Last updated on April 15th, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Every week I receive emails from folks who were assigned male at birth and are now looking to feminize their figures as adults. Some cross-dressers, gender-fluid individuals and AMAB trans women will sometimes run into fitting issues while using conventional standard sized corsets – the main complaints being that a standard-sized OTR corset may feel too tight/ small on the ribcage, the waist tape of the corset may sit too high on the waistline, and the hips may gape or feel too large. Some wearers bypass this by simply wearing a conventional corset upside-down, but a more effective solution would be to have a corset made specifically for your body.
Whether you’re looking to temporarily enhance your curves only when the corset is worn, or you’re interested in sculpting your natural figure long-term, several corsetieres and businesses are available to assist you. The following makers are respectful and confidential, and have experience drafting corsets comfortable for a masculine skeletal structure while giving a feminine silhouette. They can use clever patterning and color combinations to make the ribcage and waist appear smaller and the hips appear fuller, and some of them can incorporate padding into the corset at your request. Some of these makers also have experience training the ribcage permanently smaller for a more hourglass figure even when not wearing the corset.
*Corsetieres, if you are experienced in making feminizing corsets and would like your work featured in this gallery, please send me an email here with a photo of your best work. Safe-for-work photos are preferred! Thank you!
House of Canney from Georgia, USA is the official corsetier for Violet Chachki of RuPaul’s Drag Race Fame. Here Violet models the corset named after her: a super strong yet lightweight single layer corset made from spot broche ($225 USD). Anthony Canney is also an expert costumier and can create stunning fitted costumes and evening gowns over their custom corsets.
Misty Couture is a corsetiere based in London, England, who works extensively with contestants of Drag Race UK. Above you’ll see Bimini Bon Boulash wearing a fitted overbust on season 2, A’Whora‘s finale outfit (also in season 2), and back in 2017 by German Drag Ambassador Hungry! Particularly notable about Hungry’s piece is the strikingly matched motif in the center front seam, rounded ribcage, and hip shelf with a dramatically nipped-in waistline. Misty Couture corsets start around £175 for custom underbust corsets.
Electra Designs is also very experienced making corsets for clients of all body types, as you can see in the expertly-fitted underbust corset above. Alexis offers remote fittings using photos though email to obtain a beautiful shape for those who are not able to make in-person fittings. You can see a selection of both overbust and underbust corsets in her Facebook gallery, “Transformation corsets for Transgender and Cross Dresser Clients”.
Orchid Corsetry has experience making both masculine and feminine corsets for customers who were assigned male at birth. Bethan offers feminizing corsets in three styles: Pride, Sloth and Nouveau, and the corsets can be designed to fit to the body like a glove, or to incorporate padding at the bust and hips to create the illusion of an even curvier figure.
Although most of the models on Puimond’s website are cis-women, Puimond has made both masculine corsets and feminizing corsets. Looking extremely curvy in a custom PY18 overbust by Puimond is Fontasia who took the honor of 2nd Runner-up at Miss Continental 2010!
Versatile Corsets has long been a favorite source of corsets, maid’s uniforms and other fashions for those into cross-dressing or stage performance, and they have a few styles that are particularly recommended for stereotypically masculine-shaped bodies (although any of their corsets can be upgraded to custom fit for a fee). For the past several years Versatile has supplied the one and only RuPaul with corsets, and in season 5 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, some of Versatile’s corsets were featured including this Nightshade corset modeled by Detox.
This sweetheart overbust by French designer Estelle Cloann borders on androgynous to me as the subtle peach color is flattering on any gender, but I decided to put the corset in this gallery rather than the Gentlemen’s gallery due to the sweetheart overbust line, the beautifully tapered ribcage and impressive hip spring – certainly it reflect Estelle’s ability to make both masculine or feminine corsets for her clientele.
Jeroen van der Klis of Bizarre Design (Netherlands) has decades of experience creating both masculine corsets and feminizing corsets. Above you’ll see the very owner as his alter ego Sandra from about 30 years ago, sporting a 23-inch corseted waistline with a conical ribcage, decades before corsets and waist training hit the mainstream. Jeroen has hundreds of AMAB clients, but for their safety and privacy, not many photos are publicly displayed. Bizarre Design’s website has not been updated for some time, but Jeroen is very active on Facebook so if you look through Bizarre Design’s photo albums, you will find an up-to-date price list.
Honorable Mentions (retired corsetieres):
Contour Corsets has extensive experience in creating corsets for trans women. Fran herself is openly transgender, and she has created corsets for herself and undergone extensive waist training to help get her to the figure she has today. In the photo above you see her “Sweetheart” style corset which she explains was made to fit the proportions of one of her AMAB clients, yet the boning channels and panels are strategically placed to “give the flowing feminine lines of her woman’s designs – and be comfortable”, making the waist look much smaller. She also makes more intensive training corsets to slowly reshape the ribs – while I (Lucy) am cis-female, I can also personally say that my Contour Corset has trained my ribcage more effectively than any other corset brand.
Romantasy had over 30 years’ experience in the corsetry business. Above you see the impressive silhouette of a corset made by Sharon McCoy Morgan, and how the sweeping lines create the illusion of broader hips and a smaller ribcage on the model. Before retiring in 2020, Romantasy owner Ann Grogan regularly conducted gender workshops in her studio in San Francisco, and her website had extensive information and galleries featuring the transgender clients Romantasy served over the years. While the Romantasy website is no longer running, you can find archives of the page here.
*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 contact the maker directly if you have any questions about their products.
I find myself needing a type of mix of high waste hook – n -eye closer and a elastic underwear for support for my abdomen and lower back. I had to have several extensive hernia repairs after the birth of my children and weight loss.
Now, with the loss of more weight and muscle too
I am in need of help for that aide to give me that support until I’m able to build my body back up to the point it needs to be.
Hi Lucy
Its nick (Nikki) I am a closest underwear wearing male with my wife’s knowing ,I love nice brazilian knickers and would love a full body corselet with breast cups and suspender straps as I wear hold ups .hope you understand Nikki
Hi Nikki, I have a different gallery showcasing overbust corsets with cups! Click through any of those pictures to contact the maker and see if they can take a commission from you. :)
Hi Lucy,
My name is Fred, and I’m looking for either a waist trainer or corset. I’m a transgender woman looking to get my female curves but I am on the plus size. Are there any corset fitting stores in Reno Nevada that you know about.
Hello, at this point I only know of Waisted Couture who is in Nevada (in Las Vegas). There used to be others but they have closed up shop at this point. I think Bad Attitude Boutique is taking orders on a case-by-case basis. You are welcome to check the corsetiere map and see if there are any corset makers in neighboring states that you’re willing to travel for a custom commission.
This is just advertisement for different corset manufacturers. I need a guide to finding the right sized corset for my body.
Hi Gwen, none of my Guided Galleries are advertisements because none of the corset makers have paid to be included. These are the result of a considerable amount of time I spent searching, compiling, and organizing different corset makers based on their specialties. I wouldn’t call them all corset manufacturers because most of them are one-person businesses who do customized work with their clients. If you click on any of these photos you will be directed to each designer’s site where you can contact them personally, learn more about their work, and determine if they are right for your needs.
I deeply appreciate you listing these resources for trans women. Unfortunately all are now either unavailable or unsuitable. I have checked every one, and I can provide details if you like.
In other words, I cannot find a corsetiere to work with. Are to able to update this page? Can I help?
Thank you so much.
Hi Allison, sorry to hear this. I find it strange that Romantasy wouldn’t be accepting new clients at this time as I spoke with the owner just last week! There are certainly other corset makers who work with trans customers but they don’t outwardly advertise this. Have you tried the Corsetiere Map to locate a maker that may be geographically close to you and might be able to meet with you personally?
First of all I love your work, but to my point. As it appears you have a somewhat limited amount of transfemales or transmales (who I bet would love to see specialised trans male Corsets) to get specific info from I can say as a transfemale that male bodied Corsets are more suited to later age transitioners and cross dresses then the younger generation, for examplelater aged transitioners are usually more set in there male type body (around 30+ depending on testosterone sensitivity) but us younger transitioners (not teen transitioners) tend to have a much better transition from male to female, for example my waist hight has shifted from male to female whereas older transgirls most more then likely will have less redistribution of fat and muscle tissue, not to mention there bones become far more set then young transfemales.
Corsets marketed to transfemales should take into consideration, “what is age appropriate and what damage was made by testosterone?” (The transfemale community calls it T poisoning.)
Myself as a younger transitioner really just need regular female Corsets to create a more desirable shape, correcting any undesirable shape like any other cisfemale (someone who has a gender identity that aligns with what they were assigned at birth. The term was created for referring to “non-transgender” people without alienating transgender people.)
Unlike what many lipstick feminists and trans excluding feminists would have you belive WE are female n have ALL the same feelings, especially in youth. (Older types would go nuts at me for saying that, but Ho Humm.)
I hope this helps, its not much but, I hope it helps in some way.
I so wish you wouldn’t squish together “trans” with gendered words to imply that women who are trans are not women but “transwomen”, “transfemales”, “transgirls”, etc. Who would talk of “blackmen”, “gayboys”, etc in this way?
I am a male who wishes to have a more curvy figure and would like to purchase a corset. Are there any corset makers in the Southern New England area as I need to have someone measure me correctly?
Hi Chris, have you looked at the corsetiere map? I am not sure exactly where you live but there are a few corset makers in the New England area, and plenty in NYC if you’re willing to travel.
I appreciate this article so much! You truly were so respectful towards us women that are trans! I have been waist training for around a year (ever since graduating from high school) and cannot thank you enough! You seem to really know your stuff, and used every term correctly (even I don’t use cis in my every day life!). You made sure to be respectful, honest, and to the point. 5 out of 5 stars for sure!
Thank you so much Brooklynn, it means a lot to me! :)
hey there,
i know that cross dressers are included in this as well but it is extremely important to differentiate the two and not refer to trans women as having male bodies or male figures. they are women and their bodies are women’s bodies.
Hi Sarah, thanks for your comment! I agree that trans women are women, and there is a distinct difference between cross dressers and women. It’s unfortunate that I even made this article in the first place — it arose out of necessity as many OTR companies are a bit exclusive in terms of what body type they cater to. Since not every standard-sized corset will fit every woman’s body, I’ve been asked many times where to find corsets that fit people who possess a ribcage larger than their hips, regardless of their gender. I’ve amended this article several times and I’m open to further changes to make it more sensitive and inclusive; if you’d like to proof-read the post and send a suitable edit via my email, it would be helpful.
I hate the way that transsexual women are not called women a single time in this.
I’m truly sorry. I was unaware of the incorrect terms I was using, and after speaking with some people who pointed me to trustworthy sources of information, I’ve now corrected the article. If you think there are other amendments to make, you’re welcome to email me at bishonenrancher@gmail.com.
Hey Lucy! This is Brandy, we recently corresponded as I was inquiring about long-shank grommets. I would like to disclose that I am transgender, and I want to express gratitude for using inclusive language AND for being open-minded and willing to be educated/change. Thank you for being an ally!
Hi Brandy! I’m so glad you appreciated this article – it’s gone through several revisions now, and I’m constantly learning about new proper terminology. If I ever mis-step, please let me know so I don’t inadvertently cause any hurt.
I hope you found your grommets, by the way!
Hi Lucy – I can read past the words and see your heart and passion are of beautiful intent. Perhaps some readers can finally look past their hypersensitivity regarding certain words rather than scold someone whose intent and personal efforts are so obviously to help our community. Regardless of the words used, please ladies, don’t hurt our friends. It’s not necessary.