Corsets and Romance: Rediscover Passion, and Master the Art of Attracting Love

By Lynn Sorge PhD

Although it is most likely never intentional, many couples in long-term relationships often lose sight of their own needs and desires. The good news is that the simple act of dressing in just the right clothing can make a woman feel confident, sexy, in charge, and with the power to rekindle the romance and sexual excitement either in a current relationship or while on a search for lasting love.

Lynn Sorge, PhD, relies on her expertise on historical stays and corsets to guide both couples and single women to rediscover passion and intimacy. In the first section, Dr. Sorge shares the fictional story of Sophie and her husband, Ty, as they struggle in a passionless marriage. Although both feel the loss, Sophie unintentionally takes the lead when she makes an enormous discovery that changes everything. Part two shares wisdom and concepts to help single women searching for the perfect mate develop a winning mindset, build confidence, identify qualities in a potential partner, and rediscover sexuality. Included is a suggested romantic musical playlist to be used during scenes of seduction.

Corsets and Romance is a two-part story and guide that helps couples rediscover passion and romance, and leads singles of all ages to find lasting love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Aug 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781982272715

Lynn Sorge PhD

Lynn Sorge, PhD earned a BA from Dalhousie University, an MA from New York University, and a PhD from Oxford Brookes University. She had a tenured position at Dalhousie University in the costume studies program for four decades, and is now an adjunct in the faculty of graduate studies. This is her second book.

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Copyright © 2022 Lynn Sorge, PhD.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-7270-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-7272-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-7271-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021915873

Balboa Press rev. date: 08/11/2022

Contents

A Note to the Reader

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part 1

The Story

Chapter 1 Corsets and Aesthetics

Chapter 2 Power and Transformation

Chapter 3 Confidence and Seduction

Chapter 4 Self-Image and Eroticism

Chapter 5 Courtship and Romance

Part 2

The Guide

Chapter 6 Rediscover Passion and Master the Art of Attracting Love

Appendix

About the Author

For the women and men of the world who are looking to rekindle their passion or are searching for new and lasting love.

William Hogarth declared that the most beautiful shape is the sinuous S-curve or serpentine line, which he referred to as the line of beauty. In his words, The serpentine line, by its waving and winding at the same time different ways, leads the eye in a pleasing manner along the continuity of its variety.

—William Hogarth, The Analysis of Beauty, 1753

Mrs Lloyd Gibbon believes that the ideal female form is … of a rounded delicate texture, capable of more pleasing appearance, and of being moulded into the most beautiful shape.

—Mrs Lloyd Gibbon, A Treatise on the Use and Effect of Anatomical Stays, 1809

A Note to the Reader

As I was sitting in an auditorium on the last morning of a six-day conference, Matrixx, hosted by the late Bob Proctor in Toronto, Canada, in November 2019, it occurred to me in a blinding flash that Corsets and Romance should be written and that I was the one to do it.

I have noticed over the years, more than just occasionally, that long-term relationships become devoid of passion and romance, often resulting in loneliness and sadness. Therapy, of course, can sometimes alleviate the situation, but what if, I thought, there could be some kind of help which was much more immediate and, in some cases, even more successful?

Coming from academia, I could never have conceived of writing this book prior to that morning in Toronto; it is almost a complete departure from the more usual subjects of academic writing. My field of expertise is the history of dress and, in particular, the origins and the meaning of the form-fitting garments lying beneath the soft, floating silks of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries—the stays and corsets. Beautiful though the originals are, even if one is fortunate enough to own a pair of whalebone stays or a steel-boned corset, in the interests of perseveration, it is unlikely that either would ever be worn by today’s woman.

In many ways, Corsets and Romance harkens back to a time when women were undeniably attractive and seductive in their clothing. While the credit for this often goes to the beauty and elegance of the outer layers—the gowns or skirts and bodices—the truth is that these garments would never have had their beautiful shapes were it not for the layers lying beneath. It is the stays and corsets, and hoops and crinolines, that set the tone for what lay on top, yet these underpinnings, seldom seen by anyone, including lovers in many cases, are unsung heroines.

While sitting in the auditorium that morning in Toronto, I conceived not only of this book but also of its accompaniment—a corset based on historical design and structural principles but designed and created with today’s woman in mind. This woman is any shape, size, height, or age—she is tall or short, wide or narrow, or curvaceous or less so, and ranges in age from young adulthood to well into her nineties. A truly modern corset is created from beautiful fabrics that give and are comfortable, but is designed to be seductive and sensual and to have a shape that outlines and enhances a woman’s natural curves while presenting them in their most alluring form.

Lynn Sorge, PhD

For more information on the modern corsets, please inquire at [e-mail].

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I am grateful to my three wonderful children, Naomi, Abe, and Isaac, for your constant encouragement regardless of what my latest idea might be; to Robert Anderson, for sharing your knowledge and love of music with me, for introducing me to all the songs on the playlist, and for dancing with me to most of them; to the late Bob Proctor; to my Matrixx mastermind group—Troy Drake, Patrick Frigon, Wally McNeil, Dr Larisa Sharp, and Karen Smith—for the stimulating time we spent together on Zoom; and to all those from whom I drew inspiration in the writing of the second half of the book, all of whom are mentioned in either the text or footnotes thereof.

Thank you, one and all.

Introduction

Couples who have been together for a number of years often lose sight of their own needs and desires, both physical and emotional. Within long-term relationships, it is often easier to allow the physicality to fall by the wayside and to slip away with disclaimers such as Things change as one grows older or I love her in a different way now. However, that feeling of being close to someone, of oneness, of wholeness, never goes away regardless of age or health. If you no longer make love to your girl or guy, just think back to the happiness you felt just after making love when you were younger, or when you first met. Close your eyes and remember, really remember. It felt like a little bit of heaven, didn’t it? You can have this again.

My goal with the first part of Corsets and Romance is to show how the simple act of dressing in just the right clothing can make a woman feel powerful, confident, sexy, and completely in charge of herself. What better way to demonstrate this than through the weaving of a particular narrative into a story, therein showing the important part clothing can play in people’s lives? While dress might seem to be superfluous at the outset, it actually is just the opposite. Mode of dress has the ability to change not only the way we feel about ourselves but also the way someone else feels about us.

Much has been said and written about dressing to look the part or dressing for the occasion, for example, but little has been said about dressing as an aid to finding one’s inner strength. In many segments of society, dressing provocatively is often disrespected and is associated with negative connotations. However, when one dresses in a certain way with a view to correcting a problem within a marriage or long-term relationship, the person doing so should be celebrated instead of denigrated.

Moreover, it should never be underestimated how difficult it is to find the confidence to dress provocatively. Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is not easy at the best of times, but when one forces oneself to do just that at a time when one is most vulnerable, there is nowhere to hide. This goes for both women and men—nobody is exempt here. When passion has left a relationship, and when making love seems never even to be considered by the other partner, it takes a brave and courageous person to take the first step, knowing there is a distinct possibility that he or she might feel embarrassed, have his or her motives questioned, or be laughed at, made fun of, or be belittled by the person he or she loves most in the world. However, dressing provocatively with a view to solving a relationship problem is often worth it in the long run.

This first part of Corsets and Romance takes a novel approach to helping couples rediscover the passion they once felt. Set within a story that belongs to every couple—woman and man—who no longer feel the fire burning for each other as they once did, Sophie and Tyler lead us through their own struggle to regain the intimacy they have lost. Although they both feel the loss, Sophie is the one who takes the lead, albeit quite by accident. Aware of what she is missing, she really has no idea of what to do, until one day …

I will not spoil the story for you here, but instead I will allow the corset to be the narrator in the first instance, followed by Sophie, who will take you along as she makes an enormous discovery. You will also see how Tyler responds.

Corsets and Romance is not only for those who are lacking intimacy in their relationships, though. If you are a person who has not yet found love or whose relationships have failed, the second part of the book is for you, aimed at helping you find love. It provides a guide for how to go about doing so, aimed particularly at a person who does not want to try apps or the myriad of dating sites on the internet in general. It focuses on how to physically meet prospective partners and how to proceed leading up to, and including, the moment when it happens.

Preparation is imperative here; being ready to meet someone can be just as important as the meeting itself. This part of the book leads you through those preparations, providing guidance on how to prepare your mind, build your confidence, tap into and enhance your sexuality, conduct yourself during your search, and navigate that first date, among other aspects that you might overlook otherwise. In addition, Sophie and Tyler’s story is a fitting prelude to the journey upon which you are embarking now and from which you might also draw inspiration for your search.

Part 1

The Story

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Chapter 1

Corsets and Aesthetics

I am not sure what you are doing, but I do know one thing—you are not doing the one thing I know will work. Having been worried about your relationship for months now, you have decided to go shopping to take your mind off your troubles and have found me almost by accident. There I was sitting on a mannequin in a Harrods department store window in Knightsbridge, Central London. You joined the throng of passers-by stopping in their tracks to view the spectacle before them.

I had been placed in the window only days before and was becoming used to being the object of uncertain gazes. I knew I was an alluring sight, but I did not expect the