Granger 18
- This article is a Biography
- Chapter 18 - Thirteen inches, at last!
We had some quotations from a who lived then in Brighton. She was a very interesting character, very outspoken, which I admire; what is more she herself boasted that she could and did wear 13 inch corsets and 7 inch heels. She had published a number of interesting booklets on corsets, which I purchased from her. One gave the History of the Corset up to the beginning of the Straight Front Era while the second one carried on the history from the beginning of the century through the various Straight Front Styles. There was one book that contained her experiences with photos to prove it, while being laced into 13 inch corsets. In another she was pictured wearing a 13 inch steel corset cover, as worn during the period of Catherine de Medici. I really would have liked to have met her, as it would have given a great incentive to Ethel to continue with her training. Twice we tried; once when she was at Brighton and later, after she had moved to Hillhead; but each time, as we had not advised her, she was away from home, though we did meet one of her models. She quoted a reasonable price for her corsets and sent us some samples of materials, so we sent in measurements, ordering a pair in black satin.
They were to be made fairly long with a lacing below the front busks. This pair was to be made with a 14½ inch waist. When they duly arrived, we tried them on Ethel, and they fitted so well that she was soon urging me on to lace them close, and within a very short time she was able to wear them tightly laced from top to bottom all night too. She was back on the progress line again. They had enough room above and below the waist, so were a great improvement on Lenton's model and proved that the 14½ inches, which he said was impossible, could easily be accomplished with the right corsets.
With the severe straight front she had a delightful oval shaped waist, well rounded hips and an excellent posterior, which accentuated her wonderful figure. These corsets were well cut and designed by some one who knew the business from practical experience. With more room above and below the waist the lacing in was more easily accomplished and without too much pain. They were, considering the size of the waist, quite comfortable when she had them laced to. Both of us got a great erotic thrill from these corsets. She from the sense of accomplishment and myself from the sight and feel of such a divine wasp waisted figure beside me.
Having got her back once more to a 14½ inch waist, soon they were easy to wear and her waist was soft enough for me to press in at they sides, so that was an indication that it was time for further reductions. So the next pair we ordered was only 14 inches, and no nonsense was to be had. They came within 10 days, lovely things in black satin, lined with white coutil, fairly long but with no underbelt and with hooks to bring them together under the busks. The usual stiff steel blade was put in behind the busks. Into these beautiful instruments of torture I laced Ethel without mercy. I had read Mme Kayne's experiences of a 13 inch waist and that it was one the standards set by Catherine de Medici, so that was the target I had set for Ethel to get down to, as I had told her repeatedly. When she had them around her body I got her onto her knees beneath me and commenced to work the lacing up and down to the waist loops which gradually grew longer. At last I took the waist loops in my hands, put my foot into her back, and pulled with all my might, almost lifting her body as I did so. Really it was not too difficult, for she went in comparatively easily. The edges were closing up, then with one final heave, with the laces crossed over and the edges were closed from top to bottom.
Below was a vision of a beautifully incurved figure encased in black satin. The laces were tied tightly, and also the short length at the waist. Then I assisted her to her feet in her 5½ inch heels, where she stood swaying helplessly in a semi-fainting condition before me. I could clasp my hands with ease round that slender thread-like waist connecting the enormous hips and her overhanging bust. Even when her skirt was put on and laced tight, I could still clasp her waist between my hands. She was now smaller than ever before. Her waist was an oval, appearing smaller from the back or front, where she was no more than 4 inches from side to side, and while she was rigid from the side view, from the front or back, she swayed from side to side as she walked, despite her efforts to prevent that happening.
It would be untrue to say that all this was accomplished and maintained without any trouble. Although the lacing in had grown upon Ethel so she now never hope to live comfortably without the support and compression of the long stiff corsets, still in a truly feminine way, she would frequently try to rebel, and when doing so, to loosen her laces a little, when she was alone, and as she said, her sides got sore. Though the soreness was real, I did not see why we should keep losing ground catering to her whims. Before going out I would inspect the lacing. Mostly they were untouched, but there were others when I discovered them open an inch and then, right away, I insisted on pulling them in without mercy until they were closed; her waist band and belt was also pulled to the limit so that she often went out afterwards on the point of fainting. Yet she never did really go off, although once or twice we had to loosen them a little.
Mrs Kayne wrote to say that I should have no nonsense with Ethel. She said she had many customers on her books who would go green with envy over Ethel's figure, and would suffer anything to get one like it. She told us to treat the sore places with surgical spirits, which we did and this provided relief. Then we put on plenty of talcum powder covered by pads of cotton wool. Eventually the soreness was overcome and she could wear the corsets quite easily. We now found that Ethel could take off the corsets and replace them, with my assistance, WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF TAMPERING WITH THE LACES IN ANY WAY. I would pull the lower ends of the busks together until I could clasp the second lowest stud on the hasps. Then while she pulled the tops together, I pressed in at the waist until the middle fastening was home, after which the top two and the bottom one were easy. This has been our method for many years.
When I told Mrs Kayne about this she said that Ethel should always be laced to the limit; that so she should be made to wear 13 inch corsets for regular wear and another pair of 12 inch corsets for special occasions and that she might even get smaller still. She also said that if we wanted to get Ethel really small, we should find it easier with short hipped models, which would restrict the waist only, as they would then allow the derriere to escape confinement. In any case, the bigger the hips, the smaller the waist would look by contrast.
I should say here that there are many ways of inserting the corset laces, and we had our favourite method, which was not usual for when they came laced, we usually had to unlace them. The usual method is to start at the top, with the middle of the laces. Then the laces are threaded down into the top lace holes, brought over and up so they cross and then down through the next pair of lace holes and so on, so that half of the lacing between each lace hole is under and the second half over the corset. This only gives half the lacing to get a grip when pulling in. Our method was as before at the top, but then cross the laces over and bring them up, cross them again and then down into the next pair of holes, cross over again and up once more to the bottom. This gives a cross of laces on the top alternate holes and so one has a complete loop to grip and pull. Also when the waist is reached, the next holes are missed and then put down on the same side, leaving a loop at the waist, after which it is brought down to the open hole brought up and the cross over lacing continued to the bottom. Thus at the waist a loop is left on each side to pull and the laces cross over underneath above and below this loop to avoid a gap there in the lacing pressure. This arrangement makes it much easier to lace or to loosen the corsets than the first.
After Mrs Kayne's advice, I did therefore order a short hipped pair in pale green satin, lined red with coutil. They were about the same length as the first successful pair made by Mme Lorette, although perhaps not cut quite the same lines or pattern. They had a 13½ inch front length, with the usual heavy steal plate down the front and the waist at the tape measured a dainty waist size of exactly 13 inches. When they arrived I threaded the laces and the short piece at the waist as was our custom now. Then I put them round a full sized pillow and pulled the laces until they were closed to show off the miniature doll -like waistline, so I could appreciate what a 13 inch waist would look like. It seemed fantastically small. When I took them off the pillow and held the corset aloft, it seemed impossible that they could ever be made to meet round any human body, the length of the distance at the waist looked so small that I had my doubts whether they could be made to lace in, even round a body as slender as Ethel's.
I well remember that we were on holiday, living under the looming threat of war clouds at the time. The corsets were forwarded to us there and it was there that I first fitted them on Ethel. Despite the rumours of war, we had been enjoying ourselves As Ethel had no work to do it was much easier for her to achieve complete relaxation, which makes tight lacing so much easier. Also, after all this period of tightlacing so mercilessly applied to her waist, it had become exceedingly tractable, subdued by the restrictions and artificial support of the stiff corsets. Furthermore she had now experienced the utmost limits, the thrills coming from the intense compression, the stiffness and support they gave, that can elevate one into ecstasy, despite the pain that may come and usually is a necessary part of the tight lacing. So much so that she had became addicted to it as a necessity for her way of life.
Having loosened the laces, I fastened the busks and gave her time to "wriggle" her body inside them into the correct position for easy lacing, we adjusted the suspenders to the correct length. This is a very important step, for by doing they pull the corsets down on to the hips and prevent them riding up. She was wearing her pair of 5½ inch heels, and this too is important, for the wearing of high heels helps to poise the body into the best position for the straight front style. It tends to tip the bust forward and the derriere backwards and in so doing arches the spine into the required deep curve at the back. High heels are a must with tightlacing, for they help each other, much more than the uninitiated can realise until they have practical experience with both.
She turned her back to me, ready for the lacing to begin, showing a space of about 3 inches. I asked her how they felt, and she replied, "Well at present, very comfortably loose, and I feel I must have them pulled in until they grip me as tightly as possible. Begin the lacing in right away please. I am ready to begin."
The 3 inch gap at the back at the back was now rapidly reduced to a gap of under 2 inches. Strong firm pulls on the laces from below, then down from the top and lastly a pull to both laces, crossed over at the waist, rapidly drew the edges closer and closer as the lacing continued to be eased up from the bottom and down from the top, when another pull brought the edges together until no more than an inch of space remained. She was now only 14 inches.
Ethel was now right in the spirit of things and was feeling the thrilling sensations that come with such intense compression. Her breath was coming in little panting gasps and it looked as if she was squeezing out at the top and also her hips were oozing out at the bottom into wonderful curves below the corsets. Her waist swayed alarmingly on its tiny wasp-like connection, but more was to come. "Pull me tighter and tighter, Darling please do. Pull as hard as you can; for it is giving me the most wonderful sensations that I can hardly describe to you. As though my upper half is floating on a cloud and my feet are only just touching the ground. So don't stop; what ever you do. Pull me in harder yet! PULL! DON'T STOP!"
So I pulled harder, and a little more of the lacing ran through the eyelet holes and the waist went a little smaller, but every inch now became more difficult as the compression built up. "PULL! PULL!! PULL!!!" she panted. "You are cutting me into two but the feeling is divine. GO ON. Pull harder. I want them as hard and as tight as you can get them." We paused for a few moments rest but she was soon urging me on again.
Finally she lay down on the bed and I knelt above her, crossing the laces over, straining as hard as I could, until I thought the laces would break under the strain. The laces slipped through, little by little, so that I gained a small fraction every time she exhaled her breath, and all this time her cry was, "Pull! Darling! Harder if you can. I can feel myself being squeezed like a tube of paste and it is ecstasy to be so tight. Are they nearly closed?"
But with less than ½ inch to go, with that small gap, I was at last forced to admit that I could get no more through. I wished that I had that training belt there to assist me to get the last fraction through. She was now under 13½ inches at the waist. I tied both laces at the waist so that they would not slip open. She was nearly faint ┬¡ing, but now in a state of supreme ecstasy as I gently lifted her to her feet. She clasped the tiny circumference of her waist between her own tiny tightly gloved hands, but without my support she would have fallen, then with a few tottering stops she moved in front of the mirror to observe her figure, pivoting slowly and helplessly on her heels to survey the result.
She murmured a sigh of disappointment when she discovered the small gap that still remained at the back, although I assured her that with all my strength I was unable to conquer it at the moment. Her waist was literally as hard as solid wood, quite unyielding to the touch. I clasped my hands around this tiny stem, pressing hot, passionate kisses upon her responsive lips. As she walked towards me, her body swayed alarmingly at the waist, which was now less than 4 inches from side to side, smaller than her neck. It looked as if she might snap in two at any moment of each swaying moment.
She put her arms around my neck, and I lifted her from the floor, and as she now hung from my neck, her feet were now clear of the floor, freely swinging back and forth. This helped to lift her upper body out of the vice like grip of her corsets to relieve some of the pressure to which her middle part was subjected. She murmured, "Do you love your little wasp waisted wife now?" And when I said, "More than I can ever say." she replied, "Take me and love me then." So I carried her on to the bed and gave her the token of my love she desired.
Her little green satin corseted waist was absolutely divine. I had never seen one so small and to prove it my hands met, with inches to spare, around the slender thread-like circumference of her middle body. As she essayed to walk around the room, her body swayed from side to side in a most fascinating way, and she said that she was sure that it was only the heavy boning that prevented her upper part from collapsing and breaking away from the lower half. Within half an hour she begged to be released a little from the inexorable ruthless grip of this little green satin vice, for she said she had now lost all feeling below the waist and was now quite numb, although the returning circulation would bring an attack of pins and needles with it, which she did not welcome.
I did slacken the laces by half an inch it the waist, then eased the longer lace up and down to bring the bones flat, for this had been a terrific reduction to make at one go, but she was still smaller than before with a waist of only 14 inches. After breakfast, we went out for the rest of the day, laced up to this tiny size and anyone observant enough, or interested, could have guessed from what they could see from her walk, with its sway from the waist, and how my arm went so deeply into her sides, that here was a living wasp-waisted woman beyond compare. She wore them all day without complaint so when in the evening, we were getting ready to go out, I asked to lace them in again, she was quite willing. Her dress was off and she turned her back to me, urging me, as before, to pull in as hard as possible.
Maybe the days compression had done its work, for we got back to 13½ inches quite easily and an it was only the last half inch that had defeated us before that offered any real resistance. I let her settle down at that size for a time, while she walked around, putting on her make -up and black shoulder length gloves of lovely black suede. Then she came to me for the final effort. As this was to be a special effort, I fitted her special 6 inch heeled shoes to her feet which raised her on tip-toe.
After a short interval to get accustomed to her shoes and waist she said, "I feel quite delightful now, as though I am walking on air and I am ready to begin again. I want you to lace me in. Get them closed if you can, for I am determined to wear them closed tonight, if it is humanly possible. Even if I faint, don't unlace them. The smelling salts are on the dressing table." So down on her silk clad knees, and tightly gloved hands, with her back arched downwards, taking some pressure off the lacing. Taking the two loops of laces, the right in the left hand and vice versa, so the laces were crossed over at the waist, I exerted my strength and was gratified to see the laces slipping through, inch by inch and the gap closing. At the same time she wriggled her body to ease the pressure. "Pull some more darling; harder and stronger. I can bear it. The pressure in delightful. Are they nearly closed yet?"
Actually they were except for a small fraction. So a short pause, then one last vicious heave on the laces and she was closed in from top to bottom. She was in to THIRTEEN INCHES at last, for the first time. I could see she was about to faint, so I passed the smelling salts in front of her nose before I assisted her to her feet, which she said she could not feel. She said, "I feel as if I am now severed into two at the waist, yet I feel wonderful, an ethereal feeling, as though I am floating on air. Give me your arm, and let me walk around a bit to get used to them." After a minute or two she began to feel better so could totter around by herself to present her figure in front of the mirror, where she slowly pivoted on her 6 inch heels.
When she saw her waist was now closed, she went into delirious expressions of pleasure, that it was so. She clasped her own tiny waist with her hands and said, "It feels as hard as iron, but also as fragile as glass, so that I fear that I might break in two. When I began to wear corsets for you, 10 years ago, I never dreamed I would ever be so small. I am a real wasp now. To begin with, I didn't like the idea at all, but now it has grown upon me, so that I think today will be the most thrilling moment in my life. Your little Effie now has a thirteen inch waist, indeed one she can clasp with her hands. I love the feel of its tiny circumference above my beautifully rounded hips. To stand and walk in these towering heels, that so painfully arch my foot until I am on tip -toe, is an experience in itself. Let me try these for a time and if I can stand everything as it is now, I will wear them out tonight for the first time."
Meanwhile she applied the mascara and lipstick. Then she donned a well shaped, princess cut, black velvet evening gown, which had been designed to fit over her previous corsets, and therefore was quite loose round the waist for these new ones. The waist was then clasped tightly with a narrow silvered metal belt I had made, pressed in as tightly as possible. This over the black velvet made her look just as if she was really cut into two and made a fantastic finish. She then added a large heavy pair of diamante earrings through her lobes, which swung down to her shoulders to complete the ensemble.
Helplessly laced and shod at she was, we had to take a taxi to take us to the show where we had booked seats in the dress circle. It was a pity that she would insist on covering up that tiny waist with a white satin bolero. As it was, many people gasped with amazement at her high heels and huge earrings, but although some observant ones guessed from her carriage and posture that she was very tightly laced, yet I am certain they would have got the shock of their lives if they could have seen that silver belt imbedded deeply into that tiny waist, as it really was, blatantly exposed to view. She would have been a sensation. But we were too self-conscious for that.
Before the show was over she whispered to me that she was in agony and if she could have got to them she would have loosened them. As it was, she had to use the smelling salts, to endure it stoically until the end. It was with a ­gasp of relief that I unclasped her belt, then slackened the laces to 14 inches for the night. It took her over 2 hours before the feeling returned to her feet and legs.
Yet we did eventually get these corsets to meet many times so she could in the end wear them fully laced all the time, until in the end they wore right out. They were indeed a pair of tiny green marvels. If we had known we would have ordered half a dozen pairs of the model, and also the same of the larger one we ordered next.
We still had a yearning for the long stiff type to come in between the shorter pairs. The shorter were to reduce the waist and the longer ones to maintain the figure formation. So we ordered a pair in black satin, made with a 13½ inch waist. They were high at the top and covered the hips. They gave her a most delightful figure not as small in the waist as the green ones, but the 13½ inch waist was most attractive. In a very short time she could wear them closed all the way. They were the last pair that Mrs Kayne made for us. She had moved from Hillhead to Southsea during the war but eventually wrote to us to say that owing to the difficulty in getting good materials, clothes rationing etc., she could not carry on, so would have to cease business until after the war, when she said she hoped that she could write to all her customers and reopen. I often wonder what did happen to her, for she never did write to us. When I wrote to her old address after the war the letter came back, "Address Unknown." It was a great pity, for she was an excellent corset maker and her corsets were well made, also a good fit, and she would repair them if they were worth it.
The last pair of 13½ inch corsets in black satin from Mme Kayne were the most lovely pair that Ethel ever had made. Glove-like in their fit, a nice slender oval shaped waist, that when looked at from front or back appeared to be no more than TWELVE INCHES round. If she had gone on, I think Ethel would have worn a TWELVE INCH CORSET.
But it was not to be. Hitler stopped that.
What links here • References and Sources • Help • Contact info