Appendix: Girdles Used Therapeutically
Mothers wear girdles to alleviate backache and muscle fatigue for years after pregnancy, according to the study.
In a recent research study conducted, discussions with women revealed that mothers suffered from backache and fatigue for years after childbirth while engaging in ordinary household activities that rarely annoyed them before pregnancy. Among these women, perhaps one-third of them ranging in age from their early twenties to about forty, girdles are being utilized mainly therapeutically. Unlike most women who remove their girdles to relax, these women feel better in a fitted girdle.
Although most women wear a girdle to be more attractive in form and to improve the fit of their clothes, a sizable number wear it to give support to their back and stomach muscles. They slip into their girdles first thing on arising in the morning and don't take them off until they actually retire at night. The survey further revealed the fact that most women don't consider a girdle a "sexy" garment, as they do a bra, or lingerie. The research was conducted among women of all age groups. It indicated that women expect practical feminine styling in girdles, but anything beyond that was amusing rather than in demand. Emphasis was on function first whether it be for comfort or appearance, and styling comes second in importance.
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Last updated May 29, 1997