How to take your measurements for a corset
Each item we make is fitted to your body and your proportions. Please make use of this guide below to send us the measurements we will work with to create your perfect fit!
There is a video at the end of the guide if that is an easier way for you to learn - you can scroll to the end of the page for an example video, or click the button below “go to video”
Find your waist
This is the most important step! The structural support of a corset (unlike a modern bra) comes from the waist, so your waist is the starting point of many other measurements.
With a string or shoelace, tie a loop around the middle of your torso. Your waist is usually (but not always) the narrowest point of your torso. Secure the loop so that it is skin tight but comfortable. (non-bulky clothes like a simple tank top will help with this part).
If you aren’t sure you’ve located your true waist, go ahead and bend straight to one side, as if you are trying to touch the outside of your foot on one side. Your waist is the point in your torso that bends naturally.
2. Measure your waist
Now that you’ve found your waist, it’s measurement time! Leave the string around your waist for this whole process.
To measure your waist, wrap a measuring tape around the exact same spot where you’ve secured your string, and write down the number. That’s your waist measurement!
3. Measure around your full chest
We’re measuring the circumference around the fullest (widest) point of your chest or bust. For some, this will be right at the nipple line - for others, it may be different.
It’s best to take this measurement without any padded bras or clothing so that we get a natural measurement. Comfortably loose sports bras or non-padded bras are just fine, unless you plan to wear a padded bra beneath your corset.
We recommend wearing neutral clothing for the measurement process, such as a t-shirt, bike shorts/leggings, and a comfortable non-padded bra for those of you who wear bras.
4. Measure around your full hip
For corsetry, this measurement will usually be above your actual hip bone - a “high hip”, but it depends on your proportions. We’re looking for the widest part of your low belly (I know, I know, the measurement we all love the most). For some body types, the belly may overhang the hip bone, in which case we recommend measuring around your body right at the hip bone. For others, the curve of the belly may stop before the hip bone - in which case, we’re going for the widest part above the actual bone of your hips.
5. Measure across your inner shoulders
AKA, the armpit-to-armpit measurement. You want to measure straight across your upper torso (just across, not around) from the indent of one armpit to the other.
This measurement tells us how big across the canvas of your torso is, which may define things like how we place seam lines or decorations so that they’re front and center, and don’t vanish off to one side. This is sort of the picture-frame measurement for the front and back of the torso.
Please take this measurement both front and back!
6. Measure from your waist to your bust point
Remember when we tied that string around your waist? Well, its time has come!
“Bust point” is just a fancy way of saying “nipple spot”. We’re trying to find out how high up from your waist the fullest part of your chest is.
Measure upward from your waist string to the bust point.
If you are someone with a more full chest, your actual bust point may rest lower on your torso (which is not where it will rest inside the corset). Because we are looking for a height measurement, in this case we suggest you press your free chest tissue straight backward into your chest and measure that height instead of your natural bust point (a bra may already be doing this for you). Because this is hard to describe, we suggest you watch the video below if you feel this applies to you!
7. Measure from Waist to neck
From the center of your waist string that you tied at the beginning, measure straight upwards to the nape of your neck both front and back.
In the front - the nape of your neck is that small hollow at the base of your throat, usually right between your two collarbones.
In the back - the nape of your neck is right at the base of your neck, in the middle where your neck meets your shoulders. Many of us have a slight protrusion there as the spine moves from neck to upper back, but if you don’t, think of finding the spot where the chain of a necklace pendant will naturally fall as you wear it.
8. Measure from waist to hip
Lastly, we need the length of your torso from the waist to that point on your hip/lower belly that we measured earlier. Measure straight down in the front from the waist to where you chose to measure your hip.