I am not shy about my love of corsets. I feel they are the sexiest thing anyone can wear, and if worn properly they can also be incredibly practical.
I especially love how they reshape me as I am a fairly rectangular person. In almost all of the pictures of me on this website over the last five years I am wearing a corset, but just for a comparison, here’s a recent picture of me without it:
And for comparison, here’s my all cinched up:
Even the best corsets are not able to reduce you to a significantly smaller dress size, in fact they can often require a size up since quality corsets are kind of, well, thick. Corsets are not meant to reduce your size and your body isn’t magically transformed, rather a corset redistributes your body and gives you shape.
But I am fairly convinced I might be wearing mine wrong.
I think corsets are supposed to be rather flush with your body, but mine tend to give me a little bit of a muffin top and bottom. The photo below is a decent representation of what I mean.
Notice how the corset sticks out and forward? Yes, it gives me shape and I am not trying to be super-duper flat but this is a problem when I wear certain clothes. Tight clothes (and you know I love tight clothes) make it obvious I am wearing a corset and the bottom of it is visibly outlined.
Here’s a photo from last year:
It’s very obvious I am wearing a corset as its shape is very clear here. Of course, the top and skirt are tight so it’s a little understandable but I don’t think I am wearing it properly.
I’ve tried wearing it a little further down on my body but the shape it gives me doesn’t look quite right. I cinch it as tight and as safe as I can, but the tighter I go, the more of my tummy is pushed down and I am even more muffiny than before.
I am wondering if I am not wearing the right corset. Perhaps it’s not long enough for my body?
I ordered a new, longer option from Glamorous Corset that I hope does the trick, but if there are any expert corsetry folks out there that can offer some advice I’d be very grateful.
Love, Hannah
Hannah McKnight 
I have the same problems with muffin top and the thing flaring out too much, or whatever. Per my internet research, that’s because I bought cheap corsets online, and the right answer is to go to a professional and have one custom made for my body. But who has the money for that kind of thing?
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I’m really pleased that you’re asking this question, and am eagerly awaiting any helpful replies. I have exactly the same issue with my corsets. I thought it was probably due to the way that my male bodyshape was interacting with a garment designed for a female bodyshape. Like you, I’ve tried moving the corset slightly up or down my body without any noticeable difference. I’ve tried different brands and types of corset and I’ve tried cinching more tightly in slightly different areas, all to no avail. It doesn’t stop me wearing a corset, and I still love how I look when I wear one, but it would be great if there’s any advice that could help reduce the muffin effects that you describe.
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I can’t offer any advice on the corsets themselves. Though, you definitely make me want to get one of my own and try it out.
But that cinched dress (and the shoes! that entire outfit) and the top from last year? Ugh…gorgous. Would love to raid your closet.
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I haven’t worn a corset in a long time but I still remember the last time a wore one. I think I still hurt Maybe I wore it wrong or cinched to tight. I did have to make a trip to the ladies room and loosen it. It did give me a nice shape and it was fun but I guess I just laced it to tight. I’ll have to try again
Sallee
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I don’t know if I count as an expert but I have more experience and exposure than most. My wife is very into Victorian era costuming and has been wearing and making period style corsets for years and years.
You could go with a longer corset and that might help some with the bottom budge that you’re experiencing. If you have a firmer boning in your corset that can also help. Most lingerie corsets are made with plastic boning that isn’t as rigid as it could be. Modern high quality corsets feature steel boning. Period corsets actually used whale bone believe it or not.
That said, my wife is very curvy, and even with a steel boned corset with a corset made of heavy canvas, she has the same bulge. What it comes down to I believe is the ability to shrink your waist, but the body mass has to go somewhere. So you can push your extra flesh around your tummy down to create a snatched waist, but that extra mass is just being pushed down. I think the only options are to lose weight or not cinch the corset as tightly. If you’re only brining your waist in 2” vs 4” (for example) you aren’t displacing the mass as much and you’re creating less ratio between your waist and your hips. Hope that makes sense.
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Hannah, I’m no expert by any means but I have a lot of experience with corsets from Timeless Trends. They have a lot of corsets in longer sizes, which might help with the stomach. Their corsets last and last. Rianna
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It took me quite some time to solve this problem but I’ve found a way that works for me. When cinching my corset I start at the bottom, making the section around my belly as tight as the corset will allow. Then, with my flat belly area, I cinch my waistline. Effectively, everything is pushed upwards, which reduces the bulge like the one that is visible in your picture, under your leather skirt. This method does seem to lessen the amount it’s possible to reduce the waistline, but it has the advantage of pushing the cinched bodymass upwards creating the illusion of a fuller bust. It works for me, I hope this helps.
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Hiya Hanna Hun,
I know this bit late comment ! But some girls have found wareing under bust corset up side down helps For non natural woman were your top heavy ! as the bottom is the wide part, Its like everything in the pink world its what works for you but worth try love Jeni xxxx
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I have the same issue with my corsets! I did finally get a long line corset that goes all the way to my hips and that does seem to help, but then I run into the issue where its hard to find an outfit that works with the corset, so I may have to try and wear the corset as a top and see how that works!
I guess keep experimenting and see what works for us?
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