Dear Ms Candida,

Until a few weeks ago I’m ashamed to say that I was unaware of your excellent magazine. I hope you will indulge a letter from such a new reader but I feel that the somewhat exotic circumstances in which I discovered your excellent publication might well be of interest to you and your readers.

One Friday evening a few weeks ago I received a call from my best friend Lynn asking if I would like to go shopping with her the following morning as there were a few things that she specially needed to buy for her husband Alex, and she thought she would like my advice. She further surprised me by saying that Alex would be joining us. This had never happened on any of our previous shopping expeditions, Alex always seeming to be playing golf or going to football on a Saturday, leaving Lynn, who also had a full-time job, to catch upon the week’s shopping and housework – “women’s work” as he called it with a smile, much to her irritation. When I commented on this Lynn giggled and just said that I would be seeing a whole new Alex tomorrow!

Still puzzling over this comment I made my way to my friend’s house the following morning, but the vision that confronted me after I had rung the doorbell was something that no amount of thought would have lead me to even guess. The door was opened by Alex, and I immediately saw a very different Alex indeed! Looking terribly embarrassed, as well he might, Alex stood before me dressed in what I immediately recognised as one of Lynn’s old pink summer dresses! Over this he wore a pretty white and pink floral pinny, trimmed in a pink frill all round, and on his head a pink headscarf, tied neatly into turban. I couldn’t help myself, I laughed aloud, “What on earth are you doing Alex?” I managed to splutter. “Is this some sort of joke?”

Scarlet, he started to mumble some explanation about having lost a bet and having to do a forfeit, but was stopped in his tracks as Lynn came out of the kitchen behind him. I had never seen my friend look so commanding. “Don’t talk such nonsense,” she said in a firm voice, “Just tell Pat about your new role as a housemaid, and how, when you’ve been trained properly this is how you’re going to be spending your weekends.”

Lynn winked at me, “Now, run along and finish your hoovering and then bring us a coffee in the lounge, Alice, there’s a good girl.”

At being addressed by this feminine name Alex blushed scarlet again and started to scurry away,

“Wait, what have you forgotten?” snapped Lynn, and to my delight and astonishment Alex turned and made a clumsy attempt at a curtsey before tottering unsteadily away as fast as his obviously unfamiliar heels would allow.

“That’s better, but you need plenty more practice,” laughed Lynn at her retreating husband. “Now let me bring Mistress Pat up to date with the new situation around here!”

Lynn proceeded to tell me her astonishing story. She had been puzzled for a while that, whenever she had been out leaving Alex in the house alone, some things did not appear quite right when she returned. The bed covers sometimes appeared a little crumpled, and on occasions her dressing table drawers did not seem to be quite as she remembered leaving them. One day she had returned earlier than planned and was surprised to find the catch down on the front door. After much ringing of the doorbell she was starting to get concerned when Alex at last appeared, looking rather flushed and dishevelled, and let her in.

He claimed he had been having a shower prior to going out and had locked the door as he would not have been able to hear any intruders! Lynn went upstairs herself to change and was intrigued, on passing the study, to see that the drawer of Alex’ desk, usually kept locked, was slightly open with what appeared to be the corner of a magazine protruding from it. Just going in to tidy it up (she swore) she opened the drawer to find a large stack of copies of Madame magazine. Having never seen the magazine before Lynn had started to thumb through them, and noticed that pages were turned down in many issues, all at stories of men being forced by a dominant wife or girl friend to wear female clothes and carry out domestic duties, a situation which seemed to be called “Petticoat Discipline”.

Realisation dawned – Alex was turned on by these stories and had been gratifying himself whilst she was out. Her unscheduled return had caught him out and he had hurriedly shoved the evidence back in his desk but had omitted to lock it.

Lynn explained that her first reaction had been one of fury, but being a clever lady had thought things through, and realised the potential in the situation. She found several of the stories amusing, and gradually the thought had dawned on her that she would really enjoy having Alex at her beck and call in just such a way, and if he found that reality was not as comfortable as his fantasies, well, too bad!

She had stormed into Alex, feigning fury at his “disgusting perversion” and informed him that the only way he could avoid her making his “nasty habits” known to his friend and workmates was to agree to undergo just such a regime himself. After all, he obviously enjoyed the idea of being petticoated! She showed me some of the magazines, which I found fascinating, though I doubted that a man could be got into such a situation – I was to be proved very wrong that day!  Lynn then further astonished me by explaining that up to now she had dressed her new “maid” in some of her cast-off clothing, but that we were about to go on a shopping trip to fit Alex out with suitable outfits for his new domestic role. He would be paying with his own money, of course, which would be saved from his golf club subscription, which Lynn had insisted he cancelled that morning – after all a housemaid was going to have no time to play golf! Lynn told me, giggling, how, as she was dressing him for my visit, he had actually been in tears as he pleaded to be shown some mercy, but she had been very firm, telling him in no uncertain terms that he’d been having his fun, and now it was her turn!

Thus it was that some time later we made our way into town, (Alex wearing stockings, suspenders, knickers and a bra under his shirt and trousers), and had a wonderful time in the store, (which, being a Saturday was, of course, very busy) holding various overalls and pinnies up against him as he squirmed with embarrassment. So keen was he to get out of the store that he was ready to agree to anything and Lynn bought even more than she had intended – a black and white waitress outfit with a nice frilly pinnie and matching hat, (for serving on “formal occasions” said Lynn to his horror), a couple of pretty floral overalls for housework, and two pink tabards to wear over his male clothes to keep him reminded of his status when he was not in skirts! The shop assistants were left in no doubt as to who the purchases were for, and were in fits of smiles and giggles at him as he wrote out his cheque and carried away his packages.

Once home, “Alice” (as he was now going to have to get used to being called) was immediately ordered to put on his waitress outfit, complete with black stockings and suspenders that Lynn provided, and present himself for inspection. When he did so we mocked him mercilessly! He was forced to practice walking in some three inch heels that Lynn had found in a charity shop, practice his curtseying until we were satisfied, and informed that in future he was to refer to us at all times as ‘Mistress Lynn’ and ‘Mistress Patricia’.

Lynn then asked me to make his face up so that he looked more like a proper housemaid, which, despite his protests and a further tear or two, I did and, though I say it myself, did a good job of achieving the effect that Lynn wanted, that of a humiliated petticoated male rather than a real woman. She then clipped a pair of heavy, dangly earrings to his lobes and adjusted his pretty little lace hat before producing a camera and taking several photos of him which, he was informed, would be made embarrassingly available to his work colleagues and friends if he didn’t play along 100% with Lynn’s plans.

That, as I say, was a few weeks ago, and suffice to say “Alice” no longer thinks petticoat discipline such a good idea after all! During the week Alex continues to work at his well-paid job, enabling Lynn to live the comfortable life she desires, the saving of the money that he used to spend enabling her to now work part-time only. Then, on Friday nights, it’s off with the trousers and shirts and on with dresses and pinnies for a whole weekend of domestic servitude, by the end of which the house is spotless.

He is kept totally under control by the very mention of his petticoated condition being exposed to others and his embarrassment when I turn up to visit my friend at weekends is a joy to behold. I. of course, visit frequently as I find it wonderfully entertaining as he struggles around in his frillies, required to curtsey and address me as Mistress Patricia whenever he enters the room. Should he fail to do so, or commits some other misdemeanour that gives Lynn the opportunity, he is required to touch his toes, Lynn flips up his dress and petticoat, and administers a few sound slaps to his satin-clad behind! Can you imagine how humiliating that must be?

As he is mincing around, Lynn and I have great fun reading through his old issues of Madame, and asking him whether he still fancies going through some of the exquisite humiliations described in your letters – strangely he doesn’t seem too keen any more! So you now have two more enthusiastic disciples, and one very chastened ex-reader! I, myself, have just acquired a new man in my life, you can imagine the plans Lynn and I have to ensure that he “stays in line” – the poor chap doesn’t know what he’s in for!

Mistress Patricia,
Stoke-on- Trent

Another fine letter retyped by Penelope, who would make an excellent secretary. I am sure that many very contrite hubbies have found themselves to be victims of a very firm petticoat discipline regime after their wives have discovered that they have been reading this site.
Susan