Staylace
 
THE SOCIAL ROLE OF CLOTHING
 
The use of clothing to accentuate or modify the human shape is as old
as civilisation itself. Since primitive times, there have been few
cultures that have not sought to impose distinctive or even unnatural
outlines according to sex, function or social status. The female or
weaker sex in particular has more usually had to endure the often
bizarre results of fashion or ritual.
 
Binding women's feet in ancient China, and extension of the neck by
solid rings in parts of central Africa, are extreme examples that
amount to a systematic distortion of the body. Where fashion has
become ritual, one has seen more blatant surgery in the form of
circumci-sion, castration and removal of the clitoris.
 
In the more rapidly developing cultures of the West, fashion and moral
attitudes have changed correspondingly faster, and the means of
confining the figure and limiting its movement have been mercifully
less permanent. Opinions as to what it is proper for women to wear
and to do have changed back and forth, from the very repressive to the
very permissive, often within a single generation. At times of
strictest moral attitudes, the constriction of clothing has gone
beyond fashion to exercise restraints on the very lifestyle of the
wearer.
 
The clothing worn by women, and to some extent by men, reached its
severest in dictating lifestyle during the 19th Century, and it was
during the Victorian and Edwardian eras that the corset reached its
most rigid and implacable form and gained for itself a place as the
mandatory underpinning, the very foundation of acceptable fashion,
modesty and deportment.
 
As recently as the second world war, quite rigid foundations were
accepted as a matter of course, even by young women. During the
unsettled fifties and sixties when we were adjusting to new concepts
of morality and of male and female social functions, corsetry suffered
a period of disfavour with all but the older generation. While women
drifted in a masculine direction in the simplicity of their dress and
men met them half way with daring colours, frills and long hairstyles,
'unisex' was expressing itself in casual dress. Corsetted formality
appeared to be a thing of the past.
 
However, the human race seems to have a built-in safety factor which
obliges it to reverse the pendulum swing when an extreme has been
reached, and there are now clear signs of a wish to retreat from
excessive laxity in dress and deportment.
 
Of these signs, the most significant is the revival of firmer
foundations and of tight-lacing corsets in particular. That the
skilled corsetiere has returned to her workshop, with busks and bones
and laces, is a sure indication that some people need to surrender
themselves to those disciplines under which an earlier generation
created such a great place for itself in our history books.
 
Having dwindled to little more that a mild second skin, the foundation
garment is being brought back from the verge of extinction to its
proper function of affording physical and moral protection to the
wearer.
 
In the wake of recent permissive decades, the prospect of being
strictly corsetted day in, day out, year in, year out will seem to be
a daunting one. However, a far wider variety of corsetry than existed
last century will offer a gentler way to eventual daily corsetting in
a properly boned garment and all the appropriate clothing that goes
with it.
 
It is hoped that the following pages will contribute towards the
return of a more serious approach to discipline of attire and
deportment.
 
 
 
CORSET DISCIPLINE TODAY
 
Discipline depends upon the authority to compel and to restrain. This
authority may, at times, have to be enforced by corrective measures,
but the surest way to command total compliance is to maintain a
constant discipline that allows for no exceptions or excuses and that
varies only to reward exceptionally good behaviour or to punish
disobedience.
 
This is especially true for those who need discipline in controlling
the figure and the deportment. The Victorians understood this well,
and a rigorous severity of dress was their most powerful weapon in
maintaining decorum in the weaker sex.
 
In these modern times the need for corset discipline persists, and,
amid all the liberality of scanty dress and unseemly activity, there
is a yearning for a return to a strict and protective control over the
lives of the weaker sex. This is even felt by those who would have to
abandon the freedom they now enjoy and submit to the harsh repressions
that are necessary in achieving decorum. The flurry of unseemly
activity that surrounds us, and to which we have become so accustomed,
will make severe control of dress and conduct all the harder to bear,
but being of the weaker sex has never been easy.
 
If universal laxity has deprived the weaker sex of the discipline they
need, it has been responsible for one great advance in our thinking.
The discipline of the Victorians broke down as a result of their
mistaken assumption that all women were of the weaker sex and all men
of the dominant. We now know that some must surrender to constraint
and that others must impose restraint, and that the sex into which one
is born is of no consequence. If the dress, manners, duties and
pastimes of the weaker sex seem traditionally exclusive to women, we
are now beginning to understand that this is not so. Where some women
- the liberated - may now wear the clothes and indulge in the
activities once thought of as men's exclusive rights, so some of those
confined to corsets and discipline will be men.
 
The discipline needed to cultivate and maintain decorum in the weaker
sex does not alter in its strictness, but only in overcoming the
difficulties arising from a long period of universal liberalism run
wild.
 
 
 
 
CORSETRY AND UNDERWEAR FOR THE WEAKER SEX
 
A proper understanding of underclothing will be necessary, both for
those imposing discipline training and for those being subjected to
it. What is out of sight beneath the dress is the very basis of this
discipline, and indeed, the term 'foundation' is a far better one than
'corset' for what is the mainstay of figure and lifestyle.
 
In our day many people think of corsetry as wispy girdles that do
little more than hold up nylons. Modern yarns have resulted in
foundations that allow the freedom to adopt deportments and activities
that are quite unsuitable for the weaker sex. At the same time,
corsetry now offers a wider variety of styles, allowing for an easier
return to 'straight-laced' living. However, it must be made clear
that many items of modern corsetry such as very light girdles and
corselettes are designed for the convenience of liberated women and
are quite inadequate for restraining the movements and controlling the
figure in the weaker sex.
 
Foundation wear can be separated into three distinct garments: the
corset or girdle, the brassiere, and the corselette which is a
combi-nation of the first two. These foundations may also be
separated into three types, according to the firmness of the materials
from which they are made: stretch garments that are pre-dominantly of
elasticated yarn, rigid garments that are boned and have little or no
elasticated insert, and period corsetry of Victorian and Edwardian
design - heavily boned and unyielding.
 
The brassiere supports or accentuates the bust by firmly holding the
breasts or any padding that fashion may decree, Standard types cover
the bust only and are unsuitable for the weaker sex. They may,
however, be useful when breast-forms are worn under sleepwear
 
The deep brassiere additionally controls the midriff, and may perhaps
be allowed for in-formal occasions.
 
The long-line brassiere reaches to the waist and the elasticated
models might be more suit-able for informal wear. The ideal brassiere
for daily discipline wear will be a longline pattern with front or
side hook fastening and some boning. This style, like all other
discipline underwear, will have built up shoulders.
 
The corset or girdle controls the stomach and buttocks, and has
suspenders. Standard patterns, both elasticated and rigid, come up to
the waist only, and are unsuitable for discipline.
 
A high-waisted model is essential. On rare informal occasions a firm
elasticated type with front or side fastening and some boning can be
worn. For normal everyday wear a rigid type is called for.
 
The ideal corset will fit well over the hips and buttocks, it will
have an underbelt and very firm boning. Although a closed back style
with side hook fastening would be acceptable, a back lacing corset
with front busk will be firmer and will have the advantage of
preparing the wearer for the days of tight-lacing that are an
essential feature of proper discipline.
 
All that has been said of the corset and brassiere applies equally to
the corselette, which is available in the same yarns and styles. Some
feel that the corselette, being easier to put on, encourages the
weaker sex to slackness, while others value the additional rigidity
pro-vided by longer bones. Since rigid foundations are to be worn
for most of the time and on a daily basis, more than one set will be
needed, so perhaps a corset and brassiere and a corselette would make
the ideal basis for the 'corset drawer'. Whether the foundation is a
corselette or two piece, it will be a strongly boned and rigid garment
with an underbelt, it will preferably have six suspenders and it will
be the normal wear for the weaker sex.
 
We come now to tight-lacing, which is an essential feature in corset
discipline. In a perfect world the weaker sex would be laced in
daily, as a matter of routine, but we live in times when the ideal is
not usually possible.
 
However, a period (i.e. traditional) corset will be essential for
regular deportment and figure training. Styles, perfected throughout
the nineteenth century, vary considerably in design: some nip the
waist in (wasp waist), some control it to a smoother line (hourglass),
and others extend well down over the hips to moderate the length of
stride. All traditional corsets have three features in common: severe
boning, firm front busk fastening and full-length back lacing that
allows for ruthless tightening.
 
Where a 'traditional' corset is not worn daily, but only for regular
'lacing-in' days and corrective training, a long style will be needed.
This must have a back length to reach from between the shoulder blades
well down round the buttocks, and the front will half cover the bust
or incorporate a full bust section. A modern improvement is the
option of an underbelt with its own busk, and this is strongly
recommended for the extra care it demands in dressing and for the
additional constraint it affords to offset the comparative freedom of
everyday rigid foundations.
 
Where a traditional corset is worn daily, a shorter style may be
adopted, but it would be a mistake to allow anything shorter than
sixteen inches.
 
So, the corset drawer will contain a really rigid foundation for day
to day wear, a traditional corset for being laced into on one day a
week or one week a month perhaps, and there may be some really firm
elasticated foundation wear for very occasional use. Much will depend
on the particular routine laid down: some of the weaker sex get off
more lightly than others, but none will ever be without a full
foundation at any time of the day, all will remain well corseted year
in, year out.
 
Rubber corsetry deserves separate mention. It is intended to provide
the same figure control as the firmer elasticated models, and it has
the added advantage of producing a slim effect. Brassieres, girdles
and corselettes of this type, made from a fleece lined and perforated
rubber would be a better alternative to elasticated foundations for
those rare after-noons of freedom, especially where there is a
fondness for chocolates.
 
As rigid and traditional corsetry is troublesome to launder, it is
essential to wear underneath it something that can be changed daily. A
tight-fitting vest or camisole made from cotton knit is ideal for the
purpose. No vest or corset liner is worn with elasticated or rubber
corsetry, making this type of foundation suitable only for the warmest
weather.
 
Like corsetry, underwear now comes in many styles, not all of which
are suitable for the weaker sex. These days far too little underwear
is worn, and many styles of vests, slips and drawers are designed as a
concession to this immodesty. Underwear must be warm, and even the
attire beneath the slip or petticoat must conform to the standards of
modesty demanded of the weaker sex.
 
A vest or a camisole is worn without exception over the foundation; it
will be of botany wool with sleeves for cold weather. Silk or
artificial silk is suitable for hot weather.
 
Drawers, of the same materials as the vest, are always worn of course.
These must cover any part of the leg that may be visible above the
stockings, and a style reaching to or below the knee should be
insisted upon in cool weather. A panty with legs of suitable length
may suffice, but a directoire knicker with elasticated legs is more in
keeping with strict attire.
 
Finally, a slip or petticoat is worn over this underwear, and must
conceal it entirely except for the sleeves of a cool weather vest.
While the vest and knickers that go with corset discipline will
usually be rather plain, the petticoat will often have lace or ribbon
trim, so valued by the weaker sex. If the material of the petticoat
is also chosen to suit the weather, this will further ensure
protection against cold in winter or immodesty in summer.
 
Needless to say, the weaker sex never go with bare legs, and even the
sheer nylons worn by modern liberated women are unsuitable. Stockings
must not be transparent, even if worn with a long skirt. If the legs
are unshapely, elasticated hose must be worn, even under the woollen
stockings that are necessary in winter.
 
Undervest, foundation, vest, knickers, petticoat and stockings
represent the minimum to be worn beneath the outer dress. Pleas to
wear fewer undergarments in warm weather must, like pleas to be less
severely corsetted, be ignored. If the weaker sex are to maintain
modesty and decorum there can be no relaxation from proper dress,
however oppressive it may feel on warm or restless days.
 
However instructive my advice may be, the master or mistress would not
wish my recommendations for the attire of the weaker sex to intrude
into the privacy of their bed-chamber. However, a misunderstanding
that some current fashions might provoke obliges me to do so, if an
important warning is not to be neglected. There exist items of
underwear, hosiery and so called corsetry which have the sole purpose
of pleasing the tastes of some masters or mistresses on private,
conjugal occasions. This fashion of an intimate nature includes the
most immodest underwear, corsetry made of unusual materials, seductive
hosiery and an extensive range of underthings made from latex rubber.
 
It must be quite clear that such attire is intended exclusively to
please the master or mistress by making the weaker sex appear
seductive while at the same time causing her or him to feel degraded.
While some of the weaker sex may be put into such attire at certain
times and for relatively brief periods, underwear and hosiery of this
provocative kind is totally unsuitable for normal wear by the weaker
sex. I would go so far as to recommend that any such items should be
kept in the custody of the master or mistress - every household will
have a locked cupboard in which are stored canes, chastity belts and
confiscated articles.
 
Outer dress is a matter of fashion, and the only essential features
will be that the skirt reach below the knees, that the cut conform to
the well corsetted figure and that the sleeves reach to the wrist for
daytime wear. Bare arms should be for formal occasions only.
 
Victorian and Edwardian dresses are now back in fashion, and this will
be a welcome feature for those who take strict training in a serious
way, for these styles are naturally suited to tight-lacing. Whatever
the dress, it is important that it show off the figure, thus rewarding
the severest corsetting. The suitable dress is one that demands a
firm foundation, whether it is the prettiest item in the wardrobe or
the plainest servant's uniform worn for corrective domestic duties.
 
For venturing outside the house, gloves will usually be insisted upon,
and many will also be required to wear a hat. Shoes or boots must
have a heel rise of at least three inches. A handbag, always within
reach, will contain a handkerchief, hairpins, make-up, perfume and
anything else needed to ensure a 'ladylike' appearance in any
emergency.
 
Hair or fashion wig must be styled and kept in proper order throughout
the day by constant attention. Cosmetics and perfume, essential on
most occasions, will be dictated by the tastes of the master or
mistress.
 
The growth of superfluous hair plagues even the fairest of the weaker
sex, and can make life a misery for them in severe cases, It is most
important that hair under the arms, on the legs or any other part of
the body or face be removed as often as is necessary to keep its
growth a perfectly guarded secret
 
The rule for correct dress is that the weaker sex must suffer to be
beautiful. The merciless constriction of corsets, the oppression of
the mandatory underwear and the constant attention to every detail of
outer dress can be endured only under strictly imposed discipline.
The more so when the weaker sex are surrounded by the tempting and
carefree activities of the modern world. The temptation to change
into something cool or loose, even to let out the corset laces a tiny
bit will need the implacable authority of master or mistress if it is
to be resisted by a creature in whom strength of character is
traditionally lacking.
 
Escape will come at bedtime, when only a long nightdress and modesty
knickers will be worn. Even under the severest disciplines requiring
night bonnets, night stockings or extra items of sleeping underwear,
bedtime will bring its respite, so that a refreshed and demure subject
can emerge corsetted and cossetted in the morning. Though one reads
of young girls obliged by strict mothers or governesses to remain
laced in for sleep, this practice is not recommended. A liberty bodice
with sus-penders is the answer for night stockings.
 
 
 
 
ROUTINES OF CORSET DISCIPLINE
 
Masters and mistresses will differ in the severity of what they
consider becoming to the weaker sex, and a number of suggestions are,
therefore, put forward so that the weaker sex may have some idea of
what might be expected of them under a routine of corset discipline.
 
The standard of dress and comportment already described represents the
basic way of life for the weaker sex, and it will be modified to suit
the tastes and convenience of master or mistress, domestic, financial
and social circumstances.
 
A light regime requires rigid foundations and complementary underwear
on five days a week, tight lacing into a traditional corset on one day
a week and a firm elastic foundation with more decorative underwear on
one day a week. The weaker sex must always be laced in for at least
one full day each week; they must always wear vest, knickers and slip
and may never be without stockings. For ladies of the weaker sex
pantygirdles or corselettes and tights may be permissible on informal
days. Where very liberal discipline allows slacks, this must not be
an occasion for being uncorsetted or without proper underwear and
stockings.
 
A standard regime does not allow for elasticated foundations or any
but the most modest underwear. The subject is put into a traditional
corset on one or two days a week or perhaps once weekly and for one
whole week each month.
 
A strict regime is based on daily lacing-in, and a shorter traditional
corset would normally be worn. The long discipline corset is worn for
a day or two at regular intervals. Underwear will make fewer
concessions for weather and outer wear will be full length dresses and
skirts of a Victorian or Edwardian style. Comportment would be
restricted to the most demure. Sleepwear includes a liberty bodice
and night stockings, modesty knickers, nightdress and night bonnet.
 
Once a routine has become established, masters and mistresses will
seldom be faced with any serious problems of discipline. However,
while being trained to a suitable standard of decorum, the weaker sex
usually attempt to avoid conforming. Where strict standards are being
aimed at there may be the temptation to begin training on a lighter,
more liberal regime, but this can be a mistake. While there may have
to be some concessions to allow for the unfamiliar harshness of a
traditional corset, it is best to begin as you intend to continue. It
would be more reasonable to allow some relaxation after an acceptable
standard has been achieved, but by this time the weaker sex are
generally reluctant or afraid to abandon the protective restrictions
of dress and conduct.
 
Of the problems that arise in the earlier stages of decorum training,
resentment of corsetry and underclothing are the most frequent. Hot
weather in particular brings pleas to change into lighter garments and
even to leave essential items off. Concessions for hot weather should
be made only with caution and in order to avoid clothing being
inadequate when it becomes cooler. Foundations are never reduced to
allow for hot weather, and only petticoat, vest and knickers may be
changed from heavy botany to light botany or from light botany to silk
or cotton. Reduce underwear sparingly and only one garment at a time.
The weaker sex can be both stubborn and cunning, and supervision may
be called for if there has been the opportunity to slip off a vest or
roll stockings down.
 
A favourite occasion for rebellion is tight-lacing, and all but the
least spirited will attempt to loosen their stays if discovery can be
avoided. There will be pleas to moderate lacing-in or even to postpone
a tight-lacing day. Here too, concessions are a mistake.
 
Days for being laced into the traditional discipline corset must be
set in advance and adhered to without fail. Until they can be trusted
to do it for themselves, the weaker sex must be laced in by the master
or mistress, and the remainder of their dressing will also have to be
supervised. With the corset lace tied in a double bow at the back,
all the proper underwear and a dress that fits snugly at the waist and
fastens at the back, disobedient relaxation of lacing will be too
laborious to escape detection. Once compliance in these matters has
been established, the subject might be left to lace hers or himself
in, though results will always be better if the lace is pulled in from
the back by strong, determined hands. A favourite dress that is cut
or altered to fit only over a really well corsetted figure will prove
an incentive to accept tight-lacing with better grace. The rigid
corselette or corset and brassiere worn on other days must also be
properly fastened to control the figure and deportment.
 
It has been said that it is impossible to understand how a woman's
mind works. This is not true of all women of course, but it is true
of the whole weaker sex. Their attitude to being laced in is a case
in point. At first there is defiance, then rebellion, then sullen
acceptance; in the end they willingly lace themselves in, but still
with voiced complaints and sometimes tears. They always resent being
corsetted, yet eventually under strict guidance seem to welcome the
daily ordeal and day-long constriction so eagerly that one might even
have to suggest they loosen their stays when the inevitable headache
or faintness occurs. They loathe their corsets, yet fill their
cupboards with them; they are constantly in rebellion at the
restraints of bones and busks and lacings, yet would not venture more
than a few feet from their beds without them.
 
However, long and relentless training will be needed before this
inexplicable state is reached, and few of the weaker sex have the good
fortune of a master or mistress with the severity and determination to
establish lacing-in as an everyday habit. For the majority the period
corset will be worn, under tearful protest, for a reg-ulation day or
week or month at a time, to be joyfully discarded in favour of a rigid
foundat-ion that is less strict on the waistline. The important
feature in corset discipline is a regular, predetermined regime
enforced with unbending ruthlessness by master, mistress or
convention. The weaker sex may not simply decide to wear a milder
corset or fewer underclothes as they please.
 
 
 
 
CORRECTION OF FAULTS IN THE WEAKER SEX
 
The enforcement of corset discipline brings us, unhappily, to the
matter of punishment, and no master or mistress enjoys chastising the
weaker sex for their weakness. However, there will be rebellion and
disobedience, as we have seen, There will be evasions over corsets
and underwear and sleepwear, and excuses which must never be accepted.
 
It is as well to make the weaker sex write out the rules set down for
dress, conduct and duties, and a list of the punishments that the
various offences will earn. This reference will ensure that
chastisement is as implacable as the rules themselves, and the subject
will not have the excuse that she or he did not know the rules or the
penalties for disobeying them. Preparing these lists in a neat hand so
that they can be displayed in his or her room, will in itself be a
suitable undertaking for an afternoon.
 
Wherever possible the punishment should be made to fit the crime. A
loose hem or laddered stocking might earn some extra household
duties. Shortcomings in dress could attract extra days of being laced
in or confiscation of a favourite dress or denial of lighter
underwear in hot weather. Routine concessions such as lighter
corsetry can be withdrawn. Defiance or voiced complaints or answering
back are best dealt with by an exercise in subservience. Many masters
and mistresses keep a very severe maid's uniform in which the offender
has to wait at table or carry out tedious and menial chores. Used as
a disgrace in the presence of friends or neighbours, this is a most
effective punishment.
 
The value of an old-fashioned spanking should not be ignored. With
the offender held over one's knees, a good strong hand on the buttocks
is just painful enough to be remembered and just humiliating enough to
make bedtime an occasion for disgrace. However severe, a hand
spanking has an intimacy that keeps the door open for tears of
contrition and even pleasure. My practice is always to follow any
punishment, however long, with a spanking.
 
Sterner punishments can be inflicted on the body, but the infliction
of pain does carry its dangers. Even severe lacing-in could be
harmful, and blows other than on the bottom or backs of the thighs can
cause injury. The use of whips or leather straps in unskilled or
angry hands is equally hazardous. If the hand is not severe enough, a
flexible school cane will need only two or three strokes to start or
end the day on a very painful note and prevent sitting in comfort.
 
Although corset discipline is aimed at cultivating in the weaker sex
uniform and recognisable interests and preoccupations, each will have
his or her special likes and dislikes, enabling suitably distasteful
duties to be devised. As punishment is aimed at correcting faults, it
should always lie in the direction of the training and contribute to
the routine discipline. A temporary intensification of discipline may
often suffice to induce the dread, discomfort, humiliation, repentance
and shame that are the essence of punishment. Once a punishment has
been set, it must be carried out without fail and in full and at the
time prescribed.
 
 
 
 
CONJUGAL DUTIES OF THE WEAKER SEX
 
It is indelicate to discuss this subject at the best of times, and it
is certainly not one to be presented to the weaker sex either in
conversation or reading matter. Suffice to say that duty here is to
provide pleasure and not to experience it. Seeking to avoid this duty
must be met by severe measures. Seeking to gain pleasure, or
expressing pleasure, should it intrude is quite unseemly. The whole
way of life implicit in corset discipline is aimed at total compliance
in conjugal matters. Any pleasure must be in providing the
satisfaction that is the right of master or mistress. It will be
unwise to reward duty or console tears produced by this.
 
That each of us is born with the capacity for satisfying lusts is but
a challenge to damp those fires in the weaker sex, for whom such
excitement is both unseemly and dangerous. The experienced will be
able to avoid kindling these fires in the weaker sex by including in
conjugal duties features that test obedience and generosity. Pleasure
is incomplete that is not accorded in the wake of some dread, in the
experience of some distaste or discomfort and with an aftermath of
humility.
 
In returning to the strict values of a past age, we will be dealing
with a weaker sex that has been exposed to the excesses of modern
times, and the conjugal aspects of these values will be all the more
difficult to impose. Each will have special problems according to her
baser needs and experience. The discipline required in substituting
dutiful compliance for these lusts will provoke tears and pleas and
lapses, and will give rise to the need for a skillful blend of
patience and punishment. Establishing the acceptance of a corsetted
and demure lifestyle will be child's play compared to eradicating
unseemly conjugal demands and instincts.
 
 
 
 
PROBLEMS OF THE NEW WEAKER SEX
 
Up to now we have looked at the problem of instilling decorum into the
weaker sex in general. However, as has been suggested above, many of
the weaker sex were born into the male sex In a transitional period
when some women are finding their way in freedom and some men are
realising their limitations, a male mind and body make it especially
hard for the weaker sex to accept the discipline of dress and
behaviour that if fitting for them.
 
The learning of new skills and the shedding of old prejudices will
require all the more attention to the rules of training. For all those
times when the subject's residual 'masculinity' make it difficult to
comply, every persuasion will be needed to keep her on the right path.
If discipline is abandoned even for half a day the spell will be
broken and the progress towards perfection delayed. 
 
In the early stages of training it may be necessary to relax the
severity of dress for a short time: a lighter foundation, daintier
underwear or a pretty dress may tempt her back into acceptance. A
weakness for pretty things, never far beneath the surface, may be
exploited. The tight-lacing corset, which is an absolute must from
the outset, will meet with less resistance if the material is
attractive and the hems trimmed with a little lace. Make-up and
perfume may even have to be a little less discreet than will be
tolerated on the 'finished' girl.
 
To allow for these very temporary relaxations, the normal discipline
will have to be that little bit more severe. A once weekly lacing-in
must never be abandoned, and for daily wear a very well boned
foundation must be established as soon as possible. The subject will
achieve poise and bearing if she is occasionally laced into a long
Edwardian style corset that controls the carriage and step. In my
experience, one to ten weeks of daily tight lacing will be needed to
establish the graces that later training is built upon.
 
Modesty will be all the more important where the weaker sex are
encumbered with indecent features. Nakedness before others or even
before the mirror must be absolutely forbidden, and a thin garment
reaching from shoulders to knees should be worn when taking a bath.
These features in the weaker sex are an inconvenience and the sooner
they are forgotten the better. Until then, lust will remain a far
graver problem than it is in other members of the weaker sex.
Indiscretions will have to be watched for, punished and prevented.
Caning must follow immediately on discovery, and 'feminisation'
intensified. Constant supervision will be needed for a time, and
wrists may have to be taped to the bedposts at night.
 
What I call the male recruit to the weaker sex will sometimes be under
the discipline of a woman. Prejudice will make things difficult until
the supremacy of the mistress has been accepted. To understand that
one is merely a member of the weaker sex and that one's mistress is
exercising her rights as a member of the stronger sex is the basis of
discipline. It is the stronger sex, not necessarily men, that are of
the stuff that heroes are made from, and it is the weaker sex, not by
any means all of them women, that are the traditional slaves.
 
The wise master or mistress will show compassion when it is called
for, but will never allow it to be the occasion for relaxing the
routine of corset discipline or for moderating the punishments that
the weaker sex constantly court.
 
The final result of corset discipline will be a charming, decorative,
demure and compliant creature who will be a credit to her owner.