Period Corsets

What Period Corsets does

Period Corsets is a privately held, woman-owned small business founded in 1997 in Seattle, Washington, that designs and hand-makes historically accurate corsets, petticoats, stays, skirt supports (farthingales, panniers, bustle pads), and period-correct undergarments spanning the 16th century through the Edwardian era. Each garment is built using techniques including flatlining (a two-layer construction combining fashion fabrics on the exterior with sturdy cotton coutil for structural integrity), steel boning, corded edges, and historically accurate patterning, with side seam allowances preserved for future alterations. A proprietary three-tier service model anchors the offering: Standard stock items ($200-$600), Made-to-Measure ($500-$1,500), and fully Bespoke garments ($1,500-$3,500+), with a remote custom fitting service that uses Zoom consultations, fitting corsets, 360-degree photos, and measurement forms to deliver custom fit globally.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer through periodcorsets.com and an Etsy shop, with a secondary channel of in-studio fittings at the Seattle studio. Customer segments span both B2B and B2C: enterprise clients include professional theatres (5th Avenue, American Rep, Berkeley Rep), opera companies (Metropolitan Opera, L.A. Opera, Seattle Opera), Broadway productions (Frozen, Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables), film/TV (The Gilded Age, Dickinson, Salem, American Gods), educational institutions (Juilliard, Yale, USC, NYU Tisch), and named celebrity clients (Madonna, Dita Von Teese, Kim Kardashian). Consumer segments include bridal, Renaissance Faire enthusiasts, and historical reenactors served by institutions such as Colonial Williamsburg and Mystic Seaport.

Revenue derives from one-time product sales plus bespoke service fees, with a tiered pricing structure spanning $200-$3,500+ per garment and optional add-on customizations (straps $36, garters $24, stretch panels $40, busks $55, pocket stomachers $20, custom fabric shopping $30/hour, fitting services $40-$45/hour). During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) the company pivoted to protective mask production (up to 500 masks/day) in partnership with Lighthouse Uniform Company. The business has operated without external funding or institutional investment across its 20+ year history, scaled at 11-50 employees, and serves customers worldwide via international shipping.

Name

Period Corsets

Legal name

Period Corsets

Website

https://periodcorsets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Period Corsets is a Seattle-based, woman-owned e-commerce business founded in 1997 that hand-makes historically accurate corsets, petticoats, stays, and period undergarments (16th century through Edwardian) for performing arts, film/TV, bridal, and historical reenactment customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Corsetry & Undergarments

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Formal Wear and Costume Rental (532281)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Bridal & Occasionwear (CRAAAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Panties & Briefs (CRAAAIAB)

Keywords

• Historical corsetry
• Period undergarments
• Bespoke corsets
• Theatrical costuming
• Custom corsetry

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Sale of handmade corsets, petticoats, underwear, skirt supports, and related historical undergarments. Products available as stock items, made-to-measure, or fully bespoke. Also includes rental options and educational packages.
2. PPE/Mask Sales: During and post-pandemic, pivoted to selling protective face masks made from cotton (including petticoat off-cuts) through their website and Etsy shop.
3. Bespoke Custom Garment Services: High-end custom design services including in-house or remote fittings, design consultations, mock-ups, and fully custom patterned garments. Pricing ranges from $200-$600 (Standard), $500-$1,500 (Made to Measure), to $1,500-$3,500+ (Bespoke).
4. Gift Cards: Digital gift certificates sold in denominations from $50 to $500, with optional paper certificates available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Period Corsets designs and hand-makes historically accurate corsets, stays, petticoats, underwear, skirt supports, and full period silhouettes spanning the 16th through Edwardian eras. The company serves performing arts productions, film/TV, bridal clients, Renaissance Faire attendees, and historical reenactors through stock items, made-to-measure, and fully bespoke custom garments priced from $200 to $3,500+.

Product overview

Period Corsets is a small, woman-owned e-commerce business specializing in historically accurate handmade corsets, stays, petticoats, and period undergarments for the performing arts, historical reenactment, and bridal markets. The core product portfolio consists of two main categories: Corsets (featuring approximately 20+ named styles spanning from the 16th century Anna and Elizabeth stays through Victorian and Edwardian eras to the c. 1950 Stevie) and Petticoats (featuring ruffled, bustle, tulip, late 19th century, 18th century, 17th century, peasant, ballet, and mid-20th century styles). Supporting products include underwear (chemises, shifts, bloomers), skirt supports (farthingales, panniers, bustle pads), educational packages, rentals, kits, festival wear, and bridal ensembles. The business also offers two primary service layers: a Custom Fitting Service (virtual Zoom-based fitting) and a Bespoke design service (three tiers from Standard alterations through fully custom-patterned garments at $1,500-$3,500+). Add-on modules include corset add-ons (straps, garters, stretch panels, hand-bound eyelets, cording, flossing, vertical piping, pocket stomachers, lace/ribbons). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company temporarily expanded into protective masks. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the website and Etsy, with no public API.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corsets Handmade, historically accurate corsets and stays spanning from the 16th century to the c.1950s, featuring steel boning, corded edges, back-laced grommet openings, side seam allowances for alterations, and optional customizations (straps, busks, garters, stretch panels). Built for the modern body to provide correct era silhouettes while maintaining comfort and movement. Stock styles range $294-$531; custom options available.
• Petticoats Full line of period-correct petticoats including ruffled, bustle, tulip, transitional, ballet, peasant, and mid-20th century styles. Designed to be worn alone or over hoops and bustles to create historically accurate silhouettes from the 17th through 20th centuries. Features adjustable waistbands and alteration tucks. Pricing $207-$634 depending on style.
• Underwear Period-correct historical undergarments including chemises, shifts, and bloomers in various sleeve lengths and fabric options. Designed to be worn under corsets and petticoats as foundation garments for period costumes.
• Skirt Supports Historical skirt supports including farthingales (cone and drum), panniers (full and pocket hoop), and bustle pads. These structural undergarments create the silhouettes required for various historical periods.
• Period Silhouettes & Gowns Complete period-correct silhouettes and outer garments for various historical eras, available as stock items or custom commissions.
• Educational Packages Curated sets of historical undergarments designed for educational purposes, targeted at theater programs, museums, and living history presentations.
• Rentals Rental program for corsets and historical costumes, allowing performing arts productions and individuals to access Period Corsets garments on a temporary basis without purchasing.
• Kits DIY kits containing materials or patterns for customers to construct their own historical undergarments, supporting self-directed historical costume projects.
• Ren Faire Collection (Festival Wear) A collection of corsets, bodices, and ensembles specifically designed for Renaissance faire and festival wear, combining historical accuracy with practical durability for outdoor event use.
• Bridal Corsets and Ensembles A bespoke bridal service offering corsets, skirts, and complete wedding ensembles in elegant fabrics and custom designs for brides, bridesmaids, and wedding parties. Includes custom design consultations and fitting services.
• PC Protective Masks Cotton face masks with filter pockets, produced as a pandemic pivot. Available in shaped and gathered styles for adults and children, with various patterns including solid colors, Renaissance Faire designs, and themed prints. Made from 2 layers of 100% cotton with a hidden inner pocket for filter additions. Pricing $7-$60.
• Bespoke Corsets and Costumes (Custom Design Service) A fully custom design service ranging from made-to-measure alterations to completely bespoke garments patterned from designer sketches or reference photos. Includes in-house or remote fittings, mock-ups, and final fittings. Offered in three tiers: Standard ($200-$600), Made to Measure ($500-$1,500), and Bespoke ($1,500-$3,500+).
• Custom Fitting Service Paid virtual or in-house fitting service using Zoom, email photos, and 360-degree images to assess and customize corset fit for remote clients. Includes a fitting corset in standard coutil, followed by a custom garment in chosen fabrics. Pricing: in-house fitting $45/hour, Zoom fitting $40/hour.
• Gift Cards Digital gift certificates available in denominations from $50 to $500, with custom values available by request. Gift cards never expire and can be applied to any purchase including custom items.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 years in business as established provider of corsets for performing arts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lighthouse Uniform CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Seattle-based uniform company that supplied pre-cut sterilization wrap kits to Period Corsets during the COVID-19 pandemic pivot. This partnership enabled Period Corsets to manufacture 500 hospital-grade masks per day during the healthcare crisis.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Redthreaded: Handmade historical corsets and 18th/19th century dressmaking, similarly artisan-equivalent in scope and Etsy-rooted origin. Directly comparable product mix and customer base focused on historical reenactors and living history.
• Orchard Corset Center: Online corset retailer offering both stock and made-to-measure corsets across historical and contemporary styles. Competes in the same price segments and adjacent markets with mass-market manufacturing approach.
• Dark Garden Unique Corsetry: San Francisco-based couture corset maker serving bridal, theatrical, and alternative fashion markets. Direct competitor in the high-end bespoke corset space with comparable three-tier pricing and in-person fitting model.
• Timeless Trends: Long-established corset manufacturer offering over 100 styles from waist training to historical designs. Direct competitor in the made-to-measure corset space with broader style catalog.

Regional players

• Restyle: Polish corset manufacturer with strong European following offering both standard and custom corsets at competitive price points. Comparable in product range but positioned as more accessible/everyday versus Period Corsets' historical specificity.
• What Katie Did: UK-based corset and lingerie brand with similar vintage/retro aesthetic and direct-to-consumer model. Comparable in product range (corsets, lingerie, shapewear) but primarily serves UK/European customers.
• Camellia Couture: UK-based bespoke corset maker offering made-to-measure and bridal corsets. Comparable in handmade quality and bespoke service model, but primarily serves UK and European bridal market.

Emerging players

• Vanyanís: Small artisan corset maker with focus on gothic and Victorian aesthetics. Comparable in handmade, custom-made approach but operates at smaller scale with narrower aesthetic focus.
• Scroop Pattern Co. (Scroop Patterns): Historical sewing pattern company offering DIY patterns for corsets and period garments. Enables a customer subset to make their own historical wear and competes for the reenactment/hobbyist consumer segment.

Others

• American Duchess: Historical footwear maker serving reenactors, theatrical productions, and Bridgerton-era enthusiasts. Adjacent peer in the historical costuming ecosystem with shared customer base and similar e-commerce DTC model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PeriodCorsets
• Instagraminstagram.com/periodcorsets
• TikToktiktok.com/@periodcorsets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/period-corsets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Period Corsets