A few words about making corsets for men, for those considering the leap to a bespoke piece.
Understanding the difference between a bespoke male corset and a female off-the-rack corset
The first thing we hear from our male clients when they make contact is usually that out of desperation, they’ve been driven to buying off the rack women’s corsets, or perhaps borrowing from their girlfriends or wives. This is all very well, and a little experimentation with a medium like corsetry can add a lot of value to the first bespoke piece, however, don’t expect them to fit you well. Why not? Well, a few physical differences will account for the four main complaints I hear from men who’ve been trialing women’s off-the-rack corsetry.
“The corset is too narrow in the chest- it pinches my ribs and there’s a huge gap between the laces at the top”
Women do not flare outwards from above the waist to the same extent as men do. The classic male shape is quite triangular, broad at the chest with little waist definition, and narrower hips. Women will tend to slope more gently out towards the bust, with the allowance in that area of a corset left for a bust to project, rather than a broad ribcage to fan out.
“I can’t sit down in the corset- it’s so long below the waist”
From making men and women’s bespoke corsets for 7 years, I can say with confidence that most men need a corset around 2″ shorter in the lap than a woman of equivalent (or shorter) height. The male genitalia can make any additional length very uncomfortable in a way that would not impact on women, and as such women will usually prefer a pointed or curved base, allowing space for our thighs when we sit down. Almost all my male clients require a straight base to their corsets, as they do not carry weight on their legs in the same way.
“The gap at the back of this corset looks like a “V”, it’s already closed at the hips and it’s not even tight!”
The simple answer to this is child bearing. Women are built to a much broader hip shape than gentlemen, as mentioned in the first point, a man’s natural triangular shape is in starkest contrast at the hips.
“It’s so hard to reduce the waist”
The male physique tends to be much more muscle bound by default. Women tend to be much softer in the torso, allowing for a greater cinch without really feeling it. A 4″ reduction for a gentlemen is probably the equivalent of a 6-7″ reduction for a woman, making extreme male tightlacers like Mr Pearl even more distinctive in their achievements.
How we approach the challenge of making bespoke corsets for men
Naturally, dealing with bespoke corsets automatically deals with most of our problems above. The individuals own shape is used to sculpt the corset pattern, providing correct coverage and support. However a few things must still be considered to lead us to a really outstanding outcome. What are the goals of the wearer? If they want to retain a natural, masculine figure with back support then we must choose a style that will prove comfortable for long periods of wear. If our client is looking to feminise their figure without the use of padding or enhancements, then we will choose a corset style that will maximise the waist definition and balance out the narrower hips with the broad ribcage. Does the wearer carry weight in front of them? (a “beer belly” or paunch) in which case we must choose the right hardware to smooth out their figure and provide a sleek silhouette. We will also tend to use more rigid boning when making corsets for men in order to work with the stronger muscle tone we mentioned above, we’ll also consider the durability of the construction choices we’ve made very carefully.
What can we cater for?
We offer many different styles of corsets for men- for classic masculine pieces we would tend to offer underbust or waistcoat corsets, where the purpose is to sculpt and perfect the figure, smoothing a prominent abdomen, and creating a trim waist. For more essential wear such as back support, simpler and more functional corsets can be designed, offering discretion under daily clothing and a sleek finish. Where a male client is seeking feminine curves, we can work to padded or unpadded figures, providing overbust corsets that cater to bust enhancement, and underbusts designed to provide a feminine form and act as attractive underwear beneath clothing. Some of our male clients looking for a fetish corset have chosen knee length or body corsets, that fully encompass the upper torso and shoulders. We can create various locking devices and themed pieces for a special event… just send us some details of what you desire to create, and let us help you realise your ambitions.