Patricia was 40 and she stood in front of her long mirror. She was a size 16, had two children, was not too careful about her family's lifestyle, did not exercise and her tummy hung down. She took hold of handfuls of her own flesh and skin and pulled it about, with disgust. For the first time in her adult life, she began to think again about controlling her figure by wearing firm foundations. After their wedding, 16 years earlier, her husband had undressed her on their first night as a married couple, and she had abandoned her girdle and stockings immediately. He had been happy with her figure then and there had been no question of foundations ever since. But now, she looked in the mirror and saw a woman who needed help for her own self esteem. She experienced a little worry over what her husband might say, since he had always been dismissive about overweight older women who tried to look like girls.
First, she went to Marks & Spencer since that was the store she remembered that sold underwear with some support, and then to a specialist underwear shop. To be honest, she was disappointed with the girdles and other clothes they had in stock. They gave her very little support. She wanted and needed something stronger to hold her in place. Most of the things they had were for slim young girls, not heavy mature women. In desperation, one day she put on everything she had bought up to that time. That was three brief pantie girdles, a roll-on open girdle and an all-in-one pantie corselette. The effect was very good on her figure and especially her tummy. She felt held in place for the first time. But she felt ridiculous in this concoction of underwear and most of the items were not so attractive anyway. She just didn't know what to do.
All this time, her husband had been saying typical male things such as, "Girdles are revolting" and "What a passion killer."
It was beginning to come between them. She wished to be more supported, shapely and exciting but he found her solution a real turn-off: just the opposite of what she had intended.
Two years later, just before her 42nd birthday, she stood again in front of the same mirror and came to the same conclusion as before. She renewed her search and saw an advert in The Lady for custom-made lingerie and corsetry. She thought perhaps they'd be nicer, more feminine. She sent off and got a brochure back within a day. The pictures did not give a very good idea of what the clothes were like but she decided to order something anyway. She measured herself and ordered a front zip open bottomed corselette with six suspenders. She ordered it one size too small, partly because she wanted to be sure that it would hold her firmly but also because she intended to lose weight. She was really a 40C but she ordered a 38C. It came on a Saturday morning and she dashed to the bedroom and put it on. It was very firm; more so than she expected. She struggled with the hooks and the zip. Then she struggled with the stockings and suspenders. The bra top was overflowing a bit but she did feel really well held. It had long narrow bones at the front and back, and the zip was reinforced, too. She stood there, contained and tight, feeling at her own figure, her waist and her hips. She felt like a new woman. Her excitement was growing.
She got dressed over it and went to the living room where her husband was getting ready to go out. She moved across to him and gave him one of her usual cuddles. He put his arms round her and squeezed a little. Then he went quiet and still for a few seconds. Then he squeezed again. Then he ran his hands up and down her sides and then round the back.
"What was it?" he asked.
"It's what you don't like" she replied.
