Last updated on April 29th, 2021 at 11:23 pm
Aesthetically speaking, I love the look of a longline corset more than any other cut – and I know that many others would agree! It’s unfortunate though that most OTR or ready-to-wear longline corsets are designed with longer torso lengths in mind; someone with a shorter torso may find that a too-long corset will cause the top edge of the corset to push up on their bust, or cause the bottom edge of the corset to dig into their lap.
A few OTR corset companies have responded to this by releasing “short longline corsets” – basically, corsets that extend low on the hip and provide some lower-tummy control, yet their underbust-to-lap (princess seam) length is still short enough to allow those who are short-waisted (and/or short of stature) to sit comfortably while wearing them.
The following longline corsets have a princess seam length of 10 inches or less, some with options to have them cut even shorter.
If you know of any OTR or ready-to-wear longline corsets suitable for short waists, do send me an email and let me know!
In 2016, my very own design, the Gemini corset, was finally released under Timeless Trends! The Gemini corset is a touch shorter than their regular length corsets (accommodates a 9 inch torso) and boasts a number of unique features – including 32 steel bones (a few extra bones in the middle of the panels for a smooth effect, especially in the larger sizes), gently rounded top and bottom edges for a smooth finish under clothing, high back to help prevent “muffin top”, a generous hip spring of 16 inches, and – most importantly – two different silhouette options: rounded rib or conical rib! The Gemini corset is the first of its kind in OTR. The Gemini corset is only $99 USD. Learn more here!
Glamorous Corset has most torso lengths covered (literally!) with their standard underbust Lara, their longline Jolie, and their waspie options like Bella – however the Jade corset made me pause, not only was it incredibly curvaceous on the body, but it’s also only 10 inches at the princess seam. This is in between a mid-hip and a longline corset, and its gentler contours at the top and bottom edges make it a bit easier to stealth in compared to the Jolie.
What Katie Did‘s Vamp underbust served as my original inspiration for this gallery. It is said to be the shorter, curvier version of their famous Morticia corset (which the older make used to be featured in the other longline gallery). The Vamp corset has a center front length of 11.5″ and a princess seam length of 10″. The newly restyled Vamp is available for $275 in the US or £159.50 in the UK.
PaperCats is one brand of what I call the “Polish Trifecta” of very curvy, affordable, and quality OTR and ready-to-wear corsets by Polish brands. (The other two being Restyle and Rebel Madness, both featured below!) Papercats offers this cheery, cherry-print longline corset that reaches well below the hip bone, but is still only 9.5 inches at the princess seam. Their prices are one of the lowest featured in this gallery, at less than $60 USD – but it is single boned and doesn’t contain a waist tape. See my review!
Rebel Madness, run by the super pair Magda and Maciej in Poland, makes some of the most beautiful, curvaceous and surprisingly lightweight corsets. The quality / price ratio can seldom be found elsewhere, and beyond their classic, stealthing undergarment corsets, RM makes breathtakingly beautiful decorative corsets that are truly a shame to hide away. Their Mini underbust is only about 3.5″ from the waist up, but closer to 5″ from the waist down for more tummy control. Check out their Etsy shop for their seasonal designs as well as their classic collection in this silhouette.
Restyle, a Polish clothing business and the third in the Trifecta, became immensely popular for their corsets back in 2014 – their Matte Cotton wide hip corset and their black brocade version (seen above) can barely be kept in stock! Perfect for people with short torsos and generous hips, this corset boasts a 12-inch hip spring at the iliac crest. The length of this corset in the center front is 12 inches, and the length along the princess seam is only 9 inches. The most surprising part: this corset is only $62 USD.
Isabella Corsetry released a Petite version of her most famous Josephine corset, explaining that it’s at least an inch shorter than her standard Josephine. The length varies based on the size, but the smaller sizes (waist sizes 20 through 28) are said to have a center front length of 11″ and a princess seam length of 9″. The Petite Josephine is also the same price as the regular Josephine, at $185 USD. If you purchase a “Made to Order” Josephine corset, you also have the option of requesting an even shorter length. Note that Isabella Corsetry groups her regular and petite Josephine corsets on the same page, so choose carefully before ordering!
Mystic City Corsets has arguably the widest range of different silhouettes of any OTR brand. Rather than focusing on a small capsule collection of <10 silhouettes with a rainbow of fabric choices, MCC has gone the opposite route: offering dozens of different corset patterns with varying rib spring, hip springs, rib shapes, and torso lengths, etc., while keeping the fabric options relatively limited. Here is the MCC63 which is only 9.5″ long at the princess seam, but offers plenty of lower tummy coverage.
Meschantes is more of a made-to-order corset brand rather than OTR – and all of their corsets are sewn in the USA). They are more well-known for their basic training underbust corsets, but on their website you’ll see a wider range of options, including their Venetian which is a shorter longline style that covers the upper hip, and has an attractively contoured lower edge. Do see my review on their corsets and read the comments, so you can make an informed choice!
Orchard Corset released the short version of their popular CS-426 longline corset. The 426-short is about 2.5 inches shorter in the front compared to the original (10.5″ in the center front and just over 8″ along the princess seam, vs 13″ CF and 10.5″ Princess on the longline ), but it retains the high back to help control for muffin top. This allows people with shorter waists to experience a similar “curve” to the original 426 corset, but still have the ability to sit down easily. The short version is also less expensive than the original CS-426 corset, starting at $80.
Valkyrie Corsets (Brighton UK) offers made-to-order and bespoke corset options alike. In Geraldine’s Etsy shop, you’ll find several training underbust options, including the Bellecurve, Longline, and Contour styles. All of these are available in two lengths, the longer version (10.5 to 11 inches at the princess seam) or the short version (9.5″ at the princess seam) to fit a variety of torso lengths.
Pop Antique is a much higher calibre of ready-to-wear, as all corsets are hand-made to order by the individual Corsetrix, Marianne Faulkner – but her Gibson Girl corset (an Edwardian-inspired, short-ish longline underbust) is too adorable to leave out – and according to the Pop Antique site, it’s only limited made to order according to her website. Her staple Ingenue longline corsets are typically 11.5″ at the center front and 10″ at the princess seam (with options to make longer or shorter if desired), and her Gibson Girl corset looks to be an even shorter version with an enviable hip spring – short and curvy corset wearers rejoice!
~Honorable Mentions~
Corsets Blvd Global used to make some incredibly curvaceous underbust and overbust options at mind-boggling prices (under $60 USD!) unfortunately their light burned bright and fast. They seemed to have their start on Ebay, where their quality corsets were a needle in a haystack of cheap bustiers. When their curvy overbust went viral, they quickly sold out, and couldn’t keep it in stock long thereafter! Their underbust previously featured in this gallery was a cut-down version of the same viral overbust, offering one of the few OTR styles that accommodated a wide hip spring and narrow ribcage. Unfortunately it seems that they could not keep up with demand and the brand quietly disappeared.
*Please note that I have not personally tried every corset brand in this list, nor do I necessarily endorse every company on this list. This is for informational purposes only. Please contact the individual corsetieres or businesses for more information on shorter longline corsets, including more specific measurements. Affiliate links help keep this gallery online, and free to use for everyone.
Dear Lucy
Thank you for your continuous work and effort providing us with in depth information regarding the world of corset! It’s so informative and all of your sizing information is so very helpful. I hope after all these years, you still enjoy corsets and the work you are doing. Regarding your post about the lengt of the corset;
I do have an issue with a longline corset I got (and therefore not wearing it). Maybe you could provide me with some insight?
When I bought my first proper corset online (after a fashion corset) I naively didn’t check the length of the corset , thinking that I must surely have a long torso. Naturally I ended up with a corset that gave me a beautiful curve but was way too long. The main problem was that I couldn’t sit comfortably, but more it gave me a pain on my iliac crest from the pressure. I since have focussed on shorter underbusts.
Suprisingly there are many OTR corsets that come as longlines. The silhouette is often more curvaceous then in the standard length corsets. I do like those curves but t am puzzled as to the pain in my iliac crest I got from the longline corset. It seemed to be very curvy but naturally sits tight on my iliac crest when I lace it to my liking – even though I do have small hips. I do have a mild form of fibromyalgia and getting these pressure points when confronted with a hard surface like mattress etc. is a symptom. In your experience could this be a result of the corset not being curvy enough or may this type of corset just not be for me? Is this pain common in longline corsets? How could I still achieve that longline look?
Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Greetings Andrea
Hi Andrea, it sounds as though your pelvis / hip bones are wider than the corsets you’ve been wearing – in other words, the corsets are not curvy enough and they’re pressing down on your skeletal structure instead of your waistline. I think a better gallery for you to peruse would be the one for corsets with high / square hip shelves.
Your focus here seems to be on short but very curvy women, but in my experience, its much harder to find a *less* curvy corset. Could you please highlight which, if any, of these short-waisted styles are suitable for short torsos with a natural apple or brick shape? I’m 5’2″ with virtually no difference between my underbust, waist, and upper hip, regardless of whether I’m at my heavy weight or skinny weight, and basically every off the rack corset I try on that has an achievable waist size for me is then massively too big in the ribcage and hips.
Hi Alex, you might get more value out of the slim silhouette gallery. Alternatively you’re welcome to use my Corset Database (it’s my peripheral brain) to find a corset with the exact rib and hip springs you need to fit your proportions.
I notice these are all underbust corsets. Is there any hope for people with short torsos to find an overbust corset that actually fits and is of a price that a normal person can afford?
Hi Jak, all of the OTR overbust corsets I’ve tried are logged in Corset Database (this link goes to the overbusts specifically), you can put in the torso length you specifically need and it might be able to help you narrow down your search. But you’re right, there are not really overbust corsets marketed for very short torso lengths. If you can sew, it’s possible to cut down a corset to fit you better.
I have discovered that I have the same problem. All OTR overbust corsets that I have tried on so far — except for one — are too long for me and dig into my thighs when sitting. (I am specifically looking into corsets as an alternative to bras…so all I’m interested in are overbust.) Interestingly enough, the one overbust corset that fits is a rather unusual one from corset-story . com
The reason why it fits is because the angle of the front boning is at a V to the center line — basically, the boning is similar in shape to much of the boning of corsets in the 17th century, rather than purely using the usual “princess lines.”
Alisa Phoenix, which corset is it? I’m in the same position – a short person with a short torso, interested in an overbust as an alternative to bras…
How do u measure a torso? Being 5 ft 1 i do believe i have a short torso
Hi Michelle, the toro is measured from under the breast (or pectoral muscle) down to where your lap starts. I have a video tutorial on this page. :)
Mine is 8″