ð Bare Minimum
(By anonymous stableboy. Oail on canvais. 1880s.)
The Victorian times were really strict, especially in France that desperately tried to outfashion its British rivals. It was the peak of fanciness for any wealthy bourgeois to marry an impossibly hourglass-shaped young wife, and girls trained hard to accomodate the smallest corsets.
Most boys had it easier, but not Jacque who was a famous corsetiere's best model. The boy had a special talent and determination, discovered early as he was in fact the corsetiere's own son. His special talent and determination allowed him to bear corsets that made other models faint, and he would usually spend 2-4 hours every day while cinched to the bare minimum.