I came across your web site quite by accident, while doing some research on historical clothing styles. I was astonished at what I read, and was fascinated to see that there are so many women who have their hubbies very firmly under their thumb.

I hope that you can help me with a problem which many wives face in their marriage. When my husband Andrew and I were courting, he always showed the keenest interest in my conversation, and when we went out to dinner together he hung on my every word. After we were married, he was still somebody I could talk to, and who would always show interest in my news.

Lately, however, he shows little interest in what I have to say, and often is reading the paper, which I think is rude. If I ask him what he thinks, he often just grunts. I am very interested in the study of changing clothing fashions through the years, and I am president of 'The Art Deco Society', a small group of mainly women. Apart from that our marriage is ok I suppose, but I feel very hurt that he is no longer interested in my special interests, or what I have to contribute.

I mentioned this to another, older, member, and she said all fellows were like that, and that whenever she tried to explain something interesting to her husband, he just looked at her with his ears glazed over, as she put it. Is there anything you can suggest to help me make my husband take a little more interest in my life and opinions?
Yours sincerely,

Tabatha A.

The problem of glazed ears is almost universal in marriage, except when the wife keeps her husband under petticoat discipline. Under those circumstances the husband will regard his wife with the highest admiration, and be more than happy to listen devotedly to what she has to say. Do you have a pinafore hanging behind the kitchen door? If not, you should have a look at Jane Ellen's web site. Your husband should be in a crisply starched pinafore, not just for housework, but whenever you wish to have a conversation, including at the dinner table. I assure you it will make him much more respectful and attentive.

Please write and tell me more about the Art Deco Society: it sounds most interesting. Those shimmering, satin step-ins and slips, and other gorgeous undies that you sometimes saw Ginger Rogers or Claudette Colbert wear in films of the 1930s were really the 'unmentionables' contribution to the full  flowering of the art deco style, a style which ultimately had its origins in the angular designs and zig-zags of Ancient Egypt. It was Howard Carter's discovery of Tutenkhamen's tomb, and the enormous publicity it generated, that inspired the art deco look - as Tabatha would know.
Susan

I’m a firm believer in uniform discipline for the male, and was really pleased when I found your site.

My own husband is rarely out of his smart schoolgirl uniform, though at work I reluctantly allow him to wear his suit, with sensible navy school knickers underneath. I have two points I would like your advice on:

Firstly, hair. My girlfriends and I keep his legs shaved, but what about head hair? In the past I’ve allowed him charge of his own haircuts, provided he kept his hair short and tidy. But recently one of my girlfriends suggested a short basin cut, well above his ears (which we would do ourselves). Would this be more suitable: what do you think?

Secondly, footwear. Around the house I have him dress in P.T. kit: this consists of a bottle green vest, a green pleated gym skirt, and regulation bottle green gym knickers. When I have my closest girlfriends around I have him in full gym slip uniform to greet them, and then he’ll strip down to vest and knickers to serve them. My problem is finding him suitable secondhand schoolgirl shoes. One of my girlfriends has suggested that he should be made to wear his P.T. plimsolls all the time, pointing out that he could also be made to wear these for work, as they are the black elesticated type. The charity shops around here seem to have quite a collection of well-worn ex-school plimsolls, in both lace and slip on. So, Nanny, should I put him into school plimsolls, and would you recommend the lace up or the slip on type?
Yours sincerely,

Susan Jenkings

The basin haircut sounds like Aberdeen after the war, and I would forget that altogether. 'Short and tidy' sounds ideal to me; I don't know what your girlfriend could be thinking of. 

I think making him wear schoolgirl plimsolls at all times would be an excellent discipline, and I would definitely proceed with that idea. It reminds me of one wife who, on wet days, made her husband take a ruffled apricot ladies' umbrella to work, or, if special punishment was (rarely) required, wear a ladies' rubber mackintosh as well, which she would button him into. It was very subtle, but quite humiliating enough, and she never had to worry about him getting up to any nonsense at work, because the girls in the office merely looked upon him with pitying smiles and stifled giggles.

The plimsolls would work in a similar way. I prefer the lace up to the slip on style, but that is up to you.

I like the idea of him having to serve your girlfriends in his old fashioned schoolgirl undies, and I would dress him in thick black schoolgirl tights as well. I bet your friends give his gymknickered bottom a little pinch now and then!
Susan

My sister has asked me a question relating to controlling her husband's behaviour. He has been coming home after having too much to drink, and is then badly behaved.

I have suggested that she takes up firm discipline by spanking him amd putting him back in nappies and rubber pants. She agrees with me, but wants to go further. As he is often away with his work overnight, she wants to ensure he does not play up. To ensure that he remains humilated she plans to make sure he leaves home in long leg bloomers, and long leg panty girdle. She also plans to send him away with nappies and rubber bloomers, as well as a rubber bed sheet.

With the above in mind, she is going to select his accomodation from small B & Bs [Bed & Breakfasts] managed by ladies, and ring ahead to speak to the housekeeper. Without her husband's knowledge, before she confirms the accomodation she plans to ask the manageress and housekeeper to ensure the rubber sheet is ok, and if so she will ask that it be put on his bed when he arrives.

My sister also plans to make sure that the housekeeper and manageress are aware of the nappies, rubbers, bloomers and panty girdle. What do you think about the above plan, and do you have any more suggestions?
Kind regards,

Thelma H

It sounds like an excellent plan to me. Perhaps you could ask the housekeeper to matter-of-factly put a baby's bottle of milk on the table atbreakfast for your brother-in-law. He would not be required to use it - I doubt that the staff at the B & B could be bothered with a complicated plan like that. But other guests would see it, and it would be very humiliating for him. Your sister's arrangements will certainly keep him very well behaved while he is away, and ensure his faithfulness to her. But from what you have written, I am sure it is all  well deserved. Let me know how things progress.
Susan