All About Corsets

We recommend reading What Katie Did’s expert advice on choosing and wearing corsets here before you invest in one.

If in doubt, please do contact me as for best results it is important you know your measurements and your “squishability”. Here is what some of the experts say:

“I first discovered corsets when I worked at Skin Two Clothing in 1995. I loved the way they immediately changed the figure and emphasized the waist. Today I wear a corset nearly every day and love the accentuated shape it gives me.

For a lot of us, investing in your first corset is a big step, and you need to take some time to research and decide what corset is best for you.

WEARING CORSETS AFTER PREGNANCY 

Should You Wear A Corset After Birth?

We all know that there are some incredibly brave women out there who embrace their postpartum bodies, whilst others (like myself) find that we cannot wait to banish the mummy tummy as soon as we possibly can. In addition to this, the water retention that is caused by shifting hormones (amongst other things) usually lasts for about 4 weeks after delivering our babies and that hard working uterus has also got to contract right back down from the size of a watermelon to the size of a pear which usually takes about 6 weeks but can take much longer! 
You may have seen “Postpartum Belly Support Belts” being brandished at you everywhere you go but it is very important to note that there is no medical evidence whatsoever that they do what they claim, which is “reduce water retention”, “help shrink the uterus faster” and “improve muscle tone”. 

Are there any advantages of wearing a corset after pregnancy?

Honestly, I always advise women to do what they feel is right for them. But I also recognise this is ducking out so;

Sherry Ross, M.D., an OB-GYN and women's health specialist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California says, “Pretend your middle is a soft but full balloon and you tie a string around it. What happens?" asks Holly Perkins, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of Lift to Get Lean. "The air gets displaced and moves to the outer edges of the balloon. That's what happens when you use a waist cincher. You displace water, even organs and soft tissue. You do not change fat composition or deposit."

"Corsets are ideal for a night out on the town," says Dr. Ross. "It'll definitely support a saggy belly and give you mental and physical confidence to wear that picture-perfect dress." 

HOW TO MEASURE FOR A CORSET 

Corsets are sized by 'reduced waist size'. This means the size of the corset when fully closed. For example, a size 24" corset will measure 24" when fully closed. To determine your corset size you need to measure your waist firmly and deduct a number of inches.

Please note that your jean size is not your waist measurement! You need to measure the narrowest part of your torso which is a lot higher up. The amount of inches you take off will depend on a variety of factors, including the corset style and your build, but is generally between 3 and 5 inches (precise details are included for by corset style).

Please be aware that you need to check your measurements before ordering. For our Underbust Corsets we supply both the vertical lengths and circumference . Please compare your measurements to ours to determine which corset will be right for your figure type.

Finally, be aware that the top and bottom corset measurement we provide are for the corset being entirely closed at the back. It is pretty standard to aim for a gap of 2".

Since 2004, What Katie Did 

have refined our designs into a capsule collection that is designed to suit a wide range of different figure shapes, torso lengths and sizes.

Unique to What Katie Did is refine their range of standard and extreme underbust corsets. You can start with the standard version of one of the corsets then move on to the extreme version if you want to take your waist training further.

…AND WHAT IS A WASPIE OR DEMI CORSET?

Demi Waspies and Corsets are half-way between a powermesh waist cincher/waspie and full non stretch corset.

YOUR SQUASHABILITY

Our corsets come in reduced waist sizes 18" to 34" which roughly equals UK dress sizes 8-18, US dress sizes 4 to 14.

If you are a UK dress size 8 (US 4) you will have less body fat than if you are a UK dress size 18 (US 14), so it will be harder for you to immediately get a dramatic corseted shape.

If you are a UK dress size 12-14 (US 8-10) you should be able to get a great corseted shape, without too much effort and without worrying too much about flub at the top and bottom of the corset. Again, you need to go by our sizing recommendations. The only thing that might cause you difficultly is if you are very athletic and have a high muscle to fat ratio. Then, like your more slender friends, you will find it harder to waist train as muscle is far less squishy than fat.

If you are a UK dress size 16 (US 12) or above, then you're in luck as fat is squishy and you'll be able to quickly tight lace yourself to create hourglass curves. You might want to go for a size smaller than stated as it's common for curvier girls to be able to reduce their waist by 6 or even 7 inches with one of our curvier corsets! However, please check the rib and hip measurements of our corsets before doing this as if they are too small for you, they will result in what can only be called, rather unglamorously, flub.