"One cannot produce the required vulgar vigour without the necessary diaphragmatical support of the corset."

How about a robotic exoskeleton?

Well, if we're talking a cross between female corsetry and exoskeletons, we can't go past The Mother Of All ExoCorsets.

So, there you have…

One is that when you take the tie off the working day is ended. Do I need to doing work related emails at 10pm, hell no!

The other is, without ties how could all those accountants express themselves?

But they're still lurking in my cupboard, waiting to enslave me again, if business goes south.

Weddings, job interviews and funerals is my rule.

And if the job requires a tie, it requires a significant increase in salary to compensate spending a large portion of your life both being strangled,…

Perhaps it's because I grew up spending every summer at a nudist camp – but I have a different view.

Had an interesting experience of nudity last night, having gone to the opening night of Toxic White Elephant Shock, a contemporary dance show choreographed by my sister. I don't really…

Yeah. I don't get the tie voodoo either. But I have managed to get all the way to being the man on the telly without one ...

I've escaped that particular garrote myself. When I quit my suit job in Oz, I was sorely tempted to burn all my ties…

How very kind of you, but I was thinking more in terms of how screamingly inappropriate a man-corset would be on me ...

Hmm... I think if we're going to man-corset anyone it has to be Hadyn.

Other famous hardcore emblems of masculinity are in denial, too.

OMG. I just…

I would suggest that the fashion swing from wide ties to narrow (and back) can be thought of as Rebellion within Conformity.

Other famous hardcore emblems of masculinity are in denial, too.

Oh for goodness' sake. You can actually *see* the truss he's wearing in fight scenes in more than one episode of TOS. Shatner, you gots to own it, man.

How very kind of you, but I was thinking more in terms of how screamingly inappropriate a man-corset would be on me ...

S'alright Russell. Other famous hardcore emblems of masculinity are in denial, too.

Which of course is why Russell doesn't need to wear one, being such an emblem of masculinity in and of himself. It's the beard, I think.

How very kind of you, but I was thinking more in terms of how screamingly inappropriate a man-corset would be on me ...

It's that particular combination of pointlessness, physical discomfort and mandatory conformity that really tickles my rage guage.

A few more…

Do fashion robots dream of electric corsets?

Ask, and etc

The Electric Corset

"The chest is aided in its healthy development, and the entire system is invigorated". I'll bet it is.

...and men like me, will always do their damnedest to see through every disguise to the core...

Perhaps it's because I grew up spending every summer at a nudist camp – but I have a different view.

Sure the bare undisguised human body is a beautiful thing in all it's…

one should be vain and well attired.

In a corset?

I was going to try for a pun or three, but its been a long day and my tie has choked the flow of blood to my brain.

(I am so glad not to be living in the 1920s or any other era in which booblessness was the thing.)

So…

All right, and bosoms.

I've always wondered how nudist volleyball doesn't get completely halted by weeping and swearing.

You don't have to be nude.

And oddly enough never seen any games stopped due to excessive movement of body parts. I guess you just get used to swinging free.

Yes, I did wonder if that were the case, but I thought maybe I was the only person that far in the gutter.

I quote myself here: "heh heh I said 'boning' "

too afraid to point it out in public...

Rightly so too, you could have someone's eye out. Oho.

Yes, I did wonder if that were the case, but I thought maybe I was the only person that far in the gutter.

No all of us are in the gutter too, but were too afraid to point it out in public...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8bziuSFvW4

a triple-decker pun.

Yes, I did wonder if that were the case, but I thought maybe I was the only person that far in the gutter.

Snigger.

Indeed, she did seem to restrain herself. I'm sure there were alternative title, but she was bound to use something seemly.

I am indeed really impressively restrained. Discretion can be delicious. But not as much fun as a triple-decker pun.

Can I just say (love corsets too, etc etc etc) what impressive restraint Ms Hart shows, using the phrase "boning up" to title this post, rather than the myriad of other titles I'm sure she came up with.

Indeed, she did seem to restrain herself. I'm sure there were alternative…

Absolutely. I can't bear them. A more convenient way of being choked to death would be hard to find. Perhaps that's part of the attraction, the symbolism. They're saying "I'm tied to X by the neck, quite literally". Where X is whatever made them wear the tie.

Yeah. I don't…

Corsets take ages to put on, AND ages to take off...

I think as long as there is (ahem) 'access', it's probably not an issue.

Indeed. And if I'm paying $600 for a corset, you know what I'm NOT doing in it?

Wearing it? Man.

Corsets take ages to put on, AND ages to take off...

Indeed. And if I'm paying $600 for a corset, you know what I'm NOT doing in it?

Personally I've always been more interested in what's not shown, than having it all out there.

Yeah, me too. Male or female.…

(srsly, ties, WTF?)

Absolutely. I can't bear them. A more convenient way of being choked to death would be hard to find. Perhaps that's part of the attraction, the symbolism. They're saying "I'm tied to X by the neck, quite literally". Where X is whatever made them wear the tie.…

I find women look way more interesting in some clothing than naked. There's less allure once its all revealed.

Corsets take ages to put on, AND ages to take off...

End of the day, women will always choose to maximize their beauty with whatever means come to hand, and men like me, will always do their damnedest to see through every disguise to the core, what the woman looks like naked.

Personally I've always been more interested in what's not…

(srsly, ties, WTF?)

They're handles, aren't they? (Picture Joan Holloway towing some lucky lad in the direction of the midcentury bedroom).

You could make the case that these items fit into functional and beautiful and will, given time, become sentimental.

I really like it that Jo is creating…

women will always choose to maximize their beauty with whatever means come to hand, and men like me, will always do their damnedest to see through every disguise to the core, what the woman looks like naked

Whereas the pants on expensive Italian men's suits are cut solely for comfort,…

Same thing with like 5-inch belts if you're going for the What Would Joan Holloway Wear? look.

I love Joan Holloway. I used to have to tell people I walked like Jessica Rabbit, but now there's Joan.

Researching for this column I ran across a disturbingly likely idea, that wearing…

but, hey! I've worked hard on physical…

I find not wearing a bra exquisitely painful if I move at more than a stately walk.

Yup – I've always wondered how nudist volleyball doesn't get completely halted by weeping and swearing.

Corsets are awesome, but yes, putting shoes on can be problematic in them. That's when I guess one should use one's womanly powers to get others to put them on for you...

Or skip the shoes altogether... No, even I would wear footwear with those. Boots. Big lace-up boots.

And…

Corsets are awesome, but yes, putting shoes on can be problematic in them. That's when I guess one should use one's womanly powers to get others to put them on for you...