearly every imaginable silhouette available, from extreme wasp, to pipestem, to gentle hourglass. Here you can see a beautifully sculpted wasp silhouette, with an impressively smooth finish on the cherry blossom Chinese brocade. Underbust corsets start at €340 or $400.

Lace Embrace Atelier (Vancouver, BC Canada) offers several historical / historically inspired and modern designs, including the Wasp Waist underbust which has a quintessential Edwardian “swoop” in its pattern! Edwardian corsets are better known for their straight front and conical rib, and often dramatic cupped hip in the sides and back (sometimes for padding, sometimes for booty). Melanie can customize the fabric, color and even the front closure (if you look closely, you’ll see that the black corset has a zipper closure).

Julianne of Retrofolie (Montreal, QC Canada) is better known for her incredible classical art painting pattern-matched corsets, but this more simple floral broche design highlights her patterning skills. Her corsets are usually straight in the front, with a conical ribcage and a sweeping hip spring – she developed her patterns to optimize the ease of pattern-matching while also fitting the body comfortably with a moderate cinch.

Heavenly Corsets are made to measure in the UK, and offer corsets in a standard-spec option (for occasional use/ light lacing) or a waist training option (said to be strong enough for 23/7 use and extreme reductions). They are one of the more affordable brands for custom-fit corsets, with their pieces starting at just £120. See my Heavenly Corsets review.

Several years ago, Kitty Krell commissioned several talented corsetieres around the world to make their their own unique version of an “opal” corset, to curate a very particular personal collection. What you see above is the hand-painted creation of Switzerland-based Joni of Rainbow Curve Corsetry. Kitty requires a conical rib from her corsets in order to stabilize her ribs from subluxing, and Joni’s strong, curvaceous pattern stood up to the challenge with ease. See also the incredible hip shelf!

The aforementioned Kitty is also a talented corsetiere in her own right, as the owner of Crimson Rose Corsetry and Couture. Above is Kitty’s own wedding corset, designed to be worn under her wedding dress. The pattern started as a collaboration between Kitty and Lowana of Vanyanis; two layers of natural bobbinet were hand-dyed for a subtle opalescent hue, with individually dyed external boning channels encrusted with Swarovski crystals, and finally embellished with iridescent lace – all makes for a truly one of a kind, breathtaking overbust with an impressively conical rib especially for a more flexible fabric as the bobbinet.

~Honorable Mentions~

Sparklewren debuted a new line of limited edition, ready-to-wear underbust corsets in 2014 called the Phoenix, which was inspired by the construction of antique Bird’s Wing style corsets. These corsets have a great many panels (sometimes 30 panels!) with only one steel per panel, which allows the corset to shape the body very precisely and smooth around curves like no other. This shape lends itself very well to a dramatic wasp-waist and tapered ribs, to which model Aurelia can attest.

Contour Corsets was very popular for summer mesh corsets that were designed to be strong enough for daily waist training, extreme reductions and stunning silhouettes. My own Contour Corset is one of my favourites in my collection. Since these corsets were all custom, Fran could make the silhouette more rounded/ hourglass if you preferred, or make the ribcage more tapered. Her corsets featured impressive hip springs, and Fran herself could even balance a glass of water on her own hip shelf!  See my Contour Corset review.

Serindë Corsets’ overbust and longline underbust corsets tend to have a slightly straighter, conical ribcage which lends itself to a stunning silhouette. Serindë is regularly commissioned for couture outfits and formal gowns, and is known for her elegant use of lace, beading, Swarovski and flossing. She has stopped taking commissions but some of her samples can be found primarily on Etsy. See my Serinde corset review.

*Please note that I have not personally tried every corset brand in this list, nor do I necessarily endorse every company in these guided galleries. This is for informational purposes only; please email any of the above makers to learn more about their corsets. Affiliate links help keep Lucy’s Corsetry online and keep these galleries free for everyone!