Case study for Costume College 2024

What happens when you put a corset on?

We are seeking a participant for a unique case study.
In exchange for your involvement, you’ll receive a FREE CUSTOM-MADE dress form (torso).

Participant Requirements:

  • Must be familiar with and comfortable wearing intense corseting.
  • Must own 3 or more corsets of various shapes (ideally from different historical periods) for use during scanning sessions. Note: Corsets will be worn only by you.
  • Must have public social media accounts and grant permission for us to share your images, 3D scans, and photos, related to the case study.
  • Must be available for a scanning session in Los Angeles area between May 21 and June 5. The scanning session will take approximately 2 hours, utilizing your provided corsets.
  • Availability for a photo-shoot with your new dress form during the second week of July, or just before Costume College is a plus.


    *If you are interested to participate in this case study but you don’t meet some of the requirements – get in touch with us for possible participation in future studies or collaborations.

How to apply:

  1. Follow us on Instagram: @pf4me
  2. Repost the announcement on your profile (from our post).
  3. Tag @pf4me in your repost.
  4. Write and share two short passages:
    • Explain why you need a custom dress form.
    • Describe your experience with corseting.

      (it’s not a writing contest! Just a few words/bullet points will do)

      These can be posted on your Instagram as separate posts, reels, or sent directly to us via DM or email (we may share/repost on our account).
  1. Complete the questionnaire we will send you upon your entry.

Selection and Deadlines:

  • The deadline to apply is May 17th, 2024.
  • The participant will be selected by May 20th, 2024.

About the Case Study: The study aims to analyze and illustrate body shape changes under corsetry. Building on previous findings, we seek to explore both expected and unexpected changes in body contour and how these impact garment construction, specifically regarding how changes in body shape translate to alterations in pattern pieces.

Outcome: The findings from this study will be showcased at this year’s Costume College in the session titled “What Happens When You Put a Corset On?” Additionally, these results may also be published online. You can view excerpts from last year’s presentation in the “Costume College 2023” highlight reel on our Instagram profile (@pf4me).

Reward: Receive a custom dress form, meticulously crafted from your 3D body scan and specifically engineered to accommodate your corseting needs. Additionally, the insights derived from the scans and detailed analysis will significantly elevate your creative skills.


Technical Details and Conditions of Participation will be shared with shortlisted candidates.


Case study announcement:

What happens when you put a corset on? Hint: the waist is not the only area that changes. The study focuses on immediate fitting-related implications of wearing a corset. In order to understand and quantify the changes of the body, we took multiple 3D scans with several types of corsets and compared it to scan without a corset. The resulting data was analyzed with precise distance maps and visualized with 2d and 3d graphics. The goal of this presentation is to help you gain understanding of adjustments to garments which will be worn with a corset. And these insights will help you with fitting issues beyond corseting.

These images are showing 3D body scans of the same person with (blue) and without (purple) a corset. Note how top of the stomach area extends forward with a corset. We can also see changes in the buttocks areas and underarms. Quite a few more, less obvious, insights will be presented in a Costume College class.


July 18 – July 22, 2024

Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel 6101 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045

Our case study presentation: July 21, at 10:00 a.m.

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