Last updated on April 15th, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Every week I receive emails from folks who were assigned male at birth and are now looking to feminize their figures as adults. Some cross-dressers, gender-fluid individuals and AMAB trans women will sometimes run into fitting issues while using conventional standard sized corsets – the main complaints being that a standard-sized OTR corset may feel too tight/ small on the ribcage, the waist tape of the corset may sit too high on the waistline, and the hips may gape or feel too large. Some wearers bypass this by simply wearing a conventional corset upside-down, but a more effective solution would be to have a corset made specifically for your body.
Whether you’re looking to temporarily enhance your curves only when the corset is worn, or you’re interested in sculpting your natural figure long-term, several corsetieres and businesses are available to assist you. The following makers are respectful and confidential, and have experience drafting corsets comfortable for a masculine skeletal structure while giving a feminine silhouette. They can use clever patterning and color combinations to make the ribcage and waist appear smaller and the hips appear fuller, and some of them can incorporate padding into the corset at your request. Some of these makers also have experience training the ribcage permanently smaller for a more hourglass figure even when not wearing the corset.
*Corsetieres, if you are experienced in making feminizing corsets and would like your work featured in this gallery, please send me an emailherewith a photo of your best work. Safe-for-work photos are preferred! Thank you!
House of Canney from Georgia, USA is the official corsetier for Violet Chachki of RuPaul’s Drag Race Fame. Here Violet models the corset named after her: a super strong yet lightweight single layer corset made from spot broche ($225 USD). Anthony Canney is also an expert costumier and can create stunning fitted costumes and evening gowns over their custom corsets.
Misty Couture is a corsetiere based in London, England, who works extensively with contestants of Drag Race UK. Above you’ll see Bimini Bon Boulash wearing a fitted overbust on season 2, A’Whora‘s finale outfit (also in season 2), and back in 2017 by German Drag Ambassador Hungry! Particularly notable about Hungry’s piece is the strikingly matched motif in the center front seam, rounded ribcage, and hip shelf with a dramatically nipped-in waistline. Misty Couture corsets start around £175 for custom underbust corsets.
Electra Designs is also very experienced making corsets for clients of all body types, as you can see in the expertly-fitted underbust corset above. Alexis offers remote fittings using photos though email to obtain a beautiful shape for those who are not able to make in-person fittings. You can see a selection of both overbust and underbust corsets in her Facebook gallery, “Transformation corsets for Transgender and Cross Dresser Clients”.
Orchid Corsetry has experience making both masculine and feminine corsets for customers who were assigned male at birth. Bethan offers feminizing corsets in three styles: Pride, Sloth and Nouveau, and the corsets can be designed to fit to the body like a glove, or to incorporate padding at the bust and hips to create the illusion of an even curvier figure.
Although most of the models on Puimond’s website are cis-women, Puimond has made both masculine corsets and feminizing corsets. Looking extremely curvy in a custom PY18 overbust by Puimond is Fontasia who took the honor of 2nd Runner-up at Miss Continental 2010!
Versatile Corsets has long been a favorite source of corsets, maid’s uniforms and other fashions for those into cross-dressing or stage performance, and they have a few styles that are particularly recommended for stereotypically masculine-shaped bodies (although any of their corsets can be upgraded to custom fit for a fee). For the past several years Versatile has supplied the one and only RuPaul with corsets, and in season 5 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, some of Versatile’s corsets were featured including this Nightshade corset modeled by Detox.
This sweetheart overbust by French designer Estelle Cloann borders on androgynous to me as the subtle peach color is flattering on any gender, but I decided to put the corset in this gallery rather than the Gentlemen’s gallery due to the sweetheart overbust line, the beautifully tapered ribcage and impressive hip spring – certainly it reflect Estelle’s ability to make both masculine or feminine corsets for her clientele.
Jeroen van der Klis of Bizarre Design (Netherlands) has decades of experience creating both masculine corsets and feminizing corsets. Above you’ll see the very owner as his alter ego Sandra from about 30 years ago, sporting a 23-inch corseted waistline with a conical ribcage, decades before corsets and waist training hit the mainstream. Jeroen has hundreds of AMAB clients, but for their safety and privacy, not many photos are publicly displayed. Bizarre Design’s website has not been updated for some time, but Jeroen is very active on Facebook so if you look through Bizarre Design’s photo albums, you will find an up-to-date price list.
Honorable Mentions (retired corsetieres):
Contour Corsets has extensive experience in creating corsets for trans women.Fran herself is openly transgender, and she has created corsets for herself and undergone extensive waist training to help get her to the figure she has today. In the photo above you see her “Sweetheart” style corset which she explains was made to fit the proportions of one of her AMAB clients, yet the boning channels and panels are strategically placed to “give the flowing feminine lines of her woman’s designs – and be comfortable”, making the waist look much smaller. She also makes more intensive training corsets to slowly reshape the ribs – while I (Lucy) am cis-female, I can also personally say that my Contour Corset has trained my ribcage more effectively than any other corset brand.
Romantasy had over 30 years’ experience in the corsetry business. Above you see the impressive silhouette of a corset made by Sharon McCoy Morgan, and how the sweeping lines create the illusion of broader hips and a smaller ribcage on the model. Before retiring in 2020, Romantasy owner Ann Grogan regularly conducted gender workshops in her studio in San Francisco, and her website had extensive information and galleries featuring the transgender clients Romantasy served over the years. While the Romantasy website is no longer running, you can find archives of the page here.
*Please note that I have not personally tried every corset brand in this list, nor do I necessarily endorse every company in these guided galleries. This is for informational purposes only. Please contact the maker directly if you have any questions about their products.
