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I was talking to a feriend of mine who is a massage therapist a couple of days ago (during a massage) We were talking about what people wear to a massage and she said that she has had clients over the years who wear girdles all the time including to the massage. She said that a couple of times when they have gotten to talking (she's a very easy person to talk to) that it has come out that these were women who were sexually abused as children. To her it seemed that the girdle was a form of armor or protection. She said that she has also read of this in a couple of massage journals, which obviously discuss how to touch people in a non threatening way in great detail.

Not something I could relate to but it did make sense.

It also reminded me of something I read here and other places. Some CDs really like tight garments. Initially I really liked corsets and other controlling type undergarments. Traditional psycho analytic thought says that this can be related to the liking infants have for being swaddled-being tightly wrapped reminds them of the womb.

To this day, although I don't like retrictive clothing anymore I do like the sensation from my femme clothing that my clothes are giving me a hug. I find it very calming. And if this is somehow tied to a desire for a return to the womb, I have no problem with that.

Intersting ideas on meanings we may attach to our clothing which have little to do with gender presentation but much to do with gender perception. Any thoughts?

Absaroka

My ex-wife also wore a panty girdle in her youth as a protection against rape. As she got older, times changed & no girdle. As a CD, I try to flatten the bulge with one, but find a long line bra better

I think the whole "girdle phenomenon" can also be traced to deep feelings of insecurity about one's body. Women are raised to be thin and pretty.... If they feel they are a bit overweight, or that their boobs sag, or that their hips are too wide, they may not feel comfortable without that garment "holding the imperfections in" so to speak. You see this insecurity manifested in far too many ways.... Anorexia, bulemia, low self esteem, even promiscuous sexual behavior. I've spent the majority of my adult life trying to come to terms with the fact that I'm built more like Marilyn Monroe than Gwenneth Paltrow. The past 40 years or so have really put the emphasis on "thin" rather than "comfortable" or "healthy". On the whole, I don't believe most women view girdles as "comfort" garments.... They really are more like sheilds, hiding the parts we feel vulnerable about.

Men, as a whole, tend to think of women's undergarments in a sexual context (even when those men are CDers), rather than "protective" clothing. They equate it more with those tight muscle t-shirts you see body builders wearing.... A way to accentuate something that you've worked hard to attain. Whether that's muscles from working out at the gym or a sense of pride in who you are (as in the case of CDers and tight corsets, etc), there is something sexually liberating about tight clothing for men. For women, I believe it's the exact opposite.

Just societal differences, I think.

-Tiffany

Tiffany I think you are very right that men view tight or revealing clothing on women as showing off something they have either worked hard to attain or were naturally blessed with. As for women feeling like it's a chore to show off, some women have told me that. But I personally find it hard to believe all women feel that way. But what the hell, I'm a guy.....

Absaroka

I doubt if ALL of anything thinks one way or the other.

And on the flip side of the coin, there are no shortage of guys who like the muscle shirts, to show off their pec and rock hard 6 pack abs, and shorts to show off their legs.

Absaroka wrote: To this day, although I don't like retrictive clothing anymore I do like the sensation from my femme clothing that my clothes are giving me a hug. I find it very calming.
Absaroka

If nothing else, a girdle is a measure of commitment for a CDer. They are a lot more work than a pair of panties to deal with when you've got to go. Which is probably why panty hose have largely superseded a full girdle for GGs.

But a properly-fitting girdel does feel nice. I need one that's high-waisted.

Brenda, I agree that a girdle gives you more to deal with, especially when you get that strong urge. As Ann Stef said, GG's may wear a girdle as "armor" to protect themselves, I too like a girdle as "armor" to keep my "boys" under control and out of trouble.

I was once punched in the stomache at work - playfully. You know, the kind where you barely make contact. It was a slow motion gesture. Well, at the time I was wearing a fully boned corest uder my shirt. You can imagine what he felt as he made contact. He had a shocked reaction but never dared to ask. Who knows what he thought. He was a much older man. Fortunately he did not want to open a can of worms in the workplace. Nothing was ever said. Just like it never happened.

Gen

I once worked for a man who had to wear a surgical corset for his back. Every now and then he would have to adjust it and just did so in the office. That's probably what your coworker thought he felt and he probably felt worried he might have hurt you. At least that's what I would have thought.

Absaroka