Girl of the 90's Severely Trained By Her Mother

A letter dated September 29th, 1999 from Pat O'Brien

Dear Editor

Your home page on corsets is only fantastic. I always thought people especially men who had an interest in corsets / girdles were a bit odd or fetish to say the least. Your corset site dispels that notion. I was absolutely fascinated with the range of articles in Corset Home. I was even more amazed to note that many of the Victorian corset practices such as the steel corset / training corset / punishment corsets are common today and that it is not uncommon in 1999 for young girls to be subjected to the rigours of corset training. My experience below with Tracy confirms the use of the practice.

Its an absolute delight to see the silhouette of a lady young or old heavily corseted from armpits to knees beneath a well fitting costume or dress. What makes her stand out in a crowd is the confident cool manner in which she walks ramrod straight and with purpose. Not too long ago I was on a long business trip to Hong Kong and was lucky at check in at Heathrow to be sitting next to a charming petite 30's something business lady also going to Hong Kong. What struck me vividly was her posture and that was clad in a black designer leather suit, black support tights and black patent leather shoes, severely dressed you could say, including a high polo neck collar. The shape of her figure and the way she carried made me suspect she was at least wearing a girdle. As we settled in to her seats we got chatting and she was a real pleasant lady. We then started down to work on our lap tops. From time to time I noticed she seemed to shift uncomfortably in her seat, but I didn't take any notice. Her posture was upright, and she seemed to turn head with difficulty and I noticed she semed to bend with difficulty. Once she passed me to go to the toilet and as her body brushed against mine I was aware of a hard corsetted body against mine. She winked as she past as if to indicate that I knew she was corseted.

After sometime it was meal time and we began to indulge in our in flight meals and drinks and we introduced each other her name was Tracy. She was now very chatty again, but I noticed she hardly touched her food. I remarked and she said that although she was hungry she could not eat right their and then. I could see in her face that she wanted to explain further. The reason she said was that she was rigidly corseted from armpits to knees in a training corset, and also extended up to her neck in the form of a rigid neck corset.

I was taken aback completely and thought she was crazy. She then went on and said that she and her sister had from their childhood were corseted permanently right through school college. Her mother was a very dominant woman and still is and ruled that her daughters would always remain corseted for life despite the fact that this was 1999. The girls complied as not to upset their mother who herself had been corseted all her life.

So here was Tracy a beautiful petite black haired beauty looking smashing in her tight fitting leather skirt and jacket,a very 1990's lady while beneath her suit she was encased in Victorian corsetry. Not only was she wearing the trainer corset but was also wearing a whale boned high waisted knee length girdle. I was aghast as she related all this to me because there was no evidence of the bulk of the corset or girdle. Moreover, though she was a smart business lady an IT specialist in fact she was dominated by her mother.

Tracy said she just could not go against her mother and obeyed without question as regards the obligatory corsetry. Tracy said that having worn corsets and girdles all her life she just accepted wearing them as the norm. During her teens she found it almost impossibel to have to endure the torture of the training corset, but her mother broke her spirit by placing her in specially made extreme leather / rubber / steel and whalebone corsets in which her neck right to below her knees was encased. In this manner she could neither sit, stand or walk comfortably.

Sometimes she would put her clothes on and remain in this terrible corset for days and weeks at a time. Tracy said the neck corset attachement was cruel as she could barely open her mouth let alone speak. She was rarely out of her corsets and for bed was laced into a tight rigid corset which she brought with her on business trips, and which she was able to fit on herself. Obviously a lot of activities and sports she could not indulge in because of her corsetry, so instead she became an ardent supporter and follower of football and tennis. Only a few of her close friends were aware of her corset wearing regime. Her mother made sure Tracy and her sister adhered to the strict regime, and if they complained the corset discipline was increased.

Neck corsets could also be afixed to their necks separate from the main training corset. These collars Tracy said had locks and their mother would have them locked up in their neck collars for weeks and months. Summer time and hot weather was difficult as the weight and heat of the corsets was unbearable but unfortunately there was no respite. Tracy went on to say that the torture of the corset wearing in the summer was further exacerbated by added punishments from their mother such as the wearing of extremly heavy course wool tights, knee length heavy boots, heavy serge skirts and dresses. Many a time they would go to the seaside attired in this manner and watch with envy teenagers of their own age swim and enjoyed themselves. Tracy's mother claimed swimming was unlady like. So they would sit with their mother and swelter in the cruel corsets and heavy clothing.

As regards dress jeans were out as the bulk of all the corsetry would show and she had to wear heavier textured clothing to ensure the outline of her corsetry did not show. This is why she was wearing her leather suit as it was a business like style and practical.

It was difficult to understand looking at this sweet beautiful girl looking ever so lively that she was encased in rigid corsetry plus the added discomfort of the girdle. She said the additional wearing of the girdle was a punishment over some argument she had with her mother while her mother was adjusting her training corset, before she departed for Heathrow.

Even as we spoke she was having some discomfort with the girdle as the gusset she said was rubbing uncomfortably against her thighs

Tracy said she had every intention of continuing wearing corsets and girdles for the rest of her life despite the discomfort. She was philosophical about the discomfort and certainly her figure showed the results of the corsetry. Anyhow she said her diet revolved around the manner of her corsetry. She could only eat very light nutritious meals and limited intake of fluid, so she had her toilet functions down to fine art as trying to manipulate a girdle and corset within the confines of a toilet is impossible. Just in case of emergencies Tracy said she always wore incontinence knickers with plenty padding.

As Tracy continued with her description of the corset she said that she was only able to remove her training corset once a week just for bath and shower. The rest of the time the trainer was secured on her with a lock the key to which her mother kept.

Tracy found this a great nuisance and irritation as she sometimes had to stay overnight with friends or when she had to do an overnight business trip. She always had to wear a polo blouse or jumper when wearing the training corset in order to hide her neck from the attached neck corset. But she simply complied. Even if she married she would continue with the corset regime as she was now totally conditioned to the extremes of corsetry and all its discomforts, and she would insist that any daughters she had would be similarily corsetted. Despite the discomfort of corsets and girdles Tracy said that more and more women were going back to good solid foundation wear and there was a huge increase in the demand for corsets and girdles.

By the time we reached Hong Kong Tracy was tired and certainly the heat of Hong Kong hit us both like an oven blast. Tracy seemed to be reasonably well composed despite the enormous amount of corsetry she was encased in. We both happen to be staying at the same hotel. After we checked in we agreed to meet over dinner and drinks. When I met Tracy she looked great dressed in a sleeveless cocktail dress - I was amazed she said she had removed her training corset which was such a relief to her, and just wore the girdle which I knew she had on as the outline was visible through the cocktail dress. Unfortunately I lost contact with Tracy, so I am lookig again for a like minded lady who is a confirmed corset / girdle wearer.

Best Wishes

Pat O'Brien