A reader recently sent The Girdle Zone a true treasure: a photocopy of the book, A Youthful Figure Is Forever, by professional corsetiere Johannah Letz.
Although the book was printed in the mid-1960's, it gives every indication of having been written some ten to twenty years earlier. The book provides a window into an era that will seem foreign to most of us today: a time when dress standards were rigorously enforced, and a woman's appearance was her most important aspect. A time when stern-faced corsetieres were the arbiters of under-fashion elegance.
Even given the standards of her time, Miss Letz presents a conservative voice, lamenting the disappearance of the old-fashioned lace-up corset, and decrying such innovations as the panty girdle, the all-in-one, and the underwire brassiere. (Her clear preference, you will see, was for a sturdily constructed high-waist open girdle, coupled with long-line bra.)
The following condensation presents about three-quarters of the slender book. Some less-relevant portions have cut been for the sake of brevity, but I have made no attempt to alter Miss Letz's rather willy-nilly outline. I trust that her opinions, and her forceful personality, will come through intact.
-Virginian
Photo: From 1966 Canadian ad, showing corsetiere Rose Marx.
Chapter I: The Meaning And Purpose Of Foundation Garments
Chapter II: How To Grow Gracefully (Teenager)
Chapter III: How To Grow Gracefully (Years 20-40)
Chapter IV: How To Grow Gracefully (After 40)
Chapter VIII: How To Measure Yourself For Girdles
Chapter IX: Corsetiere In Training
Appendix: Girdles Used Therapeutically
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Last updated May 29, 1997