At 23:12 02/10/2008, you wrote:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Anyway, sorry to be Devil's advocate; I know some people claim a
>medical problem when they just don't want to wear a certain thing,
>and it's not up to someone else to insist they can. But what about
>people who can't take the pressure of stays / corset? What are they
>to do?
Which makes me curious. What actual medical issues have people
encountered that really _do_ mean someone can't wear a corset? I'm
sure it does happen -- and it seems to me that having some idea of
what really are the issues that cause problems might help
dressmakers decide whether to (1) attempt to exercise more tactful
persuasion, (2) devise some sort of work-around, or (3) do the best
they can to make a nice looking garment without corsetry.
Offhand, I can think of two issues where any kind of corsetry or
stiffening can be a problem. One is for people in wheelchairs: if
they are to wear a corset at all, it must need to be designed for
sitting rather than standing, and I can imagine that for someone
whow has limited mobility anyway, not being able to bend freely at
the waist could make some necessary movements very difficult.
I also have a friend who finds that a normal 16th-century corset and
fitted gown cause too much of the weight of the skirt to be carried
by her hips and lower back, which she finds very painful. She does
much better with something where most of the weight of the dress
hangs from the shoulders (loose gowns, for instance, although she
can also wear a fitted gown with a few bones but not a full corset).
In her case, the medical problem is nerve damage.
Others?
My friend had an operation for lung cancer, which meant access from
her back through the ribs, and cannot bear to be restricted. Possibly
people who have had similar operations, maybe for breast cancer or similar?
Suzi
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