Last updated on February 24th, 2016 at 02:19 pm
Are you looking to buy a new corset?
Are you trying to find a corset maker who lives near you?
Or do you just want to “window shop” and learn more about all the different corset brands out there?
You’ve come to the right place.
Welcome to the Corset Shopping Guide! Here you will find some of the tools, maps, lists and databases I’ve compiled to make your research faster and easier! Click on any of the headings to begin your search:
Corsetiere Map
This is a database and interactive map to help you find corsetieres (aka corset makers) who may live near YOU, where ever you are in the world. Look up their general location, website, email, Facebook and other social media. You can also narrow down your search by clicking the “Tried by Lucy? YES” toggle at the bottom, to find corsetieres I’ve personally done business with.
Corsetiere Map PROS: Meeting in person with a corsetiere can be useful – they can help you take your measurements and determine your size, they can help you figure out what type of corset would work best for you, and they can also make you a beautifully-fitting custom corset. If you’ve never seen or felt a corset in person before, they may have samples to show you, so you know what to expect.
Corsetiere Map CONS: Getting a custom-made corset from a corsetiere can be expensive. If you’re looking for something cheaper/ a smaller investment, check the next heading below. The corsetieres marked in red are those that I haven’t personally tried so cannot vouch for their quality. I advise you to do your homework on any corsetiere and look at their past work before investing.
Corset Brands by Price Range
Want a comprehensive list of all the corset brands that I (Lucy) have personally tried and tested? You got it! The list is separated by price range so you can easily find corsets that fit your budget. Beside each brand, I’ve also provided links to their website, and also to my objective and in-depth review(s).
Price List PROS: This list includes off-the-rack (OTR) corset brands which ship immediately and are often lower in price. You can also compare and contrast the different styles, silhouette, quality and price using my corset reviews, so you have a better idea of what to expect.
Price List CONS: Many of these brands are online-only businesses (no storefront) so you may not always know exactly what you’re buying. Research their shipping fees, exchange/ return policies, and whether or not to expect taxes/duty.
Guided Galleries for Corset Window Shopping (highly recommended!)
Shopping by price alone (like you’ll find above) sometimes isn’t enough. What if you’re looking for a specific kind of corset? If you’re short, you need a cincher. If you live in a hot climate, you might like a sheer/ mesh corset. If you want to correct posture, maybe you need a corset with shoulder straps. If you’re full-figured, you need to find a corset company that supplies plus-sizes. That’s what these galleries are for.
Gallery PROS: These galleries organize corsets by specific type, so you can narrow down what you want/ need in a corset, and find corsetieres that can cater to your wishes.
Gallery CONS: Not all of the corset brands and makers in these galleries have been personally tested by myself, so in some situations the quality is unknown. Take the information with a grain of salt, and if you do plan to purchase from a certain maker, be sure to email them and ensure they are the right “match” for you. You can also use my consultation service to help narrow down your options.
Corset Dimensions Directory (Lace-Base)
Are you interested in the “hard numbers” of a certain corset brand, but you can’t find a sizing chart on their website? Look no further! I’ve taken all the standard sized corsets I own and measured their bust, underbust, waist and hip circumferences, as well as their length in the center front and the princess seam (from underbust to lap). A well-made corset should reduce only your waistline and match the rest of your measurements as closely as possible. This chart will help you find the corset with the right curves for your body!
Lace-Base PROS: These charts take the guesswork out of finding the “spring” in the corsets (difference between the waist and bust, waist and hips etc), and numbers don’t lie! If you’re worried that a corset you find on the internet won’t be as curvy in real life as it is on the website, this chart will verify whether it will truly fit you.
Lace-Base CONS: While a picture of a “floating corset” doesn’t tell the whole story, sometimes numbers don’t tell the whole story either. For instance, a corset might be too narrow around the sides of the hips, yet it might also give too much extra space in the front and bow away from your lower tummy! This is a drafting issue, even if the overall measurements are supposed to be okay. To see the fit of all the corsets on my body, please click on any hyperlinked name in the chart and it will take you to my review where you can learn more about the corset overall.
Can I Waist Train in This Corset?
Many OTR corsets seem to be well-made and give dramatic curves, but are they suited for waist training, or only tight lacing? On this page, I summarize the corset brands and styles I’ve tried into an easy-to-read table, comparing construction concerns, curve level, customer service and my opinion on whether someone would be able to use the corset for daily wear or waist training under proper use.
Please note that is one of the most subjective pages on my entire website – what I may consider fair for waist-training is what many others would consider not suitable. Sometimes my opinion differs from what the brand advertises themselves, so take this information with a grain of salt. I’m still of the belief that a custom-fit corset made specifically to your body and your specifications by an experienced corsetiere is the absolute best option for training.
Corset Reviews (Video Playlist) (Written Reviews)
I have now tried an estimated 105 corsets from 46 different brands (not including my own corsets), and I’ve filmed and written reviews for over 60 of these so far! It is my hope that before the end of the year, I will have recorded another 20 corset reviews. My reviews are in depth, fact-based and not opinion-based reviews of products that I purchased. Over time, both myself and my viewers learned more about how the construction, pattern, materials, etc. can vary so widely from one corset brand and style to another. My aim is to show the corset in enough detail that the viewer feels as if the corset is right in front of them, so they know what quality to expect.
Corset Review PROS: Each corset is treated like a case study, and the corset is shown and described in high detail. The structure of each review is more-or-less the same, making comparison of small components between corset styles and brands quite easy. Over time, those who watch my reviews gain a true understanding of what quality is, and what construction techniques and features they prefer for their corsets.
Corset Review CONS: These reviews are not for the impatient. If you’re looking for quick, opinion-based reviews, you won’t find those here (although you’re welcome to read my “Final Thoughts” section of my written reviews). Also, I’m just one reviewer – my experience may be different from another customer’s experience – do your research and look for more reviews than only mine!
Consultations
Still feeling a little lost even with the tools above? I offer consultations on this site – you pay the fee, fill out the questionnaire as best as you can, and I will point you in the direction of the corset brands that I think will best suit your needs and preferences.
Consultation PROS: If you don’t have the time to learn about corsets, I take the guesswork out of corset shopping. This potentially save you hundreds of hours of research and thousands of dollars in waisted corsets that don’t fit you properly or doesn’t suit its purpose.
Consultation CONS: This is a paid service (hey, my time and experience are valuable – I’ve spent 4+ years and close to $20,000 on this corset/Youtube passion, and published my articles and videos for free) – and you don’t get the joy of learning for yourself by watching videos, reading articles and immersing yourself into the corset community.
Take a peek in my online store.
The corsets in my shop are tried, tested and true. Timeless Trends is the only OTR corset company that offers a 45-day exchange window, and Lifetime Warranty on their corsets – I’ve had the immense pleasure of working directly with them for years and have even played a part in designing their new Hourglass line. I’m proud to be a distributor of Timeless Trends corsets.
Hey Lucy. I’m from Brazil, I got 2 corsets from Orchard Corset already, but I don’t think they can give me the shape I want, I want conical ribs, very small ribcage, my underbust to be smaller than my waist but I barely feel pressure on my ribs using the Orchard CS 426 corset, I feel it mostly on my waist, and It’s not where I wanted the pressure to be, I wanted most of the pressure to be on my ribs, that’s where I want reductions, not on my waist. Can you please show me a conical corset that puts mostly of its pressure on the ribs? Just no WKD corsets because they costs in Euro and it would be more expensive for me.
Also Orchard Corset got silhoute levels option on their site, and I noticed the higher the level, the less pressure I feel on my ribs but on my waist. And they got level 1 more straight corsets, should I go for them since they are pretty straight at the bottom? Will they create that conical effect?
Thank you so much!
Hi Juliana, the one corset that has the smallest ribcage I’ve ever seen are the original silhouette longline corsets from Timeless Trends, like the ones in my shop here. (Not the ones that say “hourglass”, but the other ones). Their ribcage starts at about 2″ bigger than the waist, whereas most other corsets have a ribcage that is 6″ bigger than the waist. So these corsets are designed for someone who has a ribcage that is smaller than their natural waist, and the corset doesn’t flare away from the body at the top edge. If you want to be properly sized for a corset, I have a measuring page here.
Oh thank you so much Lucy for your reply!
I’m impressed, Timeless Trends? I thought those were starter corsets. And I know conical corsets are for experienced tightlacers only. And I remember reading your article about conical corsets, which said WKD Morticia underbust corset was really meant to reduce the ribcage. Which would be better? Morticia from WKD or the one you mentioned from Timeless Trends? And is that Josephine underbust from Isabella small in the ribcage too?
Thank you so much again!
And why isn’t Timeless Trends in the conical corsets article, Lucy?
Hi again Lucy,
Please I want to know if you have any tip or advise about how to hide the fat on the back? With some clothes or t shirts I realized that the fat is more noticeable. Also, if I gain some weight or inches around the waist, this will affect my lacing??
Greetings from Ecuador!!
Hi Valeria, I like to use a sports bra or something that provides light compression across the back to pull in the flesh. However, a good custom corset should be big enough in the ribcage so that your flesh doesn’t pinch or create rolls over the top of the corset. If your upper ribs are being squeezed, it’s likely that the top edge of the corset is too small. If you gain inches around the waist, then lacing down may feel tighter or more difficult – however, if you wear your corset consistently, then it’s not very likely that you’ll gain much around your natural waist – in fact, the opposite is usually true.
Are u able to hide the corset under your clothing I always just used a rubber snapper because I thought the laces would show on this kind. I’m afraid to spend a lot of money on a corset and then have trouble wearing it.. I really am lost! Lol
Hi Nicole, there are ways to hide the corset under clothing – some styles hide better than others (I will be making a video on this soon) and you can see how I hide my corset laces in this video!
Hey Lucy,
I have a bit of a pattern problem and I am wondering would you be able to help
I used your duct tape youtube tutorial as a guideline as I knew what I was aiming for from school but when I took my first dress form off it had smooshed/squashed my boobs big time so I decided to just make the over bust side of it but not the full bodess (so jut the part to cover my boobs I made again) it worked a bit better but now I have the problem of putting the patterns together in the right proportions. And this is where I am stumped…
Any suggestions?
Tara
Hola Lucy,
I have a CS 426 20″, but when I bought it, I didn´t know about the seasoning, etc, now I think my corset is damaged, so I don´t know if this affect the lacing? I almost close it, but when I measure my waist with the corset on it, it is just 24″, I am really lost, I thought I have to reach the 20″?
please let me know what do you think about it.
Hi Valeria, the corset itself has bulk so the outside is always going to measure bigger than the tag size. I have an article and video that explains why, and shows you how to determine the true waist measurement (internally). Measuring your Internal Corseted Waist Circumference
Lost :(
I can’t seem to find your list of custom corset brands.
Thank you
Hi Renee, all the custom corsetieres are listed by location in the Corsetiere Map. :)
Hi Lucy
I finally got 2 corsets. i know they are not from where you would like but for now it is working for me…(corset deal).
I have a idea. I have several (junk) corsets. I was wondering if i sent you one of them and then you could do a comparison. I know you have done one already but i cant remember if you showed it in pictures. just thought I would ask. I am going to try to put steel boning in them. So i hope it might work…or not.
Cheers. a HUGE thankyou for pointing me in the right direction.
Lisa
Hi Lisa, thanks for your comment. I didn’t plan on making any comparison videos this year, but if you’d like to email me which brands you have that I haven’t reviewed before, I may consider it! :)
Lucy,
I know you have mentioned this in at least one of your videos, but it may be worth mentioning again that the purchaser should take into account any taxes/duties/customs charges when ordering from international vendors.
I did a lot of research on your site as well as the individual corsetiere sites. I happened to choose a bespoke kit from an international corsetiere. Working with that corsetiere was very pleasant and the items I had customized were just what I dreamed of. The problem was that although the corsetiere mentioned that there would be customs charges, I did not expect for the package deliverer to show up at the door expecting several hundred dollars. I was not made aware of the amount of the final charges in advance. It was quite a “buzz-kill” to the excitement of receiving my highly awaited order.
So, although I still feel as though I chose the best corsetiere for my needs, the amount of the custom charges was almost what I would have paid for an additional made-to-order corset. So budgeting for this additional cost should be duly noted.
Hi gyrlfryday, yes many corsetieres will warn that the buyer is responsible for all taxes and duty, but one can’t expect them to possibly know how much every country will charge. In Canada, we are taxed between 7-16% (depending on the province) on any import over $50. In Australia, that threshold is more like $1000. Other countries are different, and depending on the country, or even the state/ province within a country, will have a different % that they tax (I believe the UK takes 20% and call it VAX). This is not just for corsets, it’s for all items above a certain amount coming into the country. The corsetiere has no control over this and ultimately, it’s not their responsibility.
Many corsetieres are asked to declare the value of the parcel as much cheaper than it actually is or to mark it as a gift. This is problematic because if anything happens to the parcel, insurance will not return the true amount that it was worth since it was declared as less. Also, the corsetiere can be heavily penalized for lying about the worth of the contents as this ties in with lying (or helping other people lie) about their taxes.
I get what you’re saying that it was an unpleasant surprise to have to pay more. But this would have happened with any item of equal value that you imported, not only corsets. The fact that your corsetiere mentioned possible customs charges at all was an act of courtesy.
Thank you Lucy. I didn’t mean to imply that the corsetiere had any control over taxes, duties, customs fees, etc. And I certainly do not want to deter anyone from International shopping as I am an avid International shopper. I simply meant that the buyer should keep these fees in mind and also do research on how much the fees may be so that the amount is budgeted as part of the total cost.
Thank you for all the hard work, time and money that you invest in your research. It is greatly appreciated.
Lucy:
Last year I had surgery for breast cancer and had some lymph nodes removed. I now experience swelling (Lymphodema) unless I wear compression sleeves (http://www.lymphedivas.com) and a special belisse compression bra (http://www.lymphedemaproducts.com/products/bellisse-bra.html?ppc_ref=gw2&gclid=CLH37t380r8CFcVefgodtywAaQ) .
The belisse bra works well but is not very stylish. My husband suggested I look into a custom corset. I was hoping I might be able to find an OTR or custom corset that would provide the support/compression I need in a more attractive format. I need to wear the compression bra pretty much during waking hours. Also, some degree of waist reduction would be a plus but not my main requirement.
Can you recommend any vendors of extended wear over bust corsets that can give me firm support./compression on the sides of the breast particularly up into the underarm area ?
Alternatively would it make sense to make a duct tape form (from your You tube video) over my belisse bra and mark areas needing extra support ?
Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Hello Barbara, I’m not sure where you’re located, but I know that Contour Corsets makes anatomical overbust corsets that can hold you firmly yet support you naturally. Alternatively you can check out the gallery of corset makers that offer corsets with straps – the overbust options wrap around the arm and come up fairly high in the armpit area.
Is there an actual shop where I can go and be fitted for a corsette or a vintage girdle? I am near Phoenix Az.
Hi Tom, the only corsetiere I knew in Arizona was Crumpet Couture and I’m not sure if she’s still active anymore, unfortunately!