MEASUREMENTS GUIDE FOR CORSET
I. Stay straight, breath normally. Don’t pull in your stomach.
II. Now it’s time to find your corset waist. It’s located in different place than your natural waist, usually a bit lower. It’s a space filled with soft and squeezable tissue, between your ribcage and hip bones. This space can be safely squeezed with corset, without aching. That’s why you should be as precise as you can to find your corset waist, to avoid squeezing your ribs and hipbones and to ensure yourself best fitting and comfort.
The easiest way to find your corset waist is to lean your body to the right and left. The place where your skin “folds” is your corset waist! Mark this place with your fingers. I have marked my corset waist with red dotted line and letter W in the pictures below:
Now ask your assistant to tie up a twine or fasten a trouser belt around your corset waist (but not tightly!) you’ve found. Leave it in this place until you take all the measurements. All the following measurements should be taken considering your corset waist!
III. Please check and note the following measurements (in centimetres):
W) corset waist circumference
2) underbust circumference
3) bust circumference
4) upper hip circumference (at the top of the pelvis)
5) lower/full hip circumference (it’s the widest circumference of your hips, often at the bottom level)
The next measurements are distances between these circumferences:
A) underbust to waist distance
B) waist to central bust distance (measure between your breast)
C) waist-to-upper-hip distance
D) waist to full-hip distance
E) distance from your waist to the desired length of your future gown.
Now a few measurements of your chest:
F) waist to bust curves distance
G) bust separation (distance between bust curves)
H) shoulder to waist distance (across the bust curves)
Then turn back:
6) shoulders width
7) back width (armhole to armhole)
8) Waist-to-armpit distance (while your hand is down). Please measure it 3-5 cm below your armpit fold, so that your future garment won’t hurt your skin
9) nape of neck to waist (central back)
The last measure you need is so called “princess seam”. Please sit straight on a chair, don’t lean against.
P) “Princess seam” – underbust to thigh distance
We need this measurement to provide that the corset boning won’t hurt your hip while you sit in your garment.
If you want your garment to have sleeves or a collar, we need also:
I) neck round the base of the neck (a comfortable fit)
J) upper arm circumference, round the thickest part of the upper arm (measure while the arm is bent)
K) wrist, round the wrist at the bone
L) arm length (shoulders to wrist)