Girdle Up
So, for those possibly confused by that post two days back, the nice young lady presenting her tips wasn’t talking about “girls” she was talking about “girdles.” In a way, this took me by surprise – but then I recalled she said that she’s new to being plus, she’s not a 20 + year veteran of being plussie like I am. It seems like such a throwback, in part because I am far bigger than the limitations that girdles can offer and because such an item would trigger my tendency to hive… but also, because I don’t think they help much. I’m frankly not sure how to take her comments about what “the men go wild for.”
One of the dirty secrets of women and fashion is that we’re really not dressing for men unless men are still eligible for female competitive syndrome games. While I believe strongly in the sociological impact of dress, I believe the impact on men and the mating dance is far more random than the other social objectives we seek to achieve by the artful arrangement of our clothing.
As to the use of girdles, I’ve always preferred the value of a great bra and then to wear clothing that is fitted and draped properly – and the bra tip she begins with is a great one. I figure if the drape is right, the girdle is unnecessary. Clearly, almost every plus shop has some version of a girdle – who uses them? What outfits benefit the most from them? Does it make going to the bathroom difficult?
I was surprised, too by the mention of the dreaded girdle. I am sure the girdle of today is leaps and bounds better than our grandmothers worse, but there is something growing in me that won’t allow me to go down that road. I feel, like you, it’s about dressing in a flattering way and not about dressing within the confines of ______. Thanks!
I just wanted to add my thoughts as I felt the need to blog about it, too:
http://community.livejournal.com/fat_the_power/7460.html
I just ordered a pair of high rise Spanx as an alternative to wearing a bulky abdominal binder, only because I’ve recently had hernia repair and I think the support will be comfortable while I recover. Otherwise, I don’t think they’re worth it. If you really want re-shaping, you need a corset/merry widow thingy, and thank God ladies are no longer expected to wear these on a daily basis.