Curvy cinchers and waspies under $200
Waist cinchers (at least, how the term is used here) are short corsets, usually cut high over the hip and in some cases stop a couple inches below the underbust line. I usually measure cinchers by the height of the side seam – if it’s 8″ or less on the side, it may fall into the “cincher” range, and most cinchers are 6-7″ high (although I have seen cinchers or waspies as short as 4″ on the side!).
Those with shorter waists (or who are short of stature) may wear a cincher and have it fit like a full-length corset. Petite corseters may be able to save money on waist training by purchasing a made-to-measure cincher so it fits their body perfectly. For those with longer torsos, a cincher can accentuate outfits as a wide belt. There is one caveat though; many companies don’t make cinchers in larger sizes as they don’t provide much support for soft and low-hanging tummies.
The following corsetieres and brands deliver curves in teeny packages.
Jump to a different spot in the gallery:
Cinchers/ waspies under $200
If you can stretch your budget a little over $200
Curvy cincher and waspie patterns and sewing tutorials
Back in 2015, Timeless Trends hired me to design their Hourglass Silhouette corsets, including the curvier waist cincher, now called their “Hourglass Short”. Just 6.5 inches at the side seam – and every one comes with a lifetime manufacturing warranty. Priced from $104, these corsets are now offered in sizes 18″ – 42″ in most styles. I’m extremely proud to have personally worked with TT on the redesign of these corsets, and you can find them in my corset shop here.
Rebel Madness is one of the “Polish trifecta” (along with Restyle and Papercats) who create incredibly curvy, comfy, and affordable corsets. RM corsets are incredibly light and soft, while still being strong enough to create a curvaceous silhouette and somehow always managing to keep their corsets at affordable prices. This waspie is just 7 inches high, and comes in gorgeous limited edition colorways every season.
The Jolie waspie by Glamorous Corset is a more recent addition, offering a bit more “oomph” for those who’d like more curve in their cincher – the Jolie is only 6.5 inches long at the princess seam, but extends lower on the side for a dramatic hip contour. This corset offers a hip spring of 9 inches, a low price tag, and a 30-day return window. They can be found on GC’s website here, or in my shop here.
Since the last time I updated this gallery (about 7 years ago), Orchard Corset has since exploded in the OTR corset industry due to their curviness and affordability. Their CS-201 waspie boasts an 8-inch rib spring and 10-inch hip spring, making it one of the curviest OTR corsets available and at an unbeatable pricepoint. It’s available in waist sizes 18″ up to 40″ in most styles.
Isabella Corsetry offers incredibly curvy ready-to-wear cinchers made in the USA. She offers novelty prints like the Octopus Classic Cincher above, or more conventional designs like floral and pinstripe in sizes up to 36″ (for waists up to 41″). Her starting prices for these cinchers are around $150, but Iabella holds constant sales where you can sometimes catch cinchers for as low as $65. (Due to health issues, Isabella Corsetry was recently on hiatus for a few months – shipments are now resuming but she asks for time and patience as she catches up on orders)
Mystic City has definitely made a name for themselves in the past several years, moving from a small Ebay shop to taking the corset community by storm with their curvy options under $100. They have made dozens upon dozens of different patterns to fit different body types, but not all are in stock at the same time, or in the same size. Checking both their main website and their Etsy shop is highly recommended as they stock different styles on each platform.
Morgana Femme Couture makes a beautiful and simple made-to-order silk dupion cincher for £95 (about $185). It’s only 6″ on the side seam and is offered in 19 different colours of silk. The only caveat is that they’re only offered in sizes 18-30 as a default – however, alternative sizes can be custom ordered via email.
Madame Sher offers this breezy mesh cincher for about $194 USD. This custom-fit cincher is perfect for summer days and hot climates, and with a side seam of a bit over 8″, it should fit most body types. As Madame Sher’s corsets are made-to-measure, the range of sizes is unknown.
Meschantes Corsetry offers two shorter-style corsets, both ready-to-wear: the Mischief corset (shown above) or the Etoile corset which is more pointed. They also have a closed-front brital Etoile cincher for as low as $99.
Heavenly Corsets‘ newest addition is the Bébé corset, which is less than 7″ high. For £120 (about $190) it is made-to-measure, and Elle guarantees that it will hold up to even 23/7 tightlacing/ waist training. Elle recommends a maximum natural waist of 32″ for this corset.
What Katie Did‘s Luna Extreme corset (an updated version of their “Baby Corset”) boasts a hip spring of 8.5 inches and they stock their corsets in sizes 18″ up to 34″ (may fit natural waists up to ~40″).
Brands without available pictures
- Skeletons in the Closet Clothing and Corsetry has a silk waspie for 95 GBP (approx $130 USD)
If you can stretch your budget a bit more…
SnowBlack Corsets is another underrated corsetiere, although Marta’s designs have been featured many times in Polish alt fashion magazines. She offers custom-fit cinchers with a maximum side length of 18cm (7″), starting at $234
Cincher / Waspie Patterns and Tutorials:
Aranea Black is a one-woman wonder from Croatia who previously offered standard sized waspies starting at only $90 (the made-to-measure upgrade, like you see above, was only $200 on Etsy). Aranea Black has since moved on to creating amazing corset making tutorials and free corset patterns. You can try your hand at making a waspie at home using the Anna pattern here.
Corsets by Caroline (UK) has dozens of tried, tested, graded, and trued patterns available in her Etsy shop, included this sweet waspie called Colette – but don’t let this picture fool you – it also comes with several different options for halter neck and other types of straps to make your piece one of a kind.
Amy of NZ Corsetry offers several different styles of corset patterns for instant download on Etsy, including this 14-panel pointed cincher which is graded for natural waists of 23″ all the way up to 42″.
Sparklewren (UK) was one of my favorite corset designers – Jenni created absolutely jaw-dropping pieces of wearable art, every one was absolutely unique. I mourned when she announced that she would be on indefinite hiatus. While her commissions would start more at $400 for a cincher, she has recently collaborated with the Underpinnings Museum to release her smooth and comfortable patterns for public use – a portion of proceeds goes directly toward the designer and also towards funding the museum.
Last but not least, this adorable pattern by Sin & Satin (New York) is only 4 inches (10cm) along the side seam. Based off an antique Victorian equestrian corset, you can have plenty of movement and mobility while still enjoying posture support and a nip in the waistline while steering well clear of your hip bones. This is the cheapest digital download pattern featured in this gallery, at a mere $10 USD. This cincher is offered in waist sizes 24″ up to 44″ closed waist.
*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 cinchers and waspies. Etsy affiliate links help the galleries remain free for everyone.
Hi Lucy!
Ive always loved that curvy hourglass shape and want to start waist training and would love some insight on how and where to start.
How do I measure for a waist cincher styled like the sparklewren one you wear in your YouTube video? Or even just in general how would I know what size is appropriate to order?
I’m petite at 5’3″ and my waist last I had it measured was 24″ around I believe. I see a lot of these only go to 18″ would that be the size I should go for? Or is that how small they already are?
Hi Scarlet, if your waist size is 24″ then a size 18″ corset would be appropriate for you, but it’s also good to check your other measurements (ribs, hips, torso length) because you also need something that will be curvaceous enough. I have a measuring tutorial and contact form on this page if you’d like my personal recommendation for a corset size, silhouette and length that would fit you best. regarding the Sparklewren cincher, she is unfortunately not making corsets anymore, and her cincher would be easily 4x the price of cinchers on this page. Because the Sparklewren cincher is so heavily boned and flossed, I’m afraid there is no way that you’ll find a custom corset that will be under $200 because it’s a particularly heavy-duty design added onto a basic cincher. I can help you find an OTR corset that would fit you if you’re on a tight budget.
I have been searching for something like the waspie that you show from Arena Black on this page. Instead of stealthing, I’d like to hide a cincher in plain sight. Any other sources for something similar? I can’t find them!
Hi Brenda, if you click on any of the photos on this page, it will redirect you to that maker’s website / Etsy shop and you will be able to see if they have anything available! If they don’t have it in stock, some of the makers here will also custom make it to your specifications when you order.
Hi Lucy, I was wondering if you could suggest a waspie for me? I was going to prder a custom one from Meschantes but have not gotten a reply to question about corset dimensions. I have 2 corsets. An orchard corset 301 which is perfect on my short frame on the sides and back. It is very easy to stealth with. Only problem is I need more coverage in the front to cover stomach bulge. I also have an orchard corset standard 411. It takes care of any bulge and I can wear it comfortably but it’s just a bit too long and creates a weird shape where my backside meets the bottom of the corset. All the waspie I’ve found seem to have much longer backs than the 301. Do you know of a corset that is around 6.5 in at the side, 7 or 8 in in the back and 9 or 10 in in the front? Thank you so much for your amazing help and blog!
Looks like with current exchange rates, the WKD baby corset is well under $200 US now. :)
Hi Cassandra, that’s great to know! :) Thanks for the update!
Hi Lucy, I’ve been researching tons and got my first corset from Orchard (the CS411), however, I now realize I have a very long torso and just need a custom corset. Do you know of any Corset makers in Los Angeles? I know it’s a long shot, but you have your finger on the pulse of the corset world and that’s why I’m writing you. Otherwise, could you suggest a Corset maker that you trust very much? Thanks in advance! And Happy New Year!! SophiaM
Hi Sophia, there are quite a few corset makers in the LA area! I’m not supposed to play favorites, but I have quite a few corsets from Puimond and I’ve found him great to work with. You can check out all the available makers in the Corsetiere Map. Happy new year!
Most waist cinchers from Axfords (http://axfordscorsets.com) cost less than $200. The C215 has a front length of 7″ / 18cm and costs £85. The shipping to the US or Canada costs £15. So this would cost a total of £100 or around $152. Some other waist cinchers from Axfords are C210, C216, C225, C310
Hi Lester, I had originally considered Axfords for this gallery, but the silhouette was not particularly curvy (there were only a couple of inches difference between the waist and the ribs/hips) – the gallery would have been much larger if I encompassed all cinchers and waspies that were under $200 regardless of silhouette (it would be expanded to include Timeless Trends’ original silhouette cinchers instead of their hourglass, Leatherotics waspie etc) but I wanted to focus primarily on the curvy ones. Thanks!
By the way, Lucy, I have a really pretty tiny PVC cincher (only 4″ at the side seams) from your home country, Canada! It was made by Artifice Clothing (they call it “Angled Corset Belt”) and cost only $55. But it looks terrific. They come in standard sizes, but can be slightly customized by a couple of inches free of charge (the smallest size is 19″, I asked to reduce the waist to 18″ to make it curvier and they did it). These cinchers are not for training of course, they do not have a waist tape – but I added the waist tape mysef to prevent it from stretching, and it is holding up just fine.
Hi Lucy! I have a really short torso which is only about 9 inches, do you think it would be fine to use Orchards CS-201 in cotton for daily waist training?
Hi Aerith, I haven’t tried the 201 in cotton, only in mesh. I imagine that the cotton version would be stronger and more effective in shaping compared to the mesh version. I’d recommend contacting Orchard directly with your waist training question though, as they will be able to back up whatever they say with a guarantee.
“It has 16 flat and spiral single steel bones would it still be a good quality to start with? or should I opt for double steel boned corsets?
Just noticed that the picture for the Pop Antique corset is missing. This could be because she recently (within the last week) updated her website so the image probably lives somewhere else now.
Thought I’d post to let you know. :)
Here’s the new link to the corset: http://www.popantique.com/bombshell
Thank you so much for mentioning Snow Black corsets- her stuff is gorgeous and very accessibly priced for custom.
In fact, I’ve finally decided that that’s who I’m going to get my first ~special~ piece from (as opposed to my OTR) and I would never have heard of her if it weren’t for your site, so yay!
If it’s ok with you I thought I’d email you with some pics and a quick summary of my general impressions when I receive my order- I find it’s always nice to hear about people’s personal experiences, and I figure you might find it handy if others ask about Snow Black and what her work is like if you don’t have any of her pieces yourself (either that or I can link you to things through tumblr or facebook).
I hope that doesn’t come across as too spammy or anything haha.
Anyway, thanks yet again for all the hard work you do and for being such a genuinely nice person to all of us who badger you with questions day and night… you’re very patient and it’s nice to be able to ask questions without being made to feel ignorant or stupid, so thanks :)
Emma
Hi Emma, I would be happy to know your experience working with SnowBlack! When you receive your corset, do send me an email. :)