Pan Am Brings Back the Girdle

I watched a new show last night that takes place in 1963.I thought I could handle it as the fifties were fast disappearing and we all know how I felt about them! Well this show is incredibly dopey though the planes are cute.I will never watch it again. However it gave me food for thought as one scene had the Frau in charge of the stews slapping their bottoms to see if they were wearing their girdles. Not a one complained, though said Frau looked like Mrs. Twit with a persona to match and as we now know she had no business with her hands on anyone's bum but her own.
That the way it was then.
The minute a curve appeared on our very young bods it was slung into a girdle. Then one had suspenders on said girdle from which one hoisted and fastened stockings.It felt like being encased in cement and you could only walk in a sort of weird, knock- kneed, tittupy trot. It was to make you feminine. Being female was not enough it seemed. You had to be uncomfortable too. If one had to make a pit stop one had to bear in mind that it was no small deal wiggling out of a girdle.No wonder all of us older trouts are at the mercy of our bladders. It started with those damn girdles!
Here's the daffiest thing you'll ever hear re the wretched garment. When the fashion came, in 1961, for Bermuda shorts I got me a pair. They were turquoise.I loved them.There appeared one day on the end of my bed a thing that looked like a pair of Bermudas but was not. Yup that's right. It was a girdle to be worn under shorts just in case.In case of what? I was fourteen. What was being kept under wraps here for Heaven's sake?
Then there was the long line girdle. That bugger shoved the girls up right under your nose, wrapped around your midriff and almost stopped you breathing. Shallow breaths only ladies. So now we are encased top and bottom!
The end of it all came 7 years later when I was pregnant. I was wrapped from chest to thighs in a maternity corset which had a little pouch for the baby to grow into. It was supposed to support my 21 year old muscles which ungirdled might collapse on the floor.I wore it till the weather got hot then wrenched the sodding thing off and waited for my child to fall out. She stayed where she was until she was ready and so much for my flabby muscles.
If Pan Am takes off ( pun intended ) watch that blasted girdle reappear. Spanx is a walk in the park!