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Open-bottom girdles and ... powder rooms.

BettyValentine

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NYC
Okay, this may be a bit of an odd (certainly embarrassing) thread, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around this conundrum.

Hypothetically, assume one were to wear an all-in-one open-bottom girdle to work with stockings. How on earth would one use the facilities in one of those, assuming panties were involved? I may just lack imagination, but right now I can only assume that one would have to unhook all 6 garters from the stockings and roll the girdle up to get at the panties.


BV - that may well be the first time in my life that I have ever typed the word "panties."
 

Lauren

Distinguished Service Award
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I think this is when tap pants came in handy. The tap pants were put over the girldle, and were looser. But then again, I may be mistaken!
 

BettyValentine

A-List Customer
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Lauren Henline said:
I think this is when tap pants came in handy. The tap pants were put over the girldle, and were looser. But then again, I may be mistaken!

You are totally right! But you couldn't wear tap pants under an a-line or a narrow skirt, could you? I have tons of pictures of gran in little wiggle dresses; she must have been holding it for 40 years!

Then again, I've worn some of those dresses and I'm pretty sure there is no facilities-using at all until the dress comes off.

BV
 

Lena_Horne

One of the Regulars
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249
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The Arsenal of Democracy
So how is all of this put together exactly? Brassiere+Girdle+Stockings+Tap Pants? I have yet to venture into the world of undergarments and am barely into actual clothing but I'm pretty sure that by the time I'm twenty-five I would like to be wearing vintage-inspired get-ups twenty-four seven.

L_H
 

MissQueenie

Practically Family
Messages
502
Location
Los Angeles, CA
At the risk of denting my feminine mystique, here's how I handle it from the skin out:

1. Bra and girdle are donned (no underpants under the long girdle).
2. Stockings are clipped to girdle.
3. Tap pants pulled on over girdle and stockings or slip is put on over bra/girdle/stockings.
4. Clothes are put on over undergarments, etc etc etc

We've discussed the dressing order in other undergarment threads, but I really just had to physically experiment with the equipment before I figured out what worked for me.

As for using the facilities...I ran up against this particularly delicate problem at the QM last year. As far as I can figure, you've just got to hold the back edge up while you go. [huh] You have to figure that women wore these things daily -- there's no way you'd be able to hold it for 8 hours every day without getting a serious UTI. I think we've just got to cowgirl up like our grandmothers did and work around it, no matter how awkward it is!
 

Lena_Horne

One of the Regulars
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249
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The Arsenal of Democracy
I apologize for the double posts but for all intents and purposes today's washable sanitary napkins are modeled (in design) after the disposable variety in that they have adhesives (velcro fasteners on the wings) and are made much more thin and presumably comfortable.

While I disagree with some of the language this writer uses (the C-word for instance seems wholly inapproriate and unnecessary) I consulted this site during my own teen years (gee whiz they're actually over... Eeh) and found it more than helpful for a variety of topics:

scarleteen.com/pink/washable.html

L_H
 

mysterygal

Call Me a Cab
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2,667
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Washington
Thank goodness for technology! It's amazing what women had to put up with :eek:
the bottomless girdle sounds like it's uncomfortable to wear.....or is it?
 

Tin Pan Sally

Registered User
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325
Location
Ahwatukee, Arizona, USA
MissQueenie said:
As for using the facilities... As far as I can figure, you've just got to hold the back edge up while you go.


I have some first hand info from my Mother, who was a teen/young lady in the 1940s (my parents were in their forties when they had me).
Before putting on a fitted dress or suit one would first powder up, then put on a full-length bra and girdle, attach stockings if you could afford them and they were available, use leg make-up and paint a line up the back of your legs if not, panties over the girdle and stockings, full slip with a dress to prevent cling and for modesty with sheer fabrics.
The longer 'skirt' girdles were just held aside while relieving oneself. Less trouble than the more recent full pantyhose that had to be peeled down.
 
I think what it basically comes down to is using the facilities will take longer and be a little less simple than what we are used to in wearing modern undergarments.:( I currently have the all in one girdle with hook and eye closure on the crotch. Even that takes a little manuving to make sure everything is out of the way.
I would like to eventually get one of the open bottom girdles too, as I think I could get a little more use out of it.
 

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