Your guide To Corsetry Shopping Online

We all know you get what you pay for in the world of custom corsetry and the cost of a corset is directly proportional to it’s quality, how long it lasts, how comfortable it is and how small you can lace down comfortably with it. If you buy something cheap, you’ll know about it. So serious waist trainers have to fork out for custom fitted, well built corsets that will last. But, while buying one or two well designed corsets does tend to be more economical in the long run than 5-10 cheap, low quality garments, it’s still a big upfront cost. I know from experience as a student and then as a self-employed mum, finding the money for a custom-made waist training corset isn’t easy! So my suggestion (as always) is to make a corset yourself! 

This can seem like a daunting task but if you own a sewing machine or have access to one it really isn’t rocket science; if you can sew basic garments and mend old ones on a sewing machine then you have the skills for corsetry already. A lot of people think making a corset is some sort of bizarre or exotic skill that requires formal training from an experienced corset maker. It really doesn’t. In fact there are a number of good books and videos out there (including my shameless plug – Corset Making Course) that will teach you all you need to know about creating corset training strength corsets. Inserting eyelets and busks, as well as lining corsets is all incredibly straight forward when you have instructions infront of you. For more information on the tools and materials check out the article Getting To Know Your Corset Making Materials and Equipment. Here is my list of suppliers available online, please email me if I’ve missed any.

Where To Get Your Corsetry Supplies

There are a number of great places online that specialise in corset making supplies and equipment. If you want to minimise costs it pays to shop around as one place may have cheaper busks while another has a sale on coutil (a strong cotton fabric used to construct corsets). There are several places I personally frequent but I have gathered a large list over the years. Here are the online corsetry suppliers I’m aware of. If you know of any others please drop me a line and I’ll add them to my list. I don’t personally endorse any of them nor do they sponsor me to ‘shout them out’ so I can’t verify how good the service is, except for bramaker.co.uk and corsetmaking.co.uk as I get most of my stuff from them and they are fabulous!

Main Corsetry Suppliers

www.bramaker.co.uk/catalog – For most all things needed to make a corset, I order from here regularly and the lady who runs it is always very friendly and a fast poster. Ships worldwide.

corsetmaking.com – Similar name but different site, good selection, including how to make a corset style books and videos.

www.venacavadesign.biz – I have used them for lacing bones and a few other bits, they also have a decent gallery of their customers corsets if your low on inspiration.

dragontowncorsetsupply.com – Not used myself, only just discovered them but they seem nice and cheap.

sewcurvy.com – Another great site for corset making suplies.

voguefabricsstore.com/Corset-Making-Supplies – More expensive (well it’s Vogue, what were you expecting) but some nice fancy coutils. Not used myself.

farthingalesla.com – Products link straight through to Vouge Fabrics but their are some useful links and info on the Farthingalesla website.

farthingalescorsetmakingsupplies.com – Canadian supplier, nice photo and ‘online classes’ sections of use to those not in Canada.

aussiecorsetsupplies.com.au – Australian Suppliers of corset making materials and corset patterns.

ararenotion.com.au – Another Australian Supplier, corsetry and bra/underwear making and patterns

Corset Patterns & Corsetry Fabrics

whaleys-bradford.ltd.uk – Whaleys have quite a history and sell lovely coutils amongst other fabrics. Great for period costumers

tutu.com/fab_lining.html – Not used myself, they do decent by-the-bolt discounts if you want to stock up on something, not a corsetry supplier per say but decent cheap coutil and heavyweight powernet.

renaissancefabrics.net – Corset patterns & historic fabrics.

pastpatterns.com -‘Past Patterns’ branded patterns, there are corset patterns in amongst their historical garments. I have ordered from them and these are reproduced from old historical patterns, instructions and all so while they’re reasonably priced they can be hard to follow.

lafnmoon.com – ‘Laughing moon’ branded corset patterns as well as historic clothing patterns and a great DVD for learning to make corsets.

fabricland.co.uk – For those in the UK near Brighton this is the cheapest place to get coutil, they do ship as well, badly laid out website though – you need to go down to ‘lining’ in the alphabetically ordered list to the left)

algeos.com – Cheap coutil but only white polycotton available – type coutil into search bar to bring it up, register for prices.

My Corsetry Supplies & Resources

So thats the full list of suppliers I’m aware of online, I have my own printable corset patterns range and my two downloadable video courses available (but by all means shop around) –

corsettraining.net/shop – These are downloadable and print off on your home printer at full size in a range of different sizes (8 – 18 normally), with custom fitting instructions. There’s a completely free corset pattern at the bottom of the page for a corset belt.

corsettraining.net/make-a-corset – My beginners how-to video course, instantly downloads to your computer with booklet and pattern compendium of 10 patterns (need to be scaled up by hand).

corsettraining.net/project/shop-elizabethan-bodice-video-course – A full step by step project for a fully boned Elizabethan bodice; how-to sew along video and printable corset pattern in Small Medium & Large sizes with custom fitting instructions. (Advanced corsetry for those looking to take the hobby to the next step).

Also some useful free resources on my site are the How To: Underwear Wiki and Corset Makers Photo Gallery –

corsettraining.net/how-to-underwear/

corsettraining.net/corset-making-gallery

Keep this page bookmarked for future reference and never forget to keep an eye out for a bargin and shop around but check the quality of the materials before you order large quantities. Don’t be scared to send something back for a refund if your not happy (and again, if you find any other corsetry suppliers I’ve not listed above then get in touch, share the love and I’ll add them to the list).