Eating, sitting and pooping are generally considered life skills and yet I spent a portion of today – Easter Sunday, one of the High Food Holidays, no less – unable to do any of the above. The problem started, as it often does with me, with a mystery package dropped on my doorstep by the invisible fairy-men from the land of Fed-Ex. (Seriously I never see those guys/girls – they ring my doorbell and run so fast it’s like my packages appear by magic. Maybe they heard of the day I had to chase two of my kids all the way down the block wearing nothing but a towel? Yeah, I’d run too. Anyhow.) Sweet reader G (love you, girl!) is a costumer in California and came across an old time-y girdle in the discard pile. Rather than see it go to the great vintage shop in the sky she packaged that baby up and sent it my way!
My squeals of excitement rivaled those of Kim Kardashian on her first wedding day. See, I’ve always wanted a girdle of my very own. Being a vintage aficionado I quickly learned that there are a lot of styles from the 40’s and 50’s that you simply can’t recreate without the same foundation garments they wore. I’ve tried every iteration of Spanx and Flexees and they just aren’t the same. Back then it was common to start a girl “girdle training” when she began puberty, often as early as 12, so that her young body would grow to conform to the shape dictated by the device. Which is how you got Rita Hayworth-esque women with their itty-bitty waists and ba-da-boom hips. (Yes, that’s the official term.) And they weren’t just for movie stars – girls considered their girdles to be every bit as necessary as (or even more so) than a brassiere.
You think the pattern makers are exaggerating the proportions? After trying on a ton of dresses from that era I can assure you they’re not. Modern-vintage dresses, like those from ModCloth or the Betty Page Store, are sized to accommodate a more natural waist while still creating a similar silhouette. But until you’ve tried on the real thing you have no idea how tiny women’s waists were then.
You may remember a long time ago when I wrote a post about Audrey Hepburn and how I always wanted her build, complete with totally unattainable 20-inch waist. (Note: Post is slightly triggering for eating disorders – sorry, I was in a bad place then.) That post is still the #1 most-read post on this site. I know. IT BOGGLES. If you want to drive yourself nuts go read the 150+ comments which devolved into an argument about whether or not the original It Girl had an undiagnosed eating disorder, had her growth stunted due to childhood starvation in Holland during World War II (apparently she ate tulip bulbs she was so hungry), or both. But if I’ve learned one thing from having to sort through all those comments it’s that a tiny waist is still something a lot of women think about and wish for. And with G’s gift I almost got my wish. See this?
The girdle took FIVE inches off my waist and while I didn’t quite reach the 20″ mark, it’s the closest I ever care to come in this lifetime. P.S. Yes these are my pajamas and yes I belted them. For you. You’re welcome.
For comparison purposes this is my natural waist:
Brag moment: I made my Easter dress this year from some vintage fabric salvaged from a nasty housecoat!
I almost think the first picture, with my exaggerated hip-to-waist ratio, looks kind of cartoon-y. My waist was smaller, yes, but nothing else was! So by comparison my hips and legs look gigantic. Now before we go into why people – yes both men and women now – use them and what the pros and cons are, we have to address the question that made us girls ditch them in the first place: Are corsets fun fantasies that make women feel sexy and feminine or tools of male oppression meant to keep women weak and hypoxic? Here’s my answer: Both, probably. A lot of women like them. Even modern women. And a lot hate them. I don’t get too worried about this argument however because frankly women do a lot of uncomfortable things in the name of beauty and unless you’re willing to condemn lipstick (hello, lead!), high heels (remember the cautionary tale of Sarah Jessica Parker?), aerosol hairsprays (who needs an ozone layer?) and the like then I don’t know if there’s much high ground to stand on. Besides, I’m not wearing a corset because of a man – my husband actually thinks they look kind of silly – I’m wearing one because I love old clothes! Which is, um, totally better! Or something.
But all of this is very boring and why-should-I-care if you’re not a vintage clothing nut(case) like I am. Except that girdles are making a huge comeback as – what else? – a weight-loss tool. Also called corsets, shapers, waist cinchers, Squeems (a popular brand name) and fajas, this age old undergarment is back in a big way. But do they work? The arguments in favor are many: that they reduce bloating, that they train muscles back to proper alignment, that they help fix poor posture, that they compress your stomach to the point where you simply can’t eat as much and that they help a woman get her shape back faster after pregnancy.
It was that last reason – post-partum recovery – that led me to buy my first girdle. And to this day I say that was one of the best things I ever did. File this under things no one tells you about pregnancy: your organs all squish into weird, wrong places and for some of us our ab muscles even separate (called a diastasis). This does not immediately right itself after the babe pops out. For centuries women have been wrapping their bellies with compression fabric to bring the muscles back together and put everything back into proper alignment. And I swear it works. I’ve had 5 babies and so 5 post-partum recoveries – of which I only used a belly wrap on the last one – makes me a pretty good test candidate I think. After Jelly Bean was born – literally, I mean like 3 hours after she was born – my Trinidadian nurse helped me wrap my belly with an elastic and velcro contraption called The Taut, sold for this purpose. As she showed me how to put it on (lay down flat on your back on the bed, take a deep breath in and then wrap), she told me how all the women in her country did this and how she was always stymied by Western women’s aversion to the practice. “You will love it, you will see!” she crooned. And as soon as I sat up, I did love it. I felt supported in all the right places! It didn’t feel constricting, it just felt like it was holding me in since my anatomy wasn’t able to do for itself at the moment. Not only did I feel great wearing it (I did the whole 24/7 for 6 weeks like they tell you to) but I swear I bounced back from my 5th child faster than I did my first.
This was me, four weeks after Jelly Bean was born. While I’m still clearly a huge nerd – the pose + the white socks + the hat =eeek, but my tummy’s pretty un-swollen! (Not wearing the belly wrap – you only take it off to workout and shower.) Yes, I was already back to the gym… recovering exercise addict, remember?
So it was with that excitement I again laid flat on my back and strapped myself into the girdle from G. The process took almost ten minutes during which I think I sprained my hand. But at last it was on! Glory be! And then I stood up. Fun times were over. This thing was a whole different animal than my belly wrap!
I personally love the nude color. It’s like if your shirt slips up you can just say “whoops! I had my stomach vertically stapled! It’s all the rage, darling! Give Dr. Lecter a call, he’s the best!”
The First Law of Fat Dynamics: When you squish the fat out of one location, it has to escape via another! This time it gave me a huge roll right over the top. Did you know your armpits can get muffin top? ‘Cause they can!
And then: I couldn’t breathe. And I mean I couldn’t breathe. I was taking little gasps like a goldfish out of water. I can totally see now why Scarlett O’Hara was a fainter! Although it might have been for the best since the girdle stinks like old rubber. My hands smell like a drag race.
And then: I couldn’t sit. This girdle was made out of 1/4″ thick rubber covered in nylon with two sets of hooks up the front. And it does not bend well. Sitting was like getting the Heimlich maneuver. From your underwear. When you’re not choking.
And then: I started belching. I’m not sure if it’s because I was still digesting my big Easter dinner (thank you Mom!!) or because my stomach was suddenly jacked up into the spot where my diaphragm normally resides but either way, I was Homer Simpson after a Pabst factory tour.
At this point Jelly Bean walked in, wrinkled her little nose, and said, “Mommy! You has the farts? Out you mouth?!” I wanted to laugh but I couldn’t.
And then: It started to hurt. And I mean hurt like I was doing myself some kind of structural damage hurt.
Everyone online said to start by wearing the girdle for an hour a day and then working up to a full day. I went into it with the intent of doing more than hour. I wanted to be able to tell you guys what wearing it for a whole day felt like! I took it off after five minutes. Ah, relief! I honestly don’t know how women did it. (Or do it.) That was a miserable burrito wrapped in a taco shell of pain and dipped in a vat of sweaty queso dip.
So… I can’t really tell you if my faja “worked.” I kind of like the idea in theory – mostly because I found it so helpful post-partum. But perhaps there isn’t a need for a girdle other than that? All I know is that I’m not wearing that thing again. (I’m sorry G! I’m still keeping it though. I’ll look fondly at it from time to time!) But perhaps I just had the wrong kind? When I brought it up with my friends, I was surprised at how many of them do actually wear some kind of girdle/waist cincher/corset thing on a regular basis. The most common reason I heard was that it helped them reduce bloating – especially that end-of-day weirdness where you start out your morning looking like a normal human being and end the day looking like you had an immaculate conception. And you’re now 5 months along. A couple of other friends said they felt it helped their posture or made their back pain go away. So while I don’t know that it would work well as a weight -loss aid (except perhaps that it squishes your tummy so much that food pops right back out after you swallow?), it does seem like it has some benefits.
Have any of you ever worn a corset, girdle, Squeem or the like? What was your experience? Would you recommend it?
I wore girdles when I was younger. They typically went from the waist down, giving a firm rear and holding up stockings. I never wore a corset, though there are times I’d like to. And that thing you’ve got on? An element of torture that will-yes merely push the fat elsewhere.
I tried my mother’s girdles a few times as a tween, but discovered pretty quickly that it was visible under today’s (well, 1970 something) clothing. I liked it for the “tight abs” feel it gave, but it was extremely uncomfortable, and made using the bathroom a 30 minute adventure. I never tried it again, especially after listening to my Mom talk about how much she hated girdles! Thanks, by the way, for the waist information from previous decades. I have a dress of my Mom’s, the perfect 50’s LBD, that I adore, but have only been able to wear once due to it’s unaturally tiny waist. I wore it to a wedding, and did something totally stupid-I ate dinner, and spent the rest of the reception in abject misery!
Lesson learned. Fashion=pain
Aw – now I want to see a pic of your mom’s dress! I wish I had some of my mom’s/grandma’s dresses!
I can’t imagine how wearing a compression-type garment prevents bloat. Anytime I’ve worn something snug and elasticy it GIVES me gas, a bellyache and a backache. I won’t do it!
Yes, well this one did give me “mouth farts” so perhaps it works the same for me;)
I’ve never tried a girdle – probably never will cause my hips already are big enough and I don’t want to make them look bigger.
I love your pictures, though!
Same here! Sure, I was given a small waist in life, but did it have to go with child-bearing hips? No babies for me anytime soon, but I actually think a bigger waist would make me more proportional..
I’m right with you ladies! I just keep reminding myself that all that hip/thigh fat is good for us (and makes smarter babies – when/if you eventually have them!)
I’ve worn lots of corsets while performing in period plays. (And let me tell ya, running onstage while wearing one is a good way to take out out an eye!) I have mixed feelings. Yes, it’s hard to breathe at first, but eventually you re-learn to breathe from your diaphragm, the way we’re meant to. And that’s a good thing. It’s also completely impossible to slouch while wearing one. But back in the day, women often had their internal organs rearranged, simply because they wore a corset every day for decades. It also, over time, WEAKENED the abdominal muscles (again, this is after years of daily wear). Those corsets were TIGHT!
My humble opinion? Wearing a girdle/corset every now and again as a supportive undergarment OR for those first few weeks post-natal is fine. Wearing it every day for years maybe should be avoided.
P.S., I LOVE your dress!!!!!!! (And your actual waist looks a lot better! 🙂 )
Ha! I actually thought of you when writing this post because I think you’ve talked about your corset-wearing days before. And good point distinguishing in wearing them for an occasion and wearing them all the time. Although… they’re so painful I would think that you’d have to wear them all the time just to get used to them? But, here’s teh important question: In all your corset wearing, do you think it actually made your natural waist smaller??
Hard to say. I wore them for a coue hours a day, a few weeks at a time. It was a but haphazard. But I was also in pretty good shape back then. I imagine my smaller waist came from my workouts, as I didn’t t wear a corset regularly.
I’m an apple. I can’t lie, the idea of a girdle sounds awesome (I’d love, for once, to actually have a waist!) However, I’m low tolerance for beauty pain, so I’ll probably just stick with my stretchy dresses to fit my weird body and maybe some spanx or control top tights to help smooth out what gets bigger with dinner! 🙂
Also, GORGEOUS!!!! Easter dress. You are my sewing inspiration, right now, I’m just happy I can make pillows! 🙂
Aw thanks! And pillows are super fun to sew – so many ways to be creative!
I’m wearing mine right now and makes me look and feel normal, it’s a high-waist 18-hour open bottom girdle by Playtex with suspenders attached to sheer 10 denier barely black nylons – they look and feel real good!
Everything feels good as it holds me up rigid and firm, my belly is really feeling good supported by the satinised front panel. My bum feels really good , there’s a lovely hugging feeling under there. I never feel my hips in a girdle at all, I think they’re gone immune to it.
The pressure all around actually feel great and the lift feels simply exquisite. Oh and as the lower hem is pulling in my thighs while lashed to the stockings with the suspenders my legs are pulled in all the time as I walk, but you get used to that.
It comes right up under my bra and it’s simply awesome to wear because of the overall blessed support. I just relax into it all, you’re best to let your body go with it.
You probably all know about the feeling of wearing tights, but I can assure you that stockings on suspenders feel a whole lot better to wear and live in all the time.
I think I’ve come to depend on my girdles, especially as I’ve put on weight after giving up smoking three years ago. When the girdle is off I often miss it and have a yearning to have it all on around me and supporting me again.
There’s nothing wrong with a good girdle. Oh and it feels and is very sexy indeed.
I have to sit up straight at the computer and going up steps and stairs can be an ordeal at times and forget about bending down, but for all of that it does help make me look normal and for that I’m grateful. And having both buttocks pressed tight together all the time is something every girdle wearer hates and has to get used to over time.
It does stay in the exact same place all the time, you can’t move around a millimetre in there, you have to stay put for hours, so you have to surrender to it all. And it’s hot in the summer. And I have to use scent all the time to overpower that Playtex rubber odour – though a man told me that that odour excites him and he likes to feel the ‘hardness’ of my bottom too:-)
You get used to it all, believe me, so much so that after a while you dpn’t think about it much at all and after a while you can actually forget you have it on, that happens for a time while I’m engrossed in something or talking to someone, it really does!
I can breathe perfectly , just the same as when it’s off, no difference at all. Oh and the high back is a blessing in support as well. I feel slim, trim and brimful of energy, I feel a bit privileged as a woman wearing a girdle and especially the nylons. Jeans will absolutely never compete.
Back in the day I used to feel sitting on my suspenders, I haven’t felt that in years, so you could call me a veteran of the girdle , I suppose. Even when it gives me pins and needles in my backside it feels good in there. All the compression comes to feel fabulous over time.
And the greatest moment of the day, the greatest feeling of relief you’ll ever have, is when it all comes off before climbing into bed in the night – it’s worth wearing all day just for that fabulous relief alone.
But I’m not up long in the morning when my body is pleading with me to put a girdle on again as I feel so good in there and my legs and feet feel so great back in the nylons again as well, all ready for what the day begins.
God it’s really tight in there, a girdle – the tightest thing in the universe. But the tightness becomes a firmness that you actually begin to like as you just sit into it and let the girdle take over. A huge tip for everybody at the start is that you must allow your belly to relax to the support of the front panel, then all else follows. Happy girdling:-)
You shouldn’t have to depend on a girdle just because you put on weight. They’re great shapers, but all that fat’s just gonna crowd up your organs. You’re making it even more crowded by wearing a girdle. If you lose breathe often, it’s the fat and not the girdle. In all seriousness, lose weight. I couldn’t care less about what shape your body is, so long as it’s healthy on the inside.
I know what you mean as far as getting the support from one because I use one every day, and feel a lot better. It does help you sit and stand better than if you don’t use one.If you have one that fits properly you don’t even know you have one on. I have used one for the past 40 years and feel like I’m not dressed with out one on.I also look better, and my clothes fit nicer sort of a smooth look no bumps.
Gilliane; I know exatly how you feel. Everything does really feel really good when well encased in a girdle. It is truly a very amazing feeling. The feeling of having your belly well supported is very addicting. After going through some girdle training with a professional corseitere there is not way I can go without daily being in a very firm boned zippered vintage style panty girdle.
People that choose not to daily wear a girdle are really missing out on some great benefits, you really do feel great all firmly supported and held in. It is really an amazing feeling.
Yeah, I like your natural waist way more. I think that the exaggerated silhouette looks a little silly. (Not you specifically! Just in general.) And if it’s that painful? So not worth it!
I can only imagine. I just had my latest wedding dress fitting and the top is practically a corset, crazy boning, etc. I think it’ll look great the day off but I have no idea how women did that normally.
Aw, I want to see a pic of you in your wedding dress SO BAD! I bet you’re a knockout! And I think every girl suffers a little bit for her wedding dress;)
There seems to be a big difference between American girdles and Hispanic fajas. I wear American style girdles all the time with my vintage clothing, but I cannot stand fajas!! Those things are hard core! I have one from Squeem and I’ve worn it twice- both times I couldn’t wait to take it off at the end of the day!
Ooh good to know! I didn’t realize there was a big difference. Can I ask what style of American girdle you wear under your vintage stuff? I currently have one from Rago but it’s just a waist cincher (although I do love it and it’s not uncomfortable at all) but I’d like a long-line one perhaps. Any recs would be appreciated!
Haha it’s all the rage..That line had me in stitches or should I say staples !
I’ve worn a girdle to get an even, smooth look under dresses before. It’s been a nice way to get the look I desire for a dressy evening, but I actually find myself less likely to do it now. I am a bit skinnier, but I also just recognize it is totally uncomfortable, it makes it that much harder to be tuned into my bodies cues of hunger/fullness, and it feels odd when my husband puts his hand on my back…and finds a girdle! I love your postpartum idea (may have to try this for baby #2), but otherwise I find less and less use for it as I learn to care more and more for other things (e.g., connection to myself, my body, my husband over having the perfect lines).
I am going to try a wrap after this baby. I never did it with #2 and I regret it. As far as girdles go, I have an eye and hook girdle that I will wear on very special occasions. It it sometimes nice to sit down and not have half your stomach bulge out over the top of your skirt/pants. It DOES make the fat ooze out elsewhere and so you have to be careful how you sit and what you wear with it. It’s a “sometimes” item for sure. Now, on the other hand, I have a pair of biker shorts looking things and I love them. They just hold you in enough to not jiggle and they give me a straight line in skirts.
I SO want a girdle / corset. Mostly for the fashion, like you said 😉
I have a corset. I made the mistake of dressing in full period garments for a Halloween party a couple years back, my poor husband had to literally cut me out of it halfway through the evening. As it turns out, Halloween drinking games and a corset do not mesh well. I was terribly uncomfortable and needed to be rescued just so I could use the loo.
I still love my corset, but now I’ll only use it for photo shoots, never again for real life.
I’ve worn a corset before, and I don’t mind it at all. It does make you breathe from your chest, rather than your stomach, so you take shallower breaths (hence the “heaving bosoms” thing from some old literature, where women just couldn’t breathe deeply). It does suck if you have to sit down, but it gives you posture like nobody’s business.
I haven’t spent all day in one, but I like it for short periods of time.
I wear a period bodice when I work Renaissance Faire, and I find it uncomfortable at first, but I get used to it.
My bodice was custom made for me, which makes a HUGE difference to how comfortable a garment will be. It’s thick twill, and steel boned all around–holds everything in, makes my waist about three inches smaller, and my tits look GREAT in it.
I like wearing corsets and bodice–they’re super sexy, and it’s nice to be able to sit without squishing.
…
That said, I wouldn’t wear a corset everyday–it’s more fun as occasional, dress-up wear.
How timely! I just posted on facebook how I wonder if low rise jeans revealed muffin top that i have always had but didn’t know because jeans back in the day were not low rise and kept it hidden. All day I have been considering buying some Spanx to smooth things out back there! I know a girl who loves vintage clothing and loves her custom made girdle. She looks fab when she’s all done up! Seems like a fun thing for once in a while!
My 6-month-old was 10 lb. 1 oz and my abs separated, but have just about come back together now. Oh, how I wish I had known that belly wraps help speed that up! I have 2 kids, don’t know if there will be more, but if there are, I’m going to be prepared!
I’ve never worn a corset, but I had one of those wraps post partum. Seriously the best thing ever! I had a c section and was up and down a lot as one of my babes was NICU and the other was with me. I started getting heaps of pain from the incision and I didn’t want to take painkillers. A nurse finally gave me one of those wraps day 5 and it provided so much relief. I wore a solid 6 weeks.
Have we changed shapes? Looking at my mom’s era vs mine we don’t seem to have the same shapes at all. She said she was a bride at 22 with a 22 inch waist….the last time I had a 22 inch waist was maybe 6th grade. I was always so much bigger in the waist she had to take out my J C Penney dresses at the waist. I blame it on my paternal grandmother, it’s in the genes. Does anyone out there have a defined waistline? 36-24-36 used to be the ideal numbers or not? What are they today? just curioius….
My girdle experience was a garter and or a garter/girdle which were the only hope
to hold up those nylons (that snagged and ran faster than a speeding bullet). I belonged to a Girls Group that required nylons at every meeting…so once a month I had to put it on Thank the Lord above for pantyhose being invented about junior high. Currently I haven’t worn them in years and maybe have some deep in the back of my drawer in case of an emergency. or to tie around my caulifower or broccoli plants in the garden.
I would think that extended use of a girdle or corset would cause weaker muscles because the garmet is doing the work not your core muscles. I can see that it might reduce bloating because it forces the air out by reducing the internal space hence your mouth farts.
I wore one after each child and got my shape back very quickly. I seem to get bladder infections when I try to wear a corset on a normal day. Don’t know if it is the cause, but it has happened twice so I stay away from them now.
I commented on Twitter that I love girdles (shapewear, waist cinchers, whatever you want to call them). I have two of the waist cincher type, and I would love more.
I wanted to add a couple of pieces of advice for those who like the look (especially in period-inspired clothing) but are struggling to find the right one:
1. First, get a waist cincher type, not a panty girdle. If you get a panty girdle, you have to take the whole thing down to go to the ladies’ room. The waist cinchers are open at top and bottom, and you wear your own bra and panties. Bathroom activities are no problem.
2. I have both a Rago and a Squeem. The Rago, which is my favorite, creates a true wasp waist and flat front, at the expense of allowing curve at hips and bust. It is super comfortable, and my black one is sexy as heck with a set of black undies. The Squeem, on the other hand, is more tubular in shape. It holds everything in from bra band to upper hip, so it creates a tighter but more natural silhouette. It is a firmer hold than the Rago, and it is not super attractive on its own, even though I got a pretty pink pattern. However, it creates a shape that is more appropriate for modern clothing.
Hope this helps some of your readers!
Maybe it’s a weight loss aid because you can’t eat you’re in that much pain 😉 I like the idea of something after giving birth but not day to day. I’d probably stick to shapewear instead ha
First a girdle was back during the 40ties, 50ties, and 60ties a “A Womens Best Kept Secret”. Young girls at 12, 13, 14 couldn’t wait to be fitted and to daily wear a girdle, it was considered a right of passage into being a adult.
Girdles and corsets have received very bad pr, they are not really uncomfortable, actually quite the opposite. There are some real serious health benefits for daily wearing a girdle.
The key to wearing a girdle is to first try and locate a professional corsetier who can help and give you some consulting plus measure and fit you in the right kind of girdle for your life style. The right kind of make and model girdle has a lot to do with your life style and how active you are.
The other key is to measure your hips and waist, it is always best to wear a girdle about 2 sizes smaller, keep in mind girdles stretch and going too loose will not give you the needed tummy control and support.
Then it also takes learning to put on a girdle, there is a right way and a wrong way. The right way is to lay down on your bed, lean yourself way back, pull up your leg and knees, then pul up your girdle, if you have hooks and eyes and a zipppered girdle which is recommended hook the hooks and eyes up and pull up the zipper then stand up. You will be amazed how great you will feel all held in and supported.
The other part is to keep your belly muscle wel relaxed while girdle, let the girdle just hold and support your belly not you. If you have never worn a girdle it takes some getting use to keeping your belly always relaxed, but trust me it is quite beneficial and I noticed a dramatic increase in energy an confidence.
You need to also develop a daily routine when becoming use to daily wearing a girdle. Wake up each and every morning clean up put on your girdle and go on with your day. Keep
in mind wearing a girdle is not just for getting all dressed up and going out to work school or social, but a girdle should be worn even when you are in shorts or sweats and just relaxing around the house.
Another important part, and I realize a decent girdle can be fairly expensive, but they are well worth it, if you can budget 3 girdles minimum – the reason you should be able to hand wash one in cold water and air dry the girdle, You have another girdle in your girdle draw and the third girdle you wear. You should be able to rotate girdles every 3 days. Eventually once you become completly use to wearing a girdle most likely you will purchase many more girdles.
Keep in mind when you first put on a girdle it takes some getting use to, it is very much like breaking in a brand new pair of shoes, give wearing a girdle a chance and keep a very open positive mind set about wearing girdles. To become use to wearing a girdle everyday can take a few days to even a few weeks. In some rare cases there are people who put on a girdle and become completly use to wearing one and love it from the start.
If you have never worn a girdle it is depending on yourself is to go slow and purchase at first a lighter girdle with just very moderate support and control. Over a short period of time you will find that you will prefer to be in a much more firm boned and zippered girdle. Some of you might not mind to jump in right away and go right into a very firm boned zippered girdle like Rago 6210, Custom Maid 299, or Grenier 1557.
There is a website you can go to you might find helpful for questions support and comments concerning girdles and corsets: http://www.voy.com/224381/
If you have any questions and would like to have help in locating a professional corsetier you can email me at toms_03231@yahoo.com
I wear a fully boned victorian corset when I dress up once a month as a volunteer at an historical village and I love it. I can stand all day and not a tweek in my back and it makes me act like a lady as you can do no other! I would wear it as a modern undergarment if the clothes were different and it wouldn’t show. Love them. (No tight lacing though as that is unhealthy but still takes at least 2inches off my waist)
My partner wears the Playtex 18-hour model girdles all the time and they give her the same nice figure that your corset gives you in the pictures here, but with lovely support and holding her bottom up too.
And the way the girdle grabs her belly and bottom and all and holds her up is the height of comfort, she tells me, so much so she couldn’t do without wearing a girdle now.
I think it’s all in the mind, once you accept you have to wear a girdle for to look nice then it comes real easy, it’s just a way of life as the girdle becomes part of you, just like her.
And the nylon stockings are the icing on the cake.
I love the look, the suspenders etc are very sexy on her, I think all women should dress like that too.
Yea, these garments are making a huge comeback. I personally own several different types to prevent muffin top. Personally I agree with you about “old” clothes. I think the manufacturers today forgot that we have a waist line 4 inches above the current tops of jeans. More women need to embrace this girdle concept. I cant stand seeing large wads of stretched marked blobs hanging in my face when they lift groceries or kids out of carts! Yuck lady, get some spanx!
I love the way I can let my belly relax against the girdle front panel, and the way it holds my bottom up behind. I feel really slim, trim and brimful of energy in a girdle. And I prefer to wear stockings held up by suspenders ( garters) rather than tights all up around me, yuk!
Yes, I like the Playtex for everyday, but something more flattening for special occasions, girdles with back panels and bones back and front. I always wear a longline bra, usually boned, for those occasions too.
The nylon stockings are the icing on the cake:-)))
Gilliane – Your advise is great letting your belly relax against the girdle front panel. It takes a little getting use to but over a short period of time my belly now relies completely on a girdle for support and holds me in. I found when I was able to relax and let the girdle hold me up I agree you really do have much more energy and you feel fantastic, I was pleasantly surprised. I have also learned recently that there are some serious health advantages to daily wearing a girdle, it has to do with the fact that as humans we stand erect and that gravity has a negative effect on our internal organs and muscles, that wearing a decent firm boned girdle everyday counteracts these negatives effects on our bodies.
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I wear waist training corsets – the heavy duty, steel-boned babies – 23 hours a day 7 days a week, and only take it off for bathing. It seems very extreme, but it’s a hobby I suppose and isn’t doing anyone the least bit of harm, including me! I’ve been wearing corsets like this for 2 years and a few months now, and I had a natural 25″ waist which is now 20″ naturally and 16″ in a corset. I was lucky enough to be born extremely hourglass, with a 10″+ bust/hips to waist measurements. I experienced gasinnes and shortness of breath also, but this can be managed with regular usage and it becomes much easier (trust me, I sleep in the damn things!) I also found myself losing a shed of weight because, like you said, you simply can’t eat a lot. I eat 5 small meals a day rather than 3 main meals, so that works for me. Tightlacing as I do it certainly isn’t for everyone! But it works, as any Victorian era lady will tell you :’)
(Got here through searching about information for going to the bathroom in a girdle!)
I didn’t read all the comments, so I’m sorry if I repeat anything you already heard last year …
First of all, I would definitely make a distinction between the garment you’re wearing and a girdle. I don’t know anything about fajas, but what you’re wearing I would call a corset. Basically, girdles don’t form an hourglass shape – they’re strictly below the waist. So please don’t take your experience as typical of girdles or the new shapewear trend as a whole.
I’d also disagree that corsets were *ever* about men keeping women weak and hypoxic – mainly because men have always been the strongest detractors of corsetry! Just as today we have a trend of men claiming they prefer women without makeup, “don’t you realize you’re beautiful without it?”, etc. while still finding glamorous women in less-blatant makeup beautiful, Victorian (and earlier) men talked loudly about how corsets were deforming and artificial and gross while still finding small waists attractive. While “looking good for men” was a part of it and men gave positive reinforcement by responding to it, for the most part it was like wearing a bra today: something you just did because that’s what you do. Plus it made non-stretchy clothes fit better.
If someone is in pain while wearing a corset – especially if they’re working for an historic site/are in the theatre, and wearing a cheap one made to a pattern size or for someone else – the corset doesn’t fit. It’s not hourglassy enough, most likely, because it’s not well understood that it’s more comfortable to wear a corset that’s curvier than you are than the opposite. Your five inch reduction is actually quite a lot for someone to go for without working up to it! If you can’t sit or laugh in your shapewear, there is something wrong with it – it’s not meant to be that way.
There is a difference between a girdle and a corset. A corset will pull your stomach in and flatten your stomach, a corset will help mold and shape your figure. A girdle will not pull your stomach in a girdle will hold and support your figure. You want to use a corset to help mold and shape your figure, this can take quite a few weeks to even a year. IMPORTANT: When out of a corset you need to make sure you are in a decent firm boned girdle to help hold your figure. It is best to try and locate a Professional Corsetiere that can help you. Keep in mind that a well fitted corset and girdle are actually very comfortable. The key to getting use to and benefit from decent foundation wear once you are fitted and your corsetiere gives you some helpful advise it is best to keep relaxed just rely completely on your corset or eventually your girdle for support in your stomach muscles sitting, standing, and just getting around. It also takes developing a routine habit, wake up each and every morning clean up and put on either your girdle or your corset. Again it is best to start with a corset to help mold and shape your figure the way you want your figure, then wear a girdle to help hold your figure in place. Keep in mind that there are some serious health benefits to both a girdle and a corset. The health benefits have to do with the fact that we as humans stand erect and that no matter what we do with exercise sit ups push ups etc that gravity over a period of time has a very negative effect on your bodies and our internal organs, a decent corset and a firm boned girdle will for sure counteract this negative effect and support and hold your internal organs in their normal natural position. You do have to give wearing a corset or a girdle or both a chance to benefit and become comfortable for everyday wear, it can take a few months, but the benefits are sure there without question.
Love to hear your comments and your progress you can go to http://www.voy.com/224381/
Plus there is a girdle chat room: http://www.chathour.com/chatroom/Girdle_Chat
See you there
I wore all-rubber ‘roll-on’ girdles from the time I left school in the mid 50’s until they became unobtainable ten or so years later. I just wish they would come back into fashion. I get a lot of back pain without using a supporting garment and I’ve found nothing which has been as good as these were for practicality (rinse and pat dry with towel, 2 mins) and comfort (after you get used to the initially strange ‘glued-in’ feeling of the rubber against your skin).
Rowena;
Trust me I have a very similar problem with lower back pain and very poor posture when I wake up and get out of bed. I found as soon as clean up and put on a decent vintage firm boned girdle I then feel so much better.
You can find a decent girdle here are some Rago 6201: http://www.secretsinlace.com/product/Rago-6201/Rago_Shapette
Rago 6210: http://www.herroom.com/rago-6210-high-waist-half-leg-shaper-with-zipper.shtml?utm_source=adv&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=pla&utm_content=Rago01-6210&kwid=productads-plaid^94925933469-sku^1347502-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^51976137549
Custom Maid: http://www.peachtreelingerie.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=28
Grenier 1557: http://www.biggerbras.com/grenier-cotton-microfiber-bras-girdles/grenier-full-support-high-waist-panty-girdle-1557-grr-1557.shtml
These 3 girdles are fantastic they will give your stomach and back needed support.
Greetings. I enjoyed reading your experience with girdles. They have been a part of my wardrobe for over 10 years. I have found it very helpful with keeping you ambulating properly, encouraging you to eat Less, offering you great posture and overall defying gravity as over time, our physique inclines in a downward position. The key to an enjoying girdle wearing experience is the right mindset, and proper measurement. Go to Nordstoms for a proper measurement. It is also key to invest in a long brassiere. Perky days are here again (smile). Did you know that proper foundation also helps extend the lifetime of your wardrobe??
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Hey Charlotte,
I’m pretty late in the game and I’m not sure if you already answered but what corset do yo have on in the Hannibal Lector stomach staple picture? I’ d like to purchase one.
dose any one know were you can get some of these old time girdles or one close to them?
Just google for girdle or go to the website of Rago directly. A nice website is secretsinlace. There you find a lot of different girdles and more.
But if you have no experience with a girdle so far, best would be to find a shop where you get a proper fitting. A girdle needs to fit to wear it the whole day and feeling comfortable.
And let´s be honest. Wearing a girdle that takes away 5 inches is far too much. Such a girdle can not be worn comfortably. If you wear a girdle that fits, whether it is an obg or pantygirdle does not matter, it gives support and you feel good wearing it. Of course it may take a few days to get accustomed to it.Having mastered this phase you will like your girdle. After almost 20 years experience with girdles I do not want to go without one again.
Thanks Klaus that helped a lot and I found the kind I was looking for.
Thank you for your comment Richelle. What kind of girdle did you buy? And is your experience wearing it what you expected?
First it was worth it because the results are just what I expected, and still use it to this day. The type is a long leg high waist girdle with extra support panels in the front and back. It is put out by Hanes and is light in weight, and you don’t get hot with it on during these hot days.
Thank you Charlotte the information you gave in this blog was a grate help,you seem to be very comfortable using the different types of girdles. Is there any one you prefer over the others? and any special reason?
I think the waist trainer is a must have for your colection and a good choice.
Hello i am a man and also wear Girdles and Corsellettes and stockings ,i have been prescribed support stockings and the only way to keep them up is by wearing suspenders , i a six strap high waisted Girdle and 2 corsellettes with 6 suspenders , i find the six suspenders hold my stockings in place better than 4 starps. they are both 2 sizes too small with very firm panels , now i have got used to wearing them i would not be without them , makes me stand up straight and sit up straight , get a bit hot and sweaty at times because i have to wear rubber pants underneath.
After hurting my lower back again I find my self in a girdle almost 24/7 and it helps with the pain a lot. It also helps with the stomach by holding it in some and helps that way. A couple of people found out that I was using one and gave me a hard time till they noticed that I was walking around better and did not hurt like I did before, now nothing is said, but go for it if it works good.
I also look a lot better than I did before clothes fit right and no bumps showing girdles good things they are.
I found that there are other good things girdles do for you and you are right about them easing pain. Men and women should be able to enjoy the same things and not feel bad about it.
Richelle, I have been wearing girdles for almost 2 decades. Nothing wrong if a man decides to wear a girdle. I love the support of my girdle especially during long hours at the desk or in the car. I started with hwllpg but switched to obg because I find it easier to wear under my suit. Of course I have to wear stockings with it to hold it in place. But I really like the feeling of the fine stockings on my legs. Maybe some find this weird but I no longer care. I experienced the benefits of being girdled and can only recommend it.
A good girdle with a pair of support hose will do the trick if you are sitting for a long time or on your feet all day, it will help your lower back and legs. I know how you feel sometimes, and like I say a good girdle will help take care of those discomforts.
Richelle, you are right with your advice for support hose. But I am beyound that. I have been wearing girdles for such a long time that I need a girdle. I simply feel well and not properly dressed without one.
I wear different styles. HWPG with pantyhose, OBG with stockings and sometimes a corselette. From my experience I can say that girdle wearing has a physical as well as a psychological issue. A girdle gives support and helps with my back. But there is more. Girdled I feel more energized and stronger. My whole posture is much better. The girdle is part of my feeling well.
When I see other people often women I think how much they would benefit from wearing a girdle.
Hey, I am looking into shape-ware, I have spinal stenosis in my lower back in two separate places so I am looking to surgery in the near future, So am trying very hard to un-slouch and find a good back support shape-ware. Your article was very eye opening. But I think I am still going to look for one that fits my needs. I am so glad you got to wear it for a little while. I think it was too small, the rubber probably was not very elastic and the fact it split you in two. But I think modern shape ware can give the same smoothness without trying to kill you. 🙂 do give me any tips, I am just starting to try to pull myself out of my slump and fully embrace 1930-1950 fashion and makeup and the general lifestyle as it would let me dress nicely even at home, (I have agoraphobia so I don’t leave my home much), so I can feel feminine and pretty.
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Try a highwaisted pantygirdle like Rago or Rago 21 waistcincher. Very good back support. Much better than socalled modern shapewear.
I wear a goog old girdle every day. Love the feeling.
Do you still wear a girdle, Deb? I do, usually a Playtex 18-hour high waisted girdle with suspenders for my nylons.I couldn’t go without all the support .In my case it takes two inches off.
Like you, Rowena, I’m a veteran girdle wearer too. I need the support and comfort more and more at time goes by.I get mine from eBay mostly today and have several. I buy the stockings locally at Penneys , usually hold ups that I attach to my girdle’s suspenders (garders) so as to anchor it. I grew to like that “glued-in” feeling a long time ago, and I’m grateful for the support today. I’m so glad I trained in when young ( 13 years old)
It only takes about six weeks daily wear to get used to a girdle, so I think you should give it a decent try , because after that you will start to get to like it and have good support and a lovely figure ever after.
Think positive , look in the mirror at what it does for you, feel it support your belly , flatten in your bottom and thighs and rub your hands around your lovely new figure in there.
That way it tyakes no time at all until it makes you feel very very good in yourself.
I probably breathe better in my girdle as my stomach wall has something to push against and that helps breathing! And I always feel very healthy in my girdles. They give me great support and hold me up well giving me lovely posture and grace while they slim me, I feel slim, trim and brimful of energy always. They make me feel and look real pretty.
I’m wearing girdles for years and I have never experienced what you think, Rose…just comfort, being firmly held up and flattened – and I actually have grown to like that. Love my girdled figure to bits.
Gilliane, you are not alone. Like you I was wearing girdles for the most part of my adult life. Feeling the tightness of the girdle I feel supported and energized. After all these years I cannot imagine to go without a girdle again.
Which styles do you wear? Do you have a preferred brand?