Sir, – The trouble with all the ante-tight-lacers is that they think of tight-lacing in the terms of twenty years ago.
Even the modern tight-lacer is prepared to heartily concur in the proposition that to mould a child’s pliable bones by means of a tight corset is little short of criminal. Tight-lacing as a fashion is out of date and women have therefore no need to be laced or even corseted at all. But many, like myself, do tight-lace because we like to be corseted.
The great majority of us only lace in moderately and no harm results from the practise. Where this kind of tight-lacing is indulged in, the devotee as a rule does not commence to corset herself seriously ‘till she is in her earlier twenties.
By that time her bodily frame is set and nothing she can do with her corset-laces can alter it. The most she can do is to get a taper from her shoulder to her waist – which can be compressed a little – and that is controlled by the width of the hips.
She has the advantage of having corsets which are a delight to the eye, and also both light in weight and comfortable in wear; for they have been made her individual requirements. There are no ready-made small waisted corsets now. What happens therefore is that she wears a garment she delights in, which had been made for her, and which she can put on and lace in ‘till she is satisfied with her figure.
No woman who really likes to be corseted will consider wearing a corset which is not laced in, be it ever so little, and our modern tight-lacer simply exaggerates this desire ‘till she satisfies her vanity. She is content with the close feel of her corset and even tightly so from the point of view of non-corset wearer, she is very far away from being laced in to the point of asphyxiation.
At all events, as one who has practised tight-lacing in moderation for over ten years. I can testify to the pleasure it has given me, and I have yet to feel any ill effects. My health has been at least as good as any of my uncorsetted friends, and my figure is, to my mind, better.
Yours truly,
“MODERATION.”