Determining Your Size: Does This Girdle Fit Me?
Womens' magazines of the nineteen-fifties and -sixties often carried articles on selecting the proper foundation garment. Advice was available from in numerous "How To Dress Well" books, and even high-school home economics texts.
Here are some recommendations for potential girdle-shoppers, from an era when that group included just about all women:
1954: Some Initial Advice
There isn't a woman who can possibly look or feel her best without the aid of a foundation garment. No matter how slim you are, no matter how perfect your figure, these scientifically designed garments are absolutely vital to trim appearance and to an attractive carriage. So naturally foundation garments should be chosen, fitted, and care for with meticulous attention.
There is only one completely satisfactory way of selecting a foundation garment, and that is to try it on before you buy it. You can go to the corset department of a local store and try the garment on, or you could have it fitted on you in your home. Have a trained fitter recommend a girdle, bra or corselet for you; then put it on and see how it feels.
Try on several models, and let a corsetiere check the fit at the appropriate points (see illustration opposite). Then move around in the garment. Sit down. Bend over. Walk around. If you're buying a girdle or corset, ask yourself whether or not the garment you have on gives you the abdominal support you want. Is it long enough to make a smooth thigh line? If it's intended to, it does it control your diaphragm? Does it fit snugly at the waistline without pinching or bulging? Are the bones placed so they don't gouge?
-"It's Perfect Fit That Counts In Foundation Garments," Good Housekeeping, November 1954.
2002: Now Wait A Minute!
The advice, "Consult a trained fitter," seems very foreign to many modern women. Not only are expert corsetieres hard to find these days, there is another consideration. As "Jackie" wrote on-line,
Like most women of my age (mid-30s), I have no intention of going to a corsetiere to be "properly fitted" with a girdle; the places I buy girdles don't offer that service. It's simply too off-putting for words to let another woman scrutinize my figure.
All right, then... "Consult a trained fitter" is out for most of us.
(But not for all! Read the story of The Bridesmaid's Dress for an account of how happy a modern woman was with a visit to an old-time corset shop.)
I said for most of us! This makes it all the more important for a woman to be able to determine her own size properly.
Time to get out the tape measure...
1964: The Numbers Game
To determine your girdle size, takes three measurements -- around the waist; around the fullest part of the hips; and from the waist to just below the fullest part of the hips, to establish the length. Most roll-on or pull-on girdles and panty girdles are sized according to waist measurement. They may be labeled small, medium or large. Sometimes extra-small and extra-large sizes are available. These sizes indicate the following waist measurements:
- Small -- for 24 to 26;
- Medium -- 26 to 28;
- Large -- 28 to 31;
- Extra Small -- under 24;
- Extra Large -- over 31.
Other foundations are labeled by waist measurements and are generally available in sizes from 26 to 38.
A figure type is determined by the difference between waist and hip measurements. The average figure has a development of between eight and 11 inches. This straight-up hip figure has a development of less than eight inches. The full-hipped figure has a development of 11 or more inches. Some girdles have enough stretch to fit any hip development. Those with a wide, non-stretch panel usually do not, and so they are sometimes labeled according to hip type -- straight, average, and full.
The length of the garment is not related to the height of the person. If the measurement from waist to just below the hips is 14 inches or less, a short girdle is needed; 15 to 16 inches, a medium-length girdle; 17 inches or over, a long girdle.
-Helene Obolensky, "The Best Silhouette," Redbook, January 1964.
Your girdle size is based on your waist measurement, but if you require anything more elaborate than a simple two-way stretch, you will need to know which style and length is best. Garments with no-stretch or vertical-stretch panels must be fitted carefully.
The style you need is determined by the fullness of your hips and the length that best suits your frame. The difference between hip and waist measurements is about 8 to 1 0 inches for the average figure. Full-hipped figures may measure 11 or more inches larger and require a girdle that is designed for full hips. Slimmer figures (with less than an 8-inch difference between waist and hips) can wear a straight-hip style.
Proper length can make the difference between a sleek line and border bulges. The measurement is taken at the side, from the waist to the thigh, and is sized as follows: 1 4 inches or less-short; 1 5 to 1 6 inches-medium; 1 7 inches or more-long. If your stockings feel strained, the difficulty may be either that your girdle is too short or that your hosiery is not long enough.
-Helen Whitcomb and Rosalind Long, Charm- The Career Girl's Guide to Business and Personal Success, (NY: McGraw-Hill, 1971).
Just to confuse the issue, though most girdles are sold by waist size, and nearly all sources use waist measurement to determine girdle size, one source advocated looking at hip measurement, instead:
To find your girdle size, measure around your hips at the fullest part and look at the chart which follows:
|
Girdle Size |
Petite |
Small |
Medium |
Large |
|
Hip Measure |
Under 34" |
34" to 37" |
37" to 40 |
40-44 |
|
Dress Size |
3 to 8 |
9 to 12 |
13 to 16 |
17 to 20 |
-The Seventeen Book of Fashion and Beauty, by The Editors of Seventeen, (NY: Macmillan, 1967).
Some authors advocated a sophisticated analysis of waist and hip measurements:
Most girdles are sized by waist measurement-from 26 to 38 inches. Many styles are made to fit small, medium, or full hip development.
Hip development means the difference between waist and hip measurements. With a 26-inch waist and a 36-inch hip measurement, the development is 10 inches. A straight hip has a development of less than eight inches; average, from eight to 11; and a full-hipped figure, a development of over 11 inches. A short woman with a frankly hippy figure may need a longer girdle than a tall woman. But, in general, to know the girdle length you need, you should measure yourself from waist to thigh. If the distance is 14 inches or less, you'll need a short girdle; 15 to 16 inches, a medium length; 17 or more inches, a long one.
Since length, however, also depends on hip development, always try on a girdle in the shop. Check these points, too, when you do so: is there adequate support over the tummy; is the garment long enough to control flesh at the thigh; is it snug at the waist (it should neither gap nor pinch) ; is it high enough to smooth the diaphragm, if that's what you need? Do the bones curve with the body, not dig into the flesh? Does it ride up when you sit? Is it flexible, so waist and diaphragm can expand comfortably when you sit?
- Plain and Fancy Facts About Foundation Garments, 1960.
2002: A Simple Rule
Thoroughly confused yet? Don't despair; this is not rocket science.
There's a simple and effective strategy that should work for just about every woman:
Use your waist measurement as a starting point, then take a handful of garments to the dressing room, and spend plenty of time trying on and checking out.
Really, that's the only way to do it: try 'em on.
Yes, I know that Suzanne wrote:
If a girdle is firm-control, if it contains any boning or rigid fabric, or if you have never worn one before, you should definitely try it on before you buy it. Otherwise, trying the girdle on is up to you.
However, that "Otherwise, it's up to you" assertion is definitely a minority opinion. Old-time sources are unamimous: trying on is the most important part of selecting a control garment:
...And to all of you: TRY ON -- TRY ON. Go to a reputable corset department and buy both bra and girdle at once.
One: ask to be measured, take several types and cuts of your size to dressing room with you, of both girdle and bras.
Two: try on -- until you find the nearest approximation to your ideal figure, with the combination of bra and girdle.
-Anita Colby, Anita Colby's Beauty Book (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1958)
Undergarments which are properly selected and will fitted help your outer garments to appear at their best. Poorly fitted undergarments, or a selection which is not appropriate for your outer garments, will detract from your appearance.
Examine your figure critically in the mirror to see where you need smoothness. Should your girdle extend above your waistline to eliminate a roll there? Should it extend well down your thighs to control a bulge there?
Become familiar with the different styles. Elastic girdles are generally sized extra small, or petite, small, medium, large, and extra large. Girdles made of fabrics and elastic are sized by measurements of waist and length. Garments of proportioned height and hip sizes and sizes for stout figure types are also available. Some girdles are sized like dresses.
As with shoes, a well-fitted girdle will be comfortable even when new.
When buying a foundation garment, you should try it on. Sit, bend, and stretch to check the comfort of the garment, and view yourself in a three-paneled mirror to check the fit.
-Mary Mark Sturm and Edwina Hefley Grieser, Guide to Modern Clothing (NY: McGraw Hill, 1962)
"All right, but I've never worn a girdle before. When I'm trying one on for the first time, how do I know what I'm looking for?"
1964: How Can I Tell If It Fits?
A basic rule to remember: a bra should fit so well and comfortably that the wearer is unaware of it. Pretty much the same rule should apply to the girdle wearer if she has an ideal figure, but if she needs control, the girdle's firmness should be felt. The wearer should feel "held together".
Always try on a girdle at purchase time. The basic thing to remember:
If it is not comfortable, it does not fit.
A foundation garment should control but not constrict.
A girdle that fits properly will not gap or pinch at the waistline. Boning, if any, will curve with the body; the body should breathe easily, even with firm control. The girdle should stay down in motion and should not create a bulge at the lower edge. It must be long enough for sitting but should not interfere with walking. If it rides up with motion, it is either too short or too tight over the hips. If the back is stretch, it should be fitted 1 1/2 inches below the buttocks while standing; if it has a rigid back, the extra fit should be from 2 to 2 1/2 inches.
One of the most important tests before buying a girdle is to sit in it, as well as breathe and bend. When in sitting position, the body extends three inches in the back. Some girdles have a sliding back waist panel to compensate for this body action.
Sitting also will be a good test for fit at thigh level, where bulges may be caused by the wrong garment. The fit of panty girdles has been improved to accommodate different personal lengths. There are short, average and long panty girdles. This sizing is based on the length of the body from waist to crotch and has been designed to assure comfortable fit in action as well as in sitting. If a panty girdle rolls over, its body length is too long; if it pulls down to the waist, it is too short.
Helene Obolensky, "The Best Silhouette," Redbook, January 1964.
Check List For Foundation Garments
1. Is fabric open-mesh type to provide coolness and evaporation?
2. Are inside seams flat, with stitching generous enough to permit full elastic expansion without strain?
3. Are upper and lower edges lined with soft material?
4. Do garters have adequate elasticity? Are they stitched firmly?
5. Is desired control provided without pinching, bulging, or riding up?
6. Is waistband shaped to your figure, fitting snugly without cutting or binding?
7. Do leg bands permit freedom of movement and comfort without binding?
8. In a panty girdle, is the crotch seamless and possibly crochet-knit?
9. In a panty girdle, is length from waist to crotch sufficiently long to prevent binding?
10. Are instructions for care attached?
-Mary Mark Sturm and Edwina Hefley Grieser, Guide to Modern Clothing (NY: McGraw Hill, 1962)
Before making any final decision, try on the girdle and fasten your hose properly- do the front and side garters while seated, the back garters while standing. Then try a sitting test. Does the girdle dig at the waist, produce a spare tire, or strain on stockings? If so, it doesn't fit properly. Try the bend-over test also. Does the girdle ride up or poke your middle? It shouldn't.
Here are some other points to check. The garment must either be rejected or altered if it does not pass with a perfect score.
- Does it fit snugly at the waist without gapping or squeezing? You
should be able to fit three fingers under the girdle front, four if
it's boned. Too large a waist can be corrected by taking a dart at the
waistline.
- Does it prevent a spare tire? If a girdle is too tight or is not built
up high enough, an unpleasant bulge around the waist is sometimes the
result.
- Are boned sections comfortable? There should be a finger-width space
under the boning at every point where the body bends.
- Can you walk forward and backward and move comfortably without constriction
or without the garment riding up?
- Does the crotch ride up or do the legs cut into your thighs? If so,
you need a longer length or a style with longer legs.
-Helen Whitcomb and Rosalind Long, Charm- The Career Girl's Guide to Business and Personal Success, (NY: McGraw-Hill, 1971).
1964: In The Fitting Room
Advice to teenaged girls from Seventeen magazine:
Make doubly sure that girdles and panty girdles fit well; they are rarely returnable. And please take your shoes off before you try them on. Use the paper panties most stores supply. If none are available, leave your own on. Our the garters long enough? Attach them to your stockings and see. Then sit, squat, do deep knee bends. A girdle should do everything you do without binding or bulging. If there's a suggestion of a bulge above the waist or below the leg, you should wear a larger size!
You've found foundations that fit, that flex, that flatter you. Now try this three-way mirror test. Put your clothes on again to see whether a bra is too pointy, too puckery; whether a girdle is smooth enough under a slim skirt.
They're not quite perfect? Try, try again -- before you buy!
"Take A Fashion Lesson: The Do's, Don't's And Dressing Room Decorum Of Buying Bras And Girdles," Seventeen, October 1964.
Return to Part Three: Buying a Girdle (For Ladies)
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Updated November 23, 2002