Boots and Corsets
by Richard Head
Foreword
(Taken from Chapter 18)
A considerable amount of nonsense has been written about Corsets and
Tight Lacing over many years by authors who have no practical
knowledge or personal experience of their subject.
Most of these writers will try and titillate their readers by relying
upon the constant repetition of popular words and phrases such as "I
felt as if it was cutting me in half," or "She laced me in until I was
unable to breathe," or by introducing unnecessary elements of coercion
and corporal punishment into the story, thereby implying that this is
an essential part of the natural process of wearing any form of
corset, which of course is quite untrue, as this book will attempt to
prove.
Any mention of a small waist measurement in typical works of corset
fiction seems to suggest that the reduction has been a considerable,
immediate, effortless and permanent achievement. The chest, bust or
hip measurements are seldom mentioned in relation to the waist size,
and the original and natural waist measurement often remains something
of a mystery.
Yes, an "eighteen inch waist" is an eighteen inch waist, and it can be
achieved. This is a well documented fact. But the question has to be
asked, What did the natural waist, hips and chest or bust measure
before the corset was "Laced fully closed?"
Ridiculous statements are often made, claiming impossible waist
reductions just by "Hooking up the front, and pulling on the
tighteners until the corset was fully closed up." This makes me want
to reject the story out of hand, because it quite obvious that the
author has absolutely no personal experience of the many pleasures and
delights of wearing a well boned, well fitted and tightly laced
corset, and does not know what he or she is talking about. It is a
"Dead Give-away," and the whole story can be dismissed as no more than
a work of puerile fantasy.
So let us look at some of the Facts.
*****
The Creed of the Male Corset Wearer
(And the theme of this book)
I enjoy the pleasure and privilege of having my figure fully trained
for my personal satisfaction and happiness.
I am truly grateful for the strong support I receive from my tightly
laced corset and my high-heeled boots, and for the improvement they
give to my general health, posture, and appearance.
I know that my tightly laced and rigidly boned corset gives me an
elegant and erect carriage, and promotes good health. It improves my
digestion, aids proper breathing, and enhances the natural beauty of
my figure by tapering my waist to a delightful slenderness, and
uplifting my chest.
I know that my tightly fitting boots with their high and well shaped
heels increase my height, make my feet appear smaller, and give grace
and confidence to my posture and walk.
I know that my tapering and small waist, my elegantly shod feet, and
my erect carriage are greatly admired by other men, and bring me many
compliments.
I will readily and cheerfully accept any measures that are necessary
for the training and improvement of my figure; and I will overlook any
temporary discomforts that may result from my figure discipline.
Any slight inconvenience that is caused by my figure training is
unimportant, when it is compared with the resulting improvement in the
beauty and elegance of my figure. A beauty that I can easily maintain
throughout my entire life.
I will never be guilty of any carelessness or weakness in either my
dress or my appearance, and will at all times keep myself tightly and
rigidly corseted and well shod, by night and by day, whether I am at
home or abroad.
I will always help and encourage other men, who are less fortunate
than myself, to achieve and maintain a well corseted and attractive
figure similar to mine. I will take every opportunity to promote the
practice of figure training by the wearing of tightly laced corsets
and high heeled boots, and I will at all times loudly proclaim the
many advantages that are to be gained.
Corset Diary
You should always remember that no lady is considered to be properly
corseted, unless she is aware, at all times, that she IS corseted. It
has sometimes been said that "One must suffer to be beautiful," but
this is not necessarily true. A corset does not need to hurt you, but
you should always know that you are wearing one, because this is the
proper corset training.
A lady who is tightly and firmly corseted may at first feel a certain
degree of discomfort or pain, but you can be sure that this pain will
soon fade away; to be replaced by a pleasant awareness of comfort and
support, which is, in itself, an invitation to lace yourself even more
tightly. Nothing can compare with the comfortable feeling of pleasure
and support that a properly fitting; strongly boned, and tightly laced
corset will give to its wearer. It is always better for two corset
enthusiasts to live together, so they can help each other to lace as
tightly as possible and give constant encouragement. It also creates a
healthy element of competition, to see who has the shapeliest figure
and the smallest waist.
Well, my dear, you have a lot of writing to do. (and a lot more lacing
to do!) I hope you will be able to write a description of my corsets,
and tell your readers how much you enjoyed lacing me into every one,
and how much you admired the finished article; with me, laced to
perfection, and wearing seamed stockings and high heels, just for you.
*****
Chapter One
Her Well Boned Corset
The writers of a certain type of inexpensive and highly
sensationalised schoolboy fiction will often portray their "Hero" as a
"larger than life" figure. A man endowed with numerous superhuman
attributes. Of ascetic or even celibate inclination; enjoying constant
hardship, and apparently insensitive to pain. A man who is equally at
home at the controls of an aircraft; on horseback, or behind the
steering wheel of any vehicle; and able to navigate unerringly to
remote destinations, using nothing more than "The Stars," or "An
ancient chart; crudely drawn with a burnt stick, on a fragment of silk
torn from the hem of a kimono" for his guidance.
The fictional Hero enjoys a life that is full of endless adventure in
many distant lands; where he encounters various adversaries who will
frequently have a "Livid scar;" a "Twisted lip," or bear some other
equally repulsive deformity, to show that they belong to an unpleasant
and generally undesirable fraternity. The Hero will fight cleanly, and
usually "With the strength of ten;" always emerging victor from every
contest, in spite of the many despicable tricks his opponents might
employ. He will be fully conversant with all types of weaponry; being
able to recognise every make of firearm at first glance, and having an
intimate knowledge of its effective range and destructive power. He
will carry a miniaturised and fully silenced weapon concealed on his
person, and use it to deadly effect, as the occasion demands.
Much of his life will be taken up with rescuing beautiful women from
impossible situations, and - in the closing seconds of the fifty ninth
minute of the "Eleventh Hour" - saving them from "A fate that is much
too hideous to describe!" Having accomplished this deed; and to prove
that he is without any doubt a decent, upright, and clean living man,
he will dismiss the women with a "Curt gesture of cool disdain," if
they should attempt to worship him - or worse - try and reward him
with their favours.
I had none of the "Clean Cut" facial attributes of the conventional
Hero; nor could I ever hope to possess any of his magnificent physical
abilities. In spite of these drawbacks it soon required little more
than a mental "Sideways Step" for me to adopt the Hero's identity, and
move inside his "Lithe and well muscled frame;" looking out upon his
wonderful world; seeing it through his "Razor keen" eyes; sharing his
stirring adventures to the full; and becoming totally detached from
the many stern realities, and mundane necessities of my own cruel,
everyday existence.
**
My story begins when I was about nine years old. I was the only child
of a single parent, and I had to wear glasses to correct an eyesight
defect. This made me very shy and sensitive, and I lived in a state of
self-imposed solitude; I was largely deprived of parental love, and I
had a vivid imagination, which was kept constantly refuelled by
regular supplies of cheap and lurid schoolboy adventure stories; so
perhaps it was not unnatural for me to cultivate a secret wish to
visualise myself as the fictional "Hero."
I took every opportunity to escape into a secret and private world of
my own. A world where I could let my imagination roam freely. Small
and commonplace everyday incidents would be highly over-dramatised; I
lived and breathed the life of my Hero to the full, and nobody else
knew about my childhood fantasies.
Shortly after my ninth birthday I went into hospital for an extensive
course of treatment that should assist in correcting my eyesight
defect. Boys and girls were housed in separate wards, and I was the
only boy in the ward at that time. A small and very lonely boy;
recovering from recent eye surgery, with both eyes firmly bandaged up.
My life was at its lowest ebb; I was profoundly homesick and
miserable, and currently in a state of complete isolation; propped up
in the middle of a large bed in the farthest corner of an enormous,
echoing, hospital ward.
The nurses made frequent attempts to cheer me up, with little success;
until eventually my condition was referred to "A Higher Authority." I
was told that Matron was coming up to the ward, especially to see me,
and I was sternly warned that I MUST be on my best behaviour for
her..... or else! The tension slowly mounted as the appointed time
drew near, and I took refuge in one of my customary flights of fancy.
"There it was again......! The faintest murmur. Little more than a
thrumming susurration; borne upon the stagnant, foetid air. Sensed
rather than heard, and hardly sufficient to be classed as a 'Noise;'
but it broke the thick black silence, and brought an end to his total
isolation. His ears were tuned to the finest pitch, as they strove to
identify the sound........Footsteps! - Animal; or Human? Yes! A shod
foot with firm and regular steps; slowly increasing in volume, as they
came nearer. And then - the most frightful sound:
"C-R-E-A-K"!!!
A minute, and seemingly insignificant, repetitive metallic creaking;
inaudible to anything less than the sharpest of ears; but he knew, in
that moment, that he was about to face the most testing time of his
life. A period of unknown; possibly interminable duration, in which he
would suffer a cruel ordeal, cunningly devised to test all human
endurance far beyond any known limit.
Creak-Step - Creak-Step. THE UNSPEAKABLE THING came nearer, and yet
nearer! Dreadful beyond man?s comprehension; part human, and part
hideous beast; resembling some strange, surrealistic, rampageous,
awful fire-breathing BEHEMOTH! Striking terror into every heart as it
approached. Eight feet tall; with an invulnerably armoured body. Two
fearsome blazing eyes, and a thunderous voice. Bright sparks of light
flashing around its cruel, iron shod feet. Stamping; Destroying -
Annihilating anything that dare stand in its path! Worse - much worse
than anything in the most violent of hysterical nightmares!......."
MATRON.....and she was coming this way!
**
I had never actually seen Matron, but had always mentally visualised
her as being a very tall, and rigidly upright lady; with an angular
face; iron grey hair, partly covered by a complicated, starched and
frilled cap; and dressed in a dark blue uniform; dark stockings, and
shiny black leather shoes. I could readily recognise her voice,
because she spoke with a Scottish accent and radiated a positive and
unassailable authority. She ruled her staff with a rod of iron, and
kept all the nurses in a perpetual state of nervous apprehension by
appearing in the doorway of the ward without any prior warning, and
saying, in a crisp voice:
"Now then!"
The nurses would automatically straighten up, and become most
attentive whenever they heard Matron coming. They would fuss around my
bed, making a lot of unnecessary twitches at the, already regimented,
sheets and blankets.
I developed my own personal advanced warning of the approach of
Matron, and could identify her while she was still some distance away;
often being able to whisper "Matron's coming;" whereupon there would
be the sudden flurry of movement as the nurses tried to present an
efficient, orderly and well run ward, for Matron's close inspection.
This odd ability of mine was greatly appreciated by the nurses, and
could result in my being given sweets, or other titbits, from time to
time.
Matron had one distinctly audible feature:-
She Creaked!
A minute and indistinct regular creaking noise emanated from some
point on her body; keeping in time with her footsteps as she walked
around the hospital. My blindfold condition made it difficult for me
to pinpoint the source of the sound. Nobody else seemed to be aware of
it, but it never failed to fascinate me. Rather more metallic than the
creaking of a shoe, and not at ground level, but coming from somewhere
higher up her body.
The clinically clean hospital corridors, with their tiled walls and
polished floors, amplified the tiny sound and allowed me to plot her
movements with a fair degree of accuracy as she approached. I heard
her reducing speed as she neared the ward, and she paused outside the
door for a moment before entering and walking towards me. She turned,
and stopped at the side of my bed, and I could sense that she was
standing close to me and studying me, silently.
I had been afraid she might reprimand me, or threaten to punish me;
but instead she began talking to me in a quiet and motherly way. Her
voice had a lilting, almost hypnotic quality, and I felt my woes
beginning to fade away. Eventually she put her arms around me, and
hugged me close to her body as I sat up in the big hospital bed. I was
desperate in my need for some comfort, and reached out to try and put
my arms around her.
My groping hands touched the coarse and prickly material of her
uniform, at either side of her hips, and I became conscious of a
strange and deeply exciting physical sensation. I had expected her
body to feel soft and yielding, and was surprised to discover a number
of evenly spaced, vertical, and stiffly metallic ridges on either side
of her hips. An entirely novel inner sensation of stimulation began to
flow through me. I can only describe it as a "Thrilling arousal."
Something that was totally unknown, and impossible to describe in my
immature youth.
I COULD FEEL HER WELL BONED CORSET!
**
Sitting here at my desk today, and reviewing my past life, I find it
hard to believe that my innocent childhood desire for comfort was
going to have such a profound effect on my whole future; but there can
be no doubt that it was Matron who first set my feet on the road I was
destined to follow. I had received a deep and totally physical thrill
when my hands touched her body. Inexplicable to me at the time, and
completely beyond my understanding; but, for the first time in my life
I was conscious of a unique, all-pervading, sense of Undiluted Pure
PLEASURE.
I felt Matron suddenly stiffening as she became aware of my exploring
hands and obvious interest, and she quickly took a pace backwards,
breaking the bond between us. She then turned to the nurses and began
to issue a series of crisp instructions. There was a sudden confusion
of noises; some snatches of muted conversation which diminished in
volume; and, through it all, I could make out Matron's footsteps, and
the faint creaking sound as she walked away. The noises subsided;
leaving me once again to solitude, and silent contemplation.
I snuggled down between the sheets, and quietly lay there, turning the
recent experiences over and over in my mind, and thinking deeply about
them. My principal recollection was of a feeling of Comfort. Deep;
custard thick; creamily rich, soothing comfort and contentment. I
tucked myself closely inside my own strictly private and personal
mental cocoon, and let my thoughts run freely over the whole sequence
of events; examining every aspect, and slowly savouring all the
pleasurable sensations.
Sight, Smell, Hearing, Taste, Touch - the five main senses. The thick
bandages that were robbing me of Sight had caused a compensatory
heightening of all my other senses; and, one by one, I examined each
in depth. First; the Smell. Matron carried a faint odour, compounded
of soaps, disinfectants, and chloroform. It was only noticeable when
she was in close proximity, and was totally different from the few
other women who had hugged me as a child, and who had all seemed to be
drenched with a variety of unpleasant perfumes.
I have already referred to my acute Hearing, and to the faint and
mysterious creak that could be heard whenever Matron was near. It
intrigued me, because I had never encountered another woman who made a
similar sound, and I spent a long and unprofitable time trying to
identify its source.
My feelings of high arousal had started as soon as I touched the
hidden metallic ridges surrounding Matron's body, and it was the sense
of Touch that now received my closest scrutiny. Her crisp uniform felt
rough and abrasive; moving beneath my fingers, and sliding over a
thinner, smoother, and extremely slippery layer of material. The hard,
raised and stiff ridges lay beneath this slippery layer. They ran
vertically up the sides and back of her body, and were each
approximately half an inch wide. Spaced at regular intervals; and
forming a series of inflexible prominences inside the tautly
stretched, and smooth material of a very peculiar and mysterious
hidden undergarment.
She stood at the side of my bed; moving her body slightly; and the
thin outer garments slid back and forth over the hard metal ridges.
The sliding motion gave me a strange and indefinable sense of
pleasure; stimulating an inner physical arousal; impossible to
describe at the age of nine, and remaining difficult to explain with
any degree of accuracy even to this day; in spite of my many years of
familiarity. The feeling of comfort remains; and, when given Dorothy's
never failing stimulation, I am able to enjoy the same pleasant sense
of arousal which has become more understandable over the years, but it
has never been possible for me to repeat the unique physical stirrings
I enjoyed on that first occasion.
That all too brief contact with Matron must have acted as a tonic,
because it certainly gave me a new interest in life, and made me think
less about my own troubles. My general health began to improve; the
bandages were removed from my eyes; and I was then allowed to get out
of bed and begin learning the process of using both eyes in co-
ordination, and being able to "see straight" for the first time in my
life.
As soon as I was restored to full mobility, I developed a habit of
surreptitiously studying Matron from numerous vantage points around
the hospital. She kept to a regular routine, and this allowed me to
plot the course of her daily movements and position myself in
anticipation of her arrival. I had been right about the colour of her
blue uniform; but she was much younger than I expected, with dark
hair, and a rounded face. She was certainly a tall woman; carrying
herself well, and always standing stiffly upright, which made her
appear even taller. I tried to imitate her method of walking by
holding my body erect, with my stomach pulled in, as I moved around
the hospital. It was an uncomfortable stance, and hard to sustain.
Maintaining a discreet distance, I followed her along the corridors;
looking through the cracks of partly opened doors in my efforts to
catch her in an unguarded moment; thinking to myself, "If only she
would relax" - but she never did. The constant tiny creaking noise
continued to intrigue me; resisting my efforts to find an explanation.
I made numerous attempts to engineer some accidental contact which
might give me another chance to place my hands on her stiff and rigid
body; but she seemed to be aware of my intentions, and continued to
avoid me.
I was eventually pronounced cured, and allowed to return home; but the
memory of Matron remained with me; nagging away at the back of my
mind. It was obvious that I would have no peace of mind until I had
managed to identify this mysterious source of pleasure. Coincidence
has always played a prominent part in my life, and it was to be
nothing more than a chance look inside one of my mother's magazines
that moved me to the next stage of my development.
I was flicking through the pages and noticed a small advertisement;
illustrated with a drawing of a lady who was wearing something that my
mother had once obliquely referred to as "Underwear." A closely
fitting garment covered the lower part of her body, and several
straight and vertical lines were drawn at regular intervals around the
outer surface. The lines gave a suggestion of some kind of stiffening
or reinforcement, and the lady's body was moulded into a pleasant
shape. The most interesting item was the banner headline at the top of
the picture, which declaimed:- "Creak no more - My Lady!" This clever
play on words made me read through the rest of the advertisement, and
I was interested to discover that the garment was known as the
"DIVINA" Corset.
The word "Corset" was new to me, and I rolled it around my tongue
several times; savouring it. I took the trouble to look up the word in
a Dictionary, and found it described as a "Close fitting undergarment;
worn by women, and stiffened with whalebone or other similar material
to support and shape the body."
I closed the Dictionary; spent some time thinking about the words I
had been reading, and can clearly recall that moment as being the
point where I made my irrevocable decision to devote the whole of the
rest of my life to the total, absolute and single-minded pursuit of
corsetry in all its forms.
And that; as you will soon discover,
is precisely what I have been doing ever since!
**
I began by examining the contents of corset shop windows. My mother
would take me on most of her regular shopping trips, and I was told to
walk at her side:
"And for Heaven's sake try and show some interest!"
Now; all at once; everything began to change. A new interest had been
aroused, and I began to assemble what might be called my own Personal
File of Basic Data.
The whole exercise was full of surprises from the outset; particularly
when I discovered that the corset was indeed an item of clothing
exclusively worn by women! I reached this conclusion by a simple
process of deductive reasoning. I would be dragged into and around
most of the shops. My clothes, or Mother's clothes; it was immaterial,
but on the very rare occasions that my mother visited a specialist
corset shop I would be made to wait outside in the street, and was
sternly ordered to:
"Stand still! Wait there until I come out.
Don't pick your nose - AND BEHAVE YOURSELF!"
So, that was it! There was a mystery surrounding corsetry, and it was
something that I was not supposed to know about. Naturally this only
made me worse than ever! I had to find a way of breaking through this
barrier, in order to get to the truth of the matter. I continued my
shop window studies whenever possible and pinpointed the numerous
corset shops in our town; doing my best to reduce speed or drag my
feet whenever we passed one; and, by continued pursuit of this slow
and laborious method I was able to collect a few details. It was a
long drawn out process, but eventually my dogged persistence began to
be rewarded with some worthwhile results.
Different corset retailers used a wide variety of window displays,
with the older and more expensive shops preferring to devote a full
window to a complete range of assorted garments; with each one being
set to hang diagonally, on a thin chromium plated metal or wire stand.
The stands were placed in alternating and orderly rows; spaced at
regular intervals, to allow the window shopper to compare one garment
with another. My closer examination was seldom possible, because the
tightly packed ranks of corsetry required a lot more study than I was
ever allowed to give them. This left me with a somewhat confused first
impression, and gave little chance to take in all the fine detail.
I developed a mental impression of all-embracing pink; but it took me
a long time before all the finer points could be appreciated. For
instance; there were different types of fastenings; with some of the
well boned garments using a strong metal clip at the front; whereas
many of the lighter models fastened by means of a long row of hooks
and eyes down one side, running from the top to the bottom of the
garment.
One particular group of corsets always fascinated me, because they all
had a long row of strong, criss-crossed pink laces; either at the back
or the front. I spent a considerable amount of time studying their
design and construction, and it soon became obvious that the laces
were designed to be opened and closed, thereby altering the size of
the corset. I could not at that stage tell how, or why, it was done;
but it was a useful fact, and I stored it away safely for future
examination and consideration.
Several of the more modern and go-ahead shops would prefer three or
four imitation female figures, each wearing a different type of
corset. These would be arranged in an artistic display, and were often
draped with long thin streamers of filmy material. The models were
usually slightly smaller than life size, but it was a much better
method of display for my purpose because it allowed me to give each
garment my close and intimate scrutiny. Different newspaper
advertisements had given some indication of the way in which the
garments should be worn, but these modern window displays offered a
three dimensional view and helped to speed up my process of learning.
Fine detail began to emerge: The location of the fastenings; some in
front; some at either side, and the correct positioning of the
different corsets upon the wearer's body. The laces; and their method
of adjustment. There were often two long loops of apparently surplus
lace that dangled from the run of crossed laces. They would be
artistically draped, and were usually at waist level. I eventually
reached the interesting conclusion that a strong pull on these loops
would close the corset and reduce its circumference, particularly
around the waist. The more I thought about it, the more it became
easier to understand, and I had to spend a long period of time inside
my private cocoon trying to assimilate and digest all my newly won
knowledge.
Practically every corset seemed to have a row of small and complicated
dangling gadgets, attached at intervals around the lower hem. Although
the corsets were set to hang diagonally on the thin wire stands; these
small appendages would hang askew, making it very difficult for me to
understand their purpose. The mystery was quickly explained once I had
studied the dressed models. The dangling pieces now hung vertically
and were soon identified as Suspenders; and were obviously designed to
hold ladies stockings up!
This was a new and really interesting fact, and was to lead to a
further expansion of my studies. My mother wore stockings. They were
quite thin and flimsy, and had a seam running down the back of the
leg, from top to bottom. She used to wash them carefully in the
kitchen sink; and then hang them over the back of a wooden chair to
dry. She would never let me touch them, in case I "laddered" them.
These ladders seemed to be constant hazards, because I often heard
other ladies make reference to them. My mother spent many evenings
finely embroidering the damaged parts of her stockings; sometimes
making temporary repairs by applying a dab of nail varnish to prevent
a ladder extending further.
My principal interest was in the corset itself, and I had never given
much thought to the question of holding stockings up, because it was a
subject that had always been hidden from me, and I had not been unduly
curious about it. My examination of the dummy figures in the shop
windows opened up an entirely new field of enquiry, and allowed me to
put two and two together - in a manner of speaking!
The suspenders hung in a regular sequence around the lower edge of the
corset. There would usually be two, set quite closely together at the
front, with two more being set one at either side. Four suspenders
seemed to be the most popular sequence; although I had noticed that
some of the more heavily boned garments could have as many as six
suspenders. All these interesting facts were carefully collated, and
stored safely away in my memory bank.
The discovery of that first corset advertisement led me to extend my
search for others of a similar nature. I soon found that they made
frequent appearances in a number of popular newspapers and ladies
magazines; usually following a standardised format. There would be a
small illustration at the top. A drawing; or less frequently, a
photograph of a corset, displayed on a female model; or sometimes just
the corset on its own. The written text would often be long and
descriptive, and would give full details of the various features or
innovations of each particular garment. Comfort and durability were
two of the most popular themes. Some advertisements used clever
slogans; making a play on words out of the name of the garment, or its
principal features. I enjoyed playing with words, and could appreciate
many of the slogans.
I began cutting out the advertisements, and making a collection of
them; always looking for the coloured pictures in glossy and expensive
magazines. These were hard to find, because my mother preferred to
purchase from the cheaper end of the market; so it was a rare and
happy day when I found a coloured picture. All my treasures were
pasted into a school exercise book; forming the nucleus of a
collection that was to expand considerably, in future years.
Much of my spare time would be spent in pleasurable studies of the
contents of the book, and it was a great help in the early stages of
my research. I discovered a convenient hiding place for the book
behind a loose panel at the back of the cupboard in my bedroom, which
ensured that it could be safely stored away from prying eyes.
**
Those early investigations confirmed my initial belief that the
wearing of corsetry was a totally feminine activity. The newspaper
advertisements, and the models in the shop windows had all been
female; leading me by a kind of natural progression on to the next
stage of my investigations, and causing me to wonder what kind of
corset my mother preferred to wear. Keeping her under continuous
observation had produced no worthwhile information, and my periodic
examinations of the dirty linen basket had revealed nothing of
interest; making it obvious that I would have to adopt some more
strenuous methods and extend my search pattern.
Mother and Matron were two completely dissimilar women. Matron was
tall; angular, and stood rigidly upright; but Mother was much shorter,
rounder, and had a different stance altogether. She always dressed and
undressed behind the closed door of her bedroom, and the room was
"Strictly Out of Bounds" to me. It was dark; gloomy; and sparsely
furnished, with a bed that had wooden ends; a small dressing table,
with two drawers, and a large wardrobe, with a cracked oval mirror in
the door. The single window, overlooking the main road, was partially
obscured with a net curtain; and the top of the dressing table was
almost entirely covered with a collection of small, coloured glass
jars, on fancy, lacy, little cloths.
My first opportunity to go "Drawer Looking" came at last. Mother had
gone on a shopping trip, so I screwed up my courage and crept into her
room. The air seemed chilly, and the net curtains diffused the light;
emphasising all the dark corners and gloomy atmosphere. There were
strange shadows, and I felt as if many ghostly eyes were watching me.
It was so creepy! A board suddenly creaked beneath my foot; my heart
gave a violent leap and I almost cried out with sheer terror; standing
poised and tense as I listened for any slight sound that might warn me
of Mother's imminent return.
All remained quiet, so I recovered my nerve and moved to the dressing
table; pulled open the lower drawer, and was suddenly overcome with a
peculiar sense of guilt. I had obviously chosen the correct drawer,
because there was a corset lying there, on top of an assortment of
unidentifiable underwear. It was the usual shade of pink, and lay
loosely rolled up and parallel to the front of the drawer.
Every little sound suddenly became magnified. A creaking noise, as I
rested my hand on the top of the dressing table. A slight squeak from
one of the cheap metal drawer handles; the harsh rasp of rough wood
against rough wood as the drawer slowly opened. The dry, cold rustling
of the fabric as I lifted the garment away from the surrounding
clothing. And then - from the dangling suspenders; a tiny and delicate
fairy-like metallic tinkling noise, which sounded for all the world
like my Personal Death Knell!
If my mother returned unexpectedly at that precise moment, and
discovered me in her bedroom holding one of her corsets in my hand,
the possible consequences would have been too terrible for me to
contemplate. I hastily shut the drawer; walked out of her room
carrying the corset, and returned to my own bedroom where the general
atmosphere was much better. After a few minutes relaxation I unrolled
the garment; laid it flat on my bed and inspected it.
The design was new to me. This was chiefly due to the fact that there
were two rows of laces; one on either side of a wide, un-boned front
panel. The remainder of the corset was lightly boned, and it fastened
down one side with a full length row of hooks and eyes. Some later
research identified the garment as a Maternity Belt; apparently
designed to be fully adjustable, making it larger or smaller by
utilising the two sets of laces, to cater for the changing bodily
shapes associated with child-bearing.
Pink seemed to be the most popular colour. All the shop windows had
been an ocean of pink, as were my few coloured advertisements. Why?
Was it a shade that had been designed to match the colour of human
flesh? If so - it failed, miserably! I had a fresh complexion, but in
my present heightened state of tension my flesh appeared almost white;
contrasting violently with the pink of the maternity belt.
The four suspenders attached to the lower hem had obviously been much
used, and were each showing signs of wear, because all the strips of
elastic had become crinkled and stretched. There was a chromium plated
and oddly shaped wire clip attached to the lower end of the elastic,
and also a small rubber button on the end of a short piece of ribbon.
The button had been apparently designed to fit firmly into the narrow
end of the metal clip, but it was to be a long time before I managed
to understand the correct method of operating the suspenders. One of
the rubber buttons had become separated from its ribbon, and this
served as further confirmation that the garment had been well worn.
I had discovered that the metal ridges were known as "Bones," and I
could now see that each bone was accommodated behind a narrow strip of
tape; the tape being secured to the body of the garment by two rows of
parallel machine stitching; forming a long thin pocket within which
the bone was firmly held. The retaining tape was a slightly different
shade of pink, and was made from stronger cloth.
The maternity belt had been assembled in three distinct sections, with
the largest of the sections containing all the boning. Four full
length strips, and two shorter ones; all placed vertically, and
running parallel to each other. This boned piece had a row of equally
spaced eyelet holes down one of its sides, and a row of shiny metal
eyes down the other. The eyelets were similar to those on my shoes;
but they were made of a dull, grey, metal. The shiny eyes were
obviously intended to receive hooks, and were mounted upon a narrow
strip of plush, velvety material, to insulate them from the wearer's
flesh. Three of the suspenders hung from the lower edge of this panel.
The middle panel was a plain pink cloth, and had no reinforcement or
boning. It was cut in a most unusual way; being rather full in the
centre, so that it could not be laid flat, without creasing.
Additionally, when held upright, it fell naturally into a slightly
pouched shape. The panel had a row of the grey metal lace holes down
either side, similarly shaped and spaced to match those on the other
panels.
The final piece was nothing more than a thin strip of cloth, of double
thickness; about one and one half inches wide, with just enough width
to accommodate a row of lace holes down one side, and a row of shiny
hooks down the other side. One suspender was attached to the bottom of
this panel, and there was a small horizontal cut in the material, near
the top. I came to the conclusion that the panel had originally
contained a stiffening bone, which had at some time been removed and
discarded, presumably in the interests of comfort.
There were two sets of pink laces, joining the three panels together.
The laces, when new, were of flat construction, but they had become
twisted with use. When I first found the garment, the laces had been
tied into large knots, set in the centres of each of the two rows of
holes. The loose ends of the knots had been woven into the crossed
laces to take care of the surplus lace, and made two raised unpleasant
lumps in the lines of lacing. This clumsy arrangement offended me, and
I quickly picked at the laces, untied the two knots, and tidied things
up.
It could not be called a pleasant introduction to corsetry, because
the maternity belt was old and worn, and the laces had become very
thin in several places. One of the suspenders was faulty, and the
whole garment was obviously in need of laundering. Nevertheless, it
was my very first corset, and if I seem to have been unduly verbose in
my description, then I make no apology. First occasions are often the
best remembered, and this one was no exception!
Next came the most interesting phase - my desire to wear the corset.
Why?
I wish I knew!
I could not find the answer at the time; and I am not even sure that I
know it now. I had a strong inner urge - almost a compulsion. It was
"Something I Had To Do!" Much of my early life had been spent
wandering in a fog of indecision; but now I had a definite aim in
life. I HAD to wear the corset!
I sat on my bed; with the corset draped across my knees, and that was
the moment when I heard the voices! Heavenly Voices; turning and
eddying around my head. Swooping down on me, from all four corners of
the suddenly icy bedroom. Spine chilling; hair raising; frightening!
One strident and brassy voice could be heard above all the rest.
Leading them on; drawing them together, until they combined into a
raucous and powerful swelling chant; which was repeated and repeated,
yet again:-
"Go on - Try it on!"
*****
Chapter Two
Emergence
During the course of my long association with corsetry and corset
wearers, I have both heard and read numerous accounts of "My First
Experience of Corsets." Many of these stories are sadly lacking in
detail, and do not stand up to a close scrutiny. With some of the
story tellers, this can be due to nothing more than a simple inability
to describe a given incident; whereas other people - and I have met
many - seem to draw heavily on their imagination when they are trying
to describe their achievements. What they are more correctly saying,
is: "This is how I would like it to have been, when I wore my first
corset!" In all truth, there can be a wealth of difference between
fact and fiction, as I know from personal experience, and I am forced
to admit that clear and accurate description can often be rather
difficult. In my own case it would have been all too easy for me
simply to have written:
"I put it on, and it fitted like a glove."
This would have been quite untrue, because the actual sequence of
events was completely different!
My mouth had gone totally dry, and I suddenly became aware that I was
trembling. Why? Anticipation - fear? Fear of what? What was there to
be afraid of? I was alone in the house, and an extended look through
the front window had shown no sign of Mother.
What was there to stop me?
"......Courage, Man - You Can Do It!..."
"....But - suppose she catches me....."
Many valuable minutes were squandered in pointless and frustrating
personal debate, until I managed to convince myself that there was
nothing to be afraid of. I stood in front of the large mirror, and,
before my courage finally deserted me, quickly undid my belt, and
pulled my trousers and underpants down. I took a brief peep through
the window; still all clear; picked up the maternity belt, and holding
one end in either hand, carefully wrapped it around the lower part of
my body; tried to fasten all the hooks and eyes together, and then
suffered what was to prove to be the first of the many deep
disappointments in my life.
It was much too big for me. The hooks and eyes overlapped
considerably; so much so, that the larger boned panel came close to
encircling me on its own. My feelings changed from fear and
trepidation to the old familiar sense of failure and defeat. No matter
how I tried, there was no way I could possibly make it fasten and fit
me.
That was the end of my first attempt at wearing a corset, and you may
already be thinking that it would have been better if I had given up
there and then.
I cannot agree with you.
That short and discouraging sequence of events had whetted my appetite
for more, and I knew right from that early age that I would have to
continue. I could only console myself for the present; put the belt
back in the drawer, and try to leave everything exactly as I had found
it. I took a final careful look around the room, and then went away
and had a good long think. I eventually decided that it ought to be
possible to redesign the garment by removing one of the panels. This
should reduce it in size, and allow me to wear it.
Carefully choosing another occasion when Mother had gone to the shops,
I took the maternity belt from her drawer, and went into my own
bedroom; leaving both doors open in case she should return
unexpectedly, and opening my own cupboard door to give me a quick
hiding place for the evidence.
I had to completely dismantle the whole garment. There was a tight
knot at the lower end of each set of laces, which required the use of
my fingernails and teeth before it could be undone. I carefully
removed both laces; trying to memorise the way they crossed over and
the correct method of threading them through all the holes. Once the
laces had been finally removed I spent a short time running each one
between my fingers and thumbs in an attempt to unravel the many kinks
and creases.
The three disconnected panels were placed side by side upon my bed in
their correct sequence, and carefully examined. The pouched central
panel was removed and placed to one side. Then the other two panels
were moved closer to each other, so that the lace holes could be
neatly aligned. Both panels were loosely fastened together, utilising
the better of the two laces, and I was conscious of a surge of
anticipation when the finished assembly bore a surprising resemblance
to many of the front laced corsets I had seen on display in the shop
windows!
My cautious progress had been very encouraging, up to this point, but
now came the supreme test - Could I put it on - Would it fit me? My
degree of tension and apprehension began to rapidly increase.
Everything remained quiet; there was no sign of Mother; so, praying
that there was still sufficient time I dropped my trousers and pants
to the floor, stepped out of them, picked up the modified belt, and
wrapped it round my body.
The immediate result was much more encouraging. The laces were opened
to their fullest extent, which meant that the two panels were about
three inches apart. The line of hooks came quite close to the eyes at
the top edge of the corset, and by tensing my muscles and pulling my
stomach in I was able to fasten the top hook and eye together, without
much trouble. I ran my fingers down the line of hooks and eyes, and
the lower I went the closer they came; overlapping slightly towards
the bottom edge and encouraging me to proceed further. I worked
upwards from the lower edge and fastened all the hooks and eyes
together, carefully checking that each was properly secured.
Finding the correct position for the fastenings and laces proved to be
rather difficult, and I spent several minutes sliding the garment to
my left and right around my body until I was able to find a position
that resembled many of the shop window models; with the open lacing
running down my centre front, and the hooks and eyes about two inches
to the left of centre. Several of the hooks and eyes had become
unfastened during the sliding process, so I carefully re-secured them
all, and finally turned my attention to the lacing.
I had no previous experience of lacing a corset, and nothing for
guidance, so my early efforts could be described as little more than
fumbling guesswork. Taking a section of lace firmly in my right hand,
and the corresponding section in my left hand at a point towards the
lower edge, I slowly and carefully pulled both laces. As they moved
freely through the holes the two front edges began to move towards
each other, and I felt the lower half of the corset starting to close
around my body; holding me gently at first - and then more firmly!
A steady tension was maintained; the lower laces were fully closed,
and the bottom edge had become quite a tight fit. I maintained the
tension on the lace with my left hand; released my right hand, and
everything remained firm. I moved my right hand to a new point higher
up the run of laces, took a fresh grip, and pulled up all the surplus
lace. The lace felt hot where it was rubbing against my skin, but it
was not unpleasant as it ran through the holes.
I moved my left hand upwards until it was in line with my right hand,
and again pulled the laces. This gave me a very pleasant feeling of
compression and support as the corset, by slow degrees, began to close
around me. The tightening process was repeated at a higher point,
until I was able to draw all the surplus lace through the topmost
holes. After I had taken a short rest, I gripped both laces as firmly
as possible and pulled with all my strength; before finally tying the
laces into a secure bow. There was a great deal of surplus lace
trailing on the floor, and, after some thought, this was wrapped
several times around my body and knotted. Now it was time to analyse
and examine my feelings.
I was conscious of a deep sense of satisfaction, because my efforts to
redesign and adapt the belt had been more of a success that I had
anticipated. I had never even dared to hope that it might fit as well
as it did, and it gave me a new sensation of well-being. It was good
to be alive! Suddenly life was pleasant. I was being held comfortably
and firmly all around the lower half of my body, and it was almost
like being hugged by Matron all over again; but with the added
flavouring of personal achievement and satisfaction.
The bottom edge of the corset fitted neatly round the lower part of my
rump where it joined the top of my legs; and the top edge rose to just
above the level where my natural waist ought to have been - if I had
any sort of a natural waist! Normally I was straight up and down, but
now I felt as if I had a new and moulded shape.
After a short and enjoyable session of running my hands all over the
taut material, and tracing each of the vertical ridges of the bones at
the back and sides, I decided to have a good look at myself with the
corset on. My own small mirror was quite inadequate for the purpose,
but the large mirror, in the door of Mother's wardrobe was ideal. I
walked out of my bedroom and along the passage towards her room, and
was aware of a new and extremely pleasant sensation. The whole motion
of walking was totally different! My lower body was held tightly and
now moved as a composite unit, with the stiff corset serving to hold
me firmly upright. My stomach was nicely pulled in, and I felt really
fit and well.
I turned into Mother's room, glimpsed myself in the mirror, and
stopped - appalled! It was not a bit like I had expected, and
everything looked so totally wrong! Altering the design had also
altered the styling, so that I now looked both twisted and distorted.
I had mentally visualised myself with a smoothly curved and
symmetrical outline, similar to all the shop window models. I was not!
Now; one side of me was rounded, whilst the other side had become
flattened. A single suspender was dangling forlornly down at the
centre front; all the other suspenders were out of alignment; and at
one point the laces were not fully closed, allowing my flesh to
protrude and become formed into swollen and diamond shaped red lumps,
that poked through the crossed lacing and looked revolting!
The whole exercise had been a complete waste of time and effort. My
feelings of happiness; elation, and well-being drained away as though
a sluice gate had been opened, and were replaced by my customary self-
doubt and insecurity which was now compounded with plain hopelessness,
and I was instantly reduced to a state of bottomless abject misery.
I spent a few minutes tugging at the knots and twitching at the laces,
and managed to loosen the corset enough to make it possible for me to
unfasten it and let it fall to the floor. I took it back into my
bedroom and began to half-heartedly rebuild it, and try to restore it
to its original condition. When it looked about right I returned it to
Mother's drawer, taking great care to rectify any obvious signs of
disturbance. The only other corset in the drawer was made of bright
pink and shiny rubber, pierced with numerous small holes in geometric
and fancy patterns. I tried wrapping it around my body, but it was
much too large for me, and the pungent rubbery smell was most
distasteful. I left it where it was; closed the drawer, and went away.
**
Corset Diary
In answer to your recent enquiry about my method of self-lacing. I
have strong metal hooks screwed into the two door posts of my bedroom
door. After clipping up my corset busk, I pull on both the lace loops,
to take in the slack, as you might say. Then I put the loops over the
hooks, and walk forward, slowly, reaching up behind my back, and
tightening and adjusting each section of crossed lace, above and below
my waist, one at a time. The action of walking away takes care of the
surplus lace for me, and the hooks act as a "Third Hand." You will be
able to watch me, when you visit. It will be easier for me to give you
a demonstration, rather than try to explain the procedure on paper.
*****
My hyperactive imagination had continued working at its fullest
capacity ever since my first brief contact with Matron, and all my
interest had been concentrated upon her. General appearance; carriage
and deportment; method of walking. How did she feel, I asked myself;
comfortably secured inside her own tightly corseted environment? I was
well versed in the art of slipping in and out of the world of my
"Hero," and I now began to try and move inside the body of Matron; so
that I could share and enjoy all her many pleasant sensations.
What must it be like, I asked myself, to spend your working life with
the lower part of your body restrained within a tightly fitting
garment, strongly reinforced with rigid whalebone or metal boning?
Matron wore her corset every day, so presumably it could not be
unpleasant. Many of the advertisements in my scrapbook had suggested
that most women enjoyed wearing some form of corsetry; so what was so
unusual about the practice? Why was corsetry surrounded with so much
mystery? Why was I - a "Mere Male" - not permitted to go into corset
shops? What was the strange dark secret that was always kept hidden
from me?
My thoughts were continually developed on these lines, with the
picture of myself wearing a corset as the central theme. Consequently;
when the time came for me to actually put the thoughts into practice
and wear the maternity belt, I was to some extent ready and mentally
prepared for the various pleasant physical sensations I was about to
enjoy.
It was initially a great source of satisfaction when I discovered that
the realisation gave me quite a close approximation to my imagination.
Fastening the hooks and eyes had presented no problems; and the
manipulation of the laces, although it could not be described as
"Second Nature," had still been easily managed. My most pleasant
feelings had come from the increasing tightness as the laces had been
pulled. It began low down on my body; moving higher as I took a fresh
purchase on the laces. Each pull gave me an encircling sensation of
tightness and restraint; clearly to be felt all around me. Very new;
and deeply satisfying. A firm "Hold;" which was accompanied by what I
could only describe as a "Lift." My muscles were receiving strong
support, and as this support progressed higher it lifted my body;
making it feel much lighter. This new sense of lightness brought with
it an unusual impression of well-being, which was an invitation to
continue the lacing process in the hope that it would produce further
pleasant sensations.
On that first occasion, my sense of smell had generated only some
unwelcome associations. My own personal aroma of "Sweaty Fear" had
been induced by the unfamiliar activities, and compounded by the ever-
present threat of discovery. A whole new series of nervous reactions
had been triggered off; causing my body to break into an unpleasant
sweat, which I could clearly smell when my arms moved and as my hands
were pulling on the laces. The smell of the rubber corset continued
cloying in my throat; and it lingered on my fingers as an unpleasant
reminder long after I had put the garment back in the drawer.
It was the sudden and unexpected "Sight" of myself in the full length
mirror that had given me the greatest disappointment of all. After
lacing myself in as tightly as possible, I spent some time rubbing my
hands over the smoothly stretched material, and comparing myself with
Matron. Exploring the ridges of the bones as they made a series of
raised and equidistant ripples around my back and sides. Feeling the
taut material as it pulled my stomach in at the front. Running my
fingers up and down the line of crossed laces, so often seen in the
shop windows, but until now so unattainable. When I looked downwards,
I could not see the lower half of my body, because it was being pulled
in and obscured by the overhang of my rib-cage.
Whenever I conjured up the mental picture of myself in a corset I
always visualised someone similar in shape to many of the smoothly
contoured ladies in the advertisements, with a pleasant series of
flowing and co-ordinated curves on either side of my body and a
slender silhouette tapering to the waist. The clear mental picture
remained with me when I was walking towards Mother's room, and was
greatly helped by the many pleasant sensations of embracement and
movement that were being induced by the motions of walking.
Turning through the doorway of Mother's bedroom, and unexpectedly
glimpsing myself in her full length mirror, had given me the earliest,
and consequently one of the greatest, disappointments of my young
life. As my story unfolds it will soon become clear that there were
many worse disappointments still to come, but this was the first one -
which may explain why it still remains so fresh in my memory.
That first early experiment added more fuel to the small, flickering
flame that burned inside me, and it was quite obvious that I would
have to find some way of repeating it. Corsetry was beginning to take
a firm hold on me, and there were some clear indications that it was
going to play a great part in the story of my life. It was rather a
long time before I could make any further progress, and it came as a
considerable surprise when, without any warning, my Mother, announced
that we would be moving from our present home, and going to live in
the north of England with her Father, and his second wife.
When I look back over the years, I often wonder if she would have been
quite so ready to make the move, if she had known that her action
would provide me with the means that enabled me to take the next step
forward!
**
Corset Diary
Some random thoughts: I still want to try and lace myself tighter,
because I would like to be as I was some years ago, with a Twenty Inch
waist beneath my corset, and measuring twenty two inches over the
corset. I will have to do it slowlyand carefully, and it may well take
me several months of lacing.
*****
Grandad and "Auntie," (as I was taught to call her) lived in a large
and rather old house which had lots of bedrooms. Grandad was a tall
and elderly gentleman with white hair. He was well dressed, and
displayed a gold watch chain across the waistcoat of his suit. I had
never been quite sure what he did for his living, because he was
always vaguely described as "Holding a Most Important Position in
Textiles."
Auntie was a slim, middle aged lady with a very "Refained" voice, and
noted for using long words, when short ones would have been just as
effective. She had no children of her own, and I quickly formed the
impression that she did not like me. She had a thin, pursed,
disapproving mouth; her facial expression would always harden at the
sight of me, and she never gave any sign of pleasure when I was
around. I was tolerated - but that was as far as it went. Grandad was
a very busy man, who left for work early in the morning and did not
return until late at night. He seemed to spend most of his weekends at
"The Club," so I hardly saw him at all.
I was allocated a room for my own use when we first arrived at the
house. It was apparently known as "The Box Room," although nobody ever
bothered to explain why. The room was quite small, and you had to take
great care not to fall down the two steps that were immediately behind
the door. There was just enough space for a small single bed, and an
old chest of drawers - if it could be dignified by that title. It was
a rather low, wooden structure, and it was true to say that it
contained two drawers; but you had to get down on your hands and knees
to open them. The top piece of wood was a different colour to the
rest; and I formed the opinion that the unit had once been part of a
large wardrobe that had been cut down and converted to its present
state. I discovered an excellent place to hide my scrapbook in a large
cavity conveniently sited between the underside of the lower drawer
and the bottom of the chest, making it easy for me to conceal the book
when it was not in use.
The only other notable feature about the room was the sloping ceiling.
It was possible to stand upright with ample headroom, just by the
door; but the ceiling sloped sharply down towards the bed, making it
necessary to approach with care and perform a special twist and roll
in order to get into the bed at night. The other essential was to
remember not to suddenly sit up in bed without thinking, and I soon
learnt the correct procedure, after a few violent cracks on the head!
Inevitably, the same old yearning feeling began to creep over me, and
I maintained a surreptitious watch on Auntie; trying to discover what
type of corset she wore. My efforts were hampered, because she
presented a smooth and unbroken bodily profile; free from bulges or
ridges, and giving me no help at all; so, once again, I had to resort
to sterner methods.
Grandad and Auntie occupied separate bedrooms, and although I had
taken every opportunity to look inside Auntie's room, I had never been
permitted to cross the threshold. It was a proper "Ladies Room."
Fluffy; frilly; feminine, and decorated in various shades of cream. A
thick and fluffy carpet covered the floor from wall to wall; the
curtains were a matching cream, with a frilly pelmet at the top; and a
small stool that stood near the dressing table was upholstered in the
same cream coloured material, with a peripheral frill concealing its
legs. There was a large wardrobe, and two built-in drawer units all
made from the same light coloured and polished wood as the dressing
table. Three full-length cream tinted mirrors were mounted along one
wall.
I remained in a constant state of readiness, and one day my patience
was rewarded when I had the house to myself for a short while. I
tiptoed into the room, and was surprised to discover that it was much
bigger than it had first appeared to be. The bed had been partially
concealed behind the opened door, and was a large and imposing unit;
made of the same light wood as the rest of the furniture and having a
bedspread that matched the curtains. There was a faint smell of
perfume hanging in the air, and it kept intruding upon my highly
stressed senses. Nervous tension set me shivering, although the room
was quite warm; and I was screwed up tight in fear of being caught
trespassing in this most sacred Holy of Holies.
I kept my ears pricked; alert for the slightest sound; walked across
to the main fitted unit and carefully slid open the top drawer. It
contained an assortment of gloves and scarves; so I closed it, and
selected a lower drawer. This was tightly packed with numerous fluffy
and unidentifiable woollen garments in a variety of pastel colours;
but there was nothing to interest me.
I finally found all the corsets in the bottom drawer. Auntie, with her
preference for long words, had once referred to them as "Foundation
Garments." There were five; all of different types, and lying folded
one on top of the other with almost military precision; neat,
straight, and parallel with the front of the drawer.
The topmost garment was lifted out, examined, and quickly identified,
simply because there was a picture of a rather similar item
illustrated in one of my many advertisements! The now familiar pink
colour; made of a powerful knitted elastic material, and resembling a
wide pink belt. When it was laid flat, the two sides were almost
parallel, and there was no apparent styling or shaping. It had no
boning, and the only additional features were four suspenders;
attached by short pieces of ribbon to the lower edge of the belt. All
the metal suspender clips were painted pink, and the buttons were made
of rubber. My advertisement had described the garment as being a
"Roll-on Girdle;" adding that it was "Comfortable for day-long wear,"
and promised "A Fashionable Elegance and Style;" so it appeared to be
exactly what I was looking for!
The next item presented me with a problem, and it took some time
before I could give it a name. Some later research enabled me to
identify this garment as a Pantie Girdle. It bore a strong resemblance
to a miniature pair of elastic underpants, and, in effect, that is
just what it was. There was a pink, double thickness belt of elastic
at the top, and all the other sections of the front and back were made
of thinner, and closely woven elastic.
A piece of soft, pink, shiny and unstretchable material passed
underneath between the two leg holes; joining the front and rear
halves together, and the garment had four suspenders, but there were
no bones.
Next came a rubber corset; similar to the one I had found in Mother's
drawer, but this was newer, and did not have the unpleasant rubbery
smell. Made from smooth pink rubber; pierced with many small holes,
all