Corsets with a High, Square Hip Shelf

There are many reasons that a person may be interested in a corset with a very abrupt, sharp curve from the waist to the hip: if you have one hip higher than the other (from an uneven pelvis, tightness in the muscles and ligaments on one side of your hip, or one leg longer than the other) then you may want to accommodate for your higher hip and disguise the asymmetry by wearing a corset drafted with a dramatic “hip shelf”. Someone who has a particularly wide pelvis and smaller waist may also find this silhouette more comfortable, as opposed to a sloping hip spring which can put pressure on their hip bones.

This hip spring tends to look quite striking as well, and some people may simply want to take advantage of this silhouette for fashion or costuming purposes even though they may not have the hips to “fill out” the upper hip measurement – these corseters can pad out the inside of the corset where there is “air” between the body and the corset at the iliac crest, but more often than not the bones in the corset add enough structure that the hips do not collapse in even if you don’t pad them out.

For more information on this style of corset, and whether it might be suitable for you, see my Youtube video!

Corsetieres, if you have a corset that accommodates high, square hips, send me an email with your best picture (safe-for-work photos preferred!) and a short description – you can have your work added to this gallery!

OTR/ RTW Corsets with High Hip Shelf:

Original Length Gemini Corset ($124 USD) designed by Lucy (me!) and produced by Timeless Trends corsets (model: Absentia) features a 16-inch spring between the waist and mid-hip (about 4.5 inches down), creating a hip shelf for those hippy enough to properly fill it out. Click through to see the Gemini in Lucy’s shop.

 

Restyle's "Wide Hip" underbust in matte cotton is an excellent choice for those with a high hip spring and short torso.
Restyle’s “Wide Hip” underbust in matte cotton is an excellent choice for those with a high hip spring and short torso; this hip spring is 13 inches and at $52 USD, the price is hard to resist.

 

Mystic City Corsets makes an underbust (MCC84L) that has a high, square hip spring for avoiding pinched hips, low front to hold in a hanging tummy, and high back to prevent spillover. This accommodates an 18″ minimum hip spring, with the ability to expand up to about 22 inches! ($119 USD)

 

Bespoke/ Custom corsets with High Hip Shelf:

Dark Garden owner Autumn Adamme models her own corset made under the instruction of Mr. Pearl. Note the distinctive "Pearlescent" hip spring and silhouette.
Dark Garden owner Autumn Adamme models her own corset made under the instruction of Mr. Pearl. Note the distinctive “Pearlescent” hip spring and silhouette. Photo: Joel Aron

 

Contessa Gothique Design by May Bizzare (Croatia) created this version of her recognizable “Empress” semi-mesh tulle corset; this one with an incredibly small waist and dramatic hip spring.

 

Here designer and corsetier Gabriel Moginot models a high-reduction corset with an abrupt hip spring, from his own line Maison Moginot.

 

Prior Attire has made this butterscotch yellow demibust corset with an impressive hip spring; part of her 2015 Geisha corsetry collection. (The flossing says "woman"!)
Prior Attire has made this butterscotch yellow demibust corset with an impressive hip spring; part of her 2015 Geisha corsetry collection. (The flossing says “woman”!) Photo: Pitcheresque imagery.

 

Valkyrie Corsets (UK) “Viola” Underbust Corset is a longline with a dramatically concave (nearly square) hip shelf to give clearance both for those with sensitive hip bones, or simply to give space for those more padding over their hips.

 

Model Penny Underbust perfectly shows off Innova Corsetry's superb drafting skills in this mesh underbust with a very square hip shelf.
Model Penny Underbust perfectly shows off Innova Corsetry’s superb drafting skills in this mesh underbust with a very square hip shelf.

 

The Boudoir Key-Custom Corsetry (Ukraine) demonstrates the difference in fit between the red overbust (c. 1899) and peach demibust (c. 1890) corsets, and how a easily concave hip shelf can dramatically affect the silhouette compared to the sloping hip, among other pattern differences.

 

A lovely purple spotted underbust with hip shelves by Luscious Pearl Designs (BC Canada), finished with lace trim and ribbon at the top, and sweet flossing at the bottom boning channels.

 

Lovely Rats Corsetry (Texas, USA) also drafts for extreme hip springs as demonstrated here in this pattern matched underbust corset.

 

Jem Corsets (UK) Underbust Cincher made from black spot coutil, featuring a sweetheart underbust contour and very shelfy hips.

 

SnowBlack Corsets makes teeny corsets - Alice Black models a 17-inch waist corset
Model Alice Black achieves such dramatic waist reductions that all her corsets are required to have feature an angular curve at the waist and striking hip shelf! Here she models an expertly patterbed rosebud coutil  underbust by SnowBlack Corsets with a 17-inch closed waist.

 

This overbust corset by Moody Corsetry (UK) is an exquisite combination of her skills – full bust support, plus size corsetry, and a genuinely horizontal shelf over the hip.

 

Rainbow Curve Corsetry (Netherlands) “Strange Sightings” Corset for the Foundations Revealed “insect” themed competition – even without the added moldings over the hip, the hip spring underneath is quite shelfy in itself!

 

~Honorable Mentions~

The Mae Extreme corset from What Katie Did features hip gores and a fairly high hip spring, which is suitable for someone who has a large waist-to-high-hip difference, but then not much of a difference between high and low hip.
The Mae Extreme corset from What Katie Did features hip gores and a fairly high hip spring, which is suitable for someone who has a large waist-to-high-hip difference, but then not much of a difference between high and low hip. Model: Miss Miranda.

 

Axfords corsets also has a slightly longline corset with relatively generous concave hips, this one (the c410) made specifically to go under bridal gowns, and has a flap to cover the front busk.

 

My Contour Corset was very close to being perfect - it just needed perhaps 1.5 - 2" more length in the underbust, and tweaking around the hips.
Contour Corsets is a bespoke brand that specializes in the “hip shelf”. Fran, the corsetiere behind the brand, wrote an essay on defining the iliac crest and demonstrated by balancing a glass of water on her hip! Model: Lucy Corsetry (me).

 

Here Sparklewren demonstrates her excellent pattern drafting in a fitted corset dress, with a sharp hip spring and completely wrinkle-free panels.

 

Which of these corsets have you tried? Which are your favorite? Leave a comment below and tell us!

*Please note that I have not personally tried every corset brand in this list, nor do I necessarily endorse every company in my Guided Galleries. This is for informational purposes only.

3 thoughts on “Corsets with a High, Square Hip Shelf”

  1. Vivian says:

    Restyle’s Brocade Overbust also has a very high, square hip shelf. No pressure on my hipbones at all! I naturally have a 12″ difference between waist and full hip (guess why I went for Restyle) and even I had a little trouble filling it out properly.

    Reply
  2. Morgen Machen says:

    These are incredibly beautiful submissions from some of my absolute favorite ‘dream’ corsetiers. Also, it’s a good feeling to see pieces that work for me being worn so beautifully ; something I imagine that everyone appreciates from time to time. I know Mystic City Corsets has a lot of offerings and there was likely an effort to keep to one submission per maker but I wanted to note the MCC16-C, which I have in a 20′, with an 18″ upper and 20″ lower hip spring.

    I never realized I could comment on these blogs so I’m happy to finally be able to thank you, Lucy, for your efforts in sharing your eBay corset finds. I enjoy looking through all sizes , just appreciating that there are some once in a lifetime opportunities out there for purchase. It’s been eye opening , as a frequent eBay customer, to see that these gems are hiding in plain sight.

    Best of luck getting free of that terrible situation with your apartment. This would be a fitting opportunity to remind you that when one door closes another will open. Will be thinking of you.

    Reply
  3. Dorothy says:

    I’ve had the wide hip restyle corset for about 9 months and I absolutely love the fit and silhouette. Because I have naturally narrow hips there is always a small space between my hips and the corset but I’m able to wear it with a closed back very comfortably even though it’s a size smaller than what I normally wear.

    Reply

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