Dear Sir,–May I trouble you to insert a reply to the letter published in a recent number of “London Life” on the subject of Small Waists
Your correspondent doubts my statement that I felt better in health since I began to tight-lace. Nevertheless, it certainly is a fact that I enjoy much better health now than I did before I wore tight corset.
She says she once tried moderately tight-lacing for a few days, and that she did not enjoy it at all.
I do not wonder at that, for, in the first place, tight-lacing is not very pleasant until one has practised it a week or so; and in the second place, strange as it may seem, a moderately tight corset, say 21in., is never so comfortable as a really tight corset of, say, 18in. or even less. As I said in my former letter, I wear an 18in. corset, and I find no difficulty in breathing in it.
The little experiment recommended by her to men who admire wasp-waists is not a fair one, as to wear a belt (which would have a breadth of only an inch or two) tightly round the waist would give no idea of the delighted sensation of wearing a tight corset, for the narrow belt would but into the flesh of the waist and be extremely uncomfortable, as I know from having tried the experiment, while the tight corset would do nothing of the sort.
Yours truly, WASP WAIST.