Dear Sir, – I have been a regular reader of “L.L.” for some time now, and the correspondence page becomes more and more interesting as each week goes by. There have appeared a lot of views from time to time in these pages concerning the wearing of corsets, and I should like to add my opinion on this matter.
A stiff, tight-fitting corset does no harm to any woman, except that it possibly restricts her movements a little. Provided such corsets are not worn when playing games etc., a girl or woman can quickly accustom herself to wearing them. Extreme cases of tight lacing are not necessary, as with a little determination and pulling in, an excellent figure can be maintained.
In my early days, tight corsets were worn universally by every woman, and in fact, in those days a woman was judged by the stays she wore. As a girl I had to submit to a severe period of figure training by my mother who kept herself laced in so tight that she could only take short tiny steps when walking. (She always wore very high heels.) In less than twelve months she reduced my figure so that I could wear 17 inch corsets. I was corsetted day and night, and even when at boarding school the mistresses were given special instructions to carefully watch that my waist did not get any larger. I certainly found my corsets irksome at times, but I was made to persevere, and now I do not regret having been made to lace myself in.
In these days I do not recommend such a course of training for girls today, but it would do no harm for some of them to be pulled in a little, and consequently made to carry themselves better.
I have two girls staying with me who noticed my photo one day, taken at the age of twenty, and both of them praised my dimensions. I told them how I had been subject to figure training and they have both asked me to help them cultivate a similar kind of waist. This I am doing at present by means of specially made corsets, although at first they said they felt painful and irksome in such tight stays. Both are wearing very high heels also, and they find it easier to manage high heels with a laced in figure.
Trusting this letter is not too long and drawn out.
Yours faithfully
E. L. M. Brompton.