Dear Sir- I was sorry to see that your correspondent “M.L.” was so much criticised for describing how she reduced her waist to please her husband, I considered her letter most interesting, and would like to tell her that after seeing a Pageant some years ago, where many period dresses were on view, my husband expressed his admiration of small waists.
As a recent bride, I was naturally anxious to please him, and told him I would do my best to lace in as small as possible. I possessed an unusually slim and tractable figure and as i was only eighteen years old, the corsetiere told me that I would be able to reduce quickly, and without much discomfort to fifteen inches. Before reducing I had a nineteen inch waist and I was pleasurably surprised to find how easily I became accustomed to tight lacing, and sleeping in very tight corsets.
Within six months I was quite happy with a fifteen-inch waist and continuing the corset lacing I eventually had a fourteen-inch waist which size I retained for two years. For over six years I have never allowed my waist to exceed sixteen inches. I agree with “Tight Lacer” and “Primrose Long” that figure training from an early age produces the best results. My sister another ardent “London Lifer” is a great believer of the “big three”: –
Corsets, high heels, and gloves.
Her pretty little daughter, now aged fifteen has been corsetted since she was eight years old, and most strictly tight laced since she was ten with the result that she now has a twelve inch waist.
I have no doubt about the existence of small waists even in these corsetless days, and I do hope, dear sir, that you will allow these discussions to continue in the brightest of “weeklies.”
Yours truly,
MAVIS.