#corset sizing

Trước hết: đừng tin ký hiệu S/M/L. Nó không được chuẩn hóa giữa các shop hay khu vực, một size M chỗ này có thể là S hoặc L chỗ khác. Luôn nhìn số đo cm cụ thể trong bảng size rồi so với số đo thật của mình.

Freesize cũng không phải "vừa với tất cả". Nó chỉ là một size duy nhất, co giãn để linh hoạt trong một khoảng số đo nhất định — ví dụ eo 58-72cm. Số đo bạn nằm ở rìa khoảng đó thì nên nhắn hỏi shop trước khi chốt, đừng tin tên gọi rồi hy vọng may mắn.

Mua corset thì quên vòng ngực đi — số đo dưới ngực và vòng eo mới là thứ quyết định, vì corset ôm định hình thân giữa chứ không che phủ như áo thường. Nếu số đo nằm giữa hai size và corset có dây buộc sau lưng, chọn size nhỏ hơn, vì dây cho phép nới rộng dễ hơn ép nhỏ lại.

Quần ống rộng thì chỉ cần vừa ở vòng eo — ống và đùi rộng là chủ đích thiết kế, không cần ôm khít. Bảng size ghi "rộng hơn 5-10cm so với số đo thật" là chuyện bình thường, đừng nhầm trông rộng trong ảnh với sai size.

Còn boots thì đo chân vào cuối ngày lúc chân giãn nở nhất. Đi tất dày hoặc chân bè ngang thì nhích nửa size, còn không thì giữ đúng số đo — rộng quá dễ trượt gót khi đi nhiều, nhất là platform boots.

Corset Q & A Episode 35: I’m New to Corseting & Waist Training. Where Do I Start?

Do you have a questions about steel boned corsets, waist training or corseting? The answer is probably somewhere in our Corset Q & A series.

I’m New to Corseting & Waist Training. Where Do I Start?

This video is all about firsts!! This is Sydney’s first video with us, and she’s looking great! This video and blog is also perfect for…

Corset Q & A Episode 28: Why Do You Need ALL My Measurements For Corset Sizing?

In our Corset Q & A series we’ll be giving you quick answers to some of the most common questions we get regarding steel boned corsets, waist training and corseting here at Orchard Corset.

Why do we need your underbust, upper hip and torso measurement for corset sizing?

If you’ve ever talked to someone in or Customer Service…

First of all, good for you for measuring the corset immediately when you got it in the mail! Most people don’t, but it’s good practice to do so. That way you know that the corset was not constructed to size, and the company cannot blame you for stretching out the corset.

If you truly don’t have a problem with the fact that your corset runs an inch large, then you don’t have to do anything about it. But if you did have an issue with it, it would have been best to bring it up with the company right away, before ever wearing it.

It would be wonderful if every clothing / fashion company carried clothing true to size - unfortunately, it’s rarely the case, which is why some websites even have a customer rating system where they can say that shoes, bras or dresses “run large” or “run small”.

One would hope that OTR corset companies carry sizes in inches (indisputable) would sell said corsets true to size, but sometimes it’s up to us customers to hold them to a certain standard of quality, especially when production is so high they don’t have time to measure and scrutinize every piece.

Hi! In the past year or so, I’ve received email after email from various people saying “Orchard Corset recommended a size 6/8/10 inches smaller than my natural waist, but that feels like too much of a jump for me. Do I have to go that small?”

It’s my personal opinion that 8 inches waist reduction is too much for a beginner. To my knowledge, they are the only OTR company that makes these recommendations; other brands I’ve ordered from have all recommended a reduction of 4-6 inches depending on experience level, compressibility, whether you’re full-figured, and whether the corset is designed to be worn with a 2” gap in the back instead of fully closed.

Back when I was still offering personalized consultations, I would typically recommend one size, and then if that client consults Orchard Corset, they would come back consistently recommending 1-2 sizes (2-4 inches) smaller than what I had recommended. It became tiring.

This video discusses the measurements I take (and the measurements that I request from others) and compare with a size chart to determine an appropriate size. Note that I don’t only choose a size based on the natural waist, but I also consider the ribcage and the iliac crest circumference, as well as torso length. OC used to have their rib/hip spring measurements on each product page, but it seems they’ve since removed them.

Ideally, a corset’s top and bottom edges should match the wearer’s ribcage and hip circumference measurements, respectively (if the corset is intended to be worn completely closed). Only compressing the waist area; not gaping away from the body too much, and certainly not spilling over the top or compressing the hips.

The latter (compression of the hips/pelvis) is a common result of wearing an OTR corset too small in size for your body. There are nerves and blood vessels that run over the iliac crest and their compression can result in pain, tingling and numbness. I’ve received emails from a few people who’ve had to take some time off from their OC corset so a nerve around their hip could fully heal and feel normal again. A well-fitting corset worn properly should never cause this; it is not a normal part of waist training. And it’s sad that their customers have to turn to me for answers after this sort of injury has already happened.

What the heck? It sounds fishy to me, personally - although the mesh corset does stretch slightly (the prototype I tried did stretch by 1-2 inches on the top edge around the binding), I don’t know if I would trust it to stretch 4-5 inches in the hip area - and if it did stretch that much on the top/ bottom edges, could that mean it would also stretch significantly in the waist? If so, it’s not doing what a corset should do!

For a well-functioning corset, perhaps 1-2 inches under your natural measurements would have been okay (and would be easier on someone with more fluff on top and bottom) but not 4-5 inches and especially not someone with a smaller build such as yourself, who presumably doesn’t have much adipose distribution around the ribcage or hips.