Lacie's Story

Hello! I am Lacie, and I have been wearing a corset constantly for some time now.  My husband, with whom I had been going out for some ten years before we were formally married, provided my initial motivation, and we bought a corset from Axfords. We had always been interested in tight flambuoyant dress, and even if at that time I still mostly wore jeans and trainers, from time to time I wore different outfits.

At first wearing a corset was too extreme for me.  For me it was a relic from the last century, it was used just to conceal fat, and I was tall and slim. I did not need any such a thing, and in addition it was much too expensive.  My husband showed me that with my straight, slim figure I would look superb, and I so thought that I would wear a corset from time to time if I liked it.  Thus the first corset was ordered, an Axford D 28, and because I was rather slim, it was ordered small, too small as it later transpired. 

When the corset arrived, I laced in for the first time, but it felt terribly tight and uncomfortable in the front, although my appearance pleased me very much, even if I did not admit it at first.  I wore the corset as rarely as possible at first just in order to please my man, and had always an excuse ready why I could not wear the corset; in addition it was really a little too tight. Naturally this extravagant article of clothing pleased me, but at first I could not accept the idea of wearing it all the time.  We then tried out over the course of a few years some other corsets, but none of these standard corsets fitted me very well. I like playing sports and cycling, and with my job as a nurse at that time I could not imagine wearing a corset at work.  I made some token attempts at getting used to the corset, wearing it each day, but it was tight and again and again I found an excuse to take it off:  when at work or playing some sport, sometimes it was too hot, sometimes too cold. I was a little embarassed at first as well, because I thought of a corset as a surgical appliance rather than a fashion item, and lacing it tightly closed could not possibly be healthy, I thought.
 
Some yerars later we watched a television programme on corsets as a rediscovered item of clothing. It showed that women today again wear corsets if they want to, but do not, as in former times, have to lace tightly. We watched carefully to see these strange people.  But I saw that, in fact, the women shown were quite normally built and also had good figures without a corset, and tight lacing can be quite harmless, if one does not overdo it. From now on I saw the corset with different eyes, and wore it more frequently. We ordered one or two in addition, but I still did not feel right, they did not become comfortable as I got used to them, however much this was said to be. It had to be because of the corsets!   We began to learn systematically more about them, and discovered the difference between off-the-peg and custom made corsets. From historical writings when corsets were normally worn, and also later over the internet, we found out how they should be designed, what the differences were and when one should lace.  It became clear to us that we had so far done everything wrong. Above all, our past corsets did not fit correctly. Since I have a very female figure, the standard corsets were cut too small at the hips and around the top of the corset.  Since they should pull in the waist a small little, we had bought all the corsets too small.

I liked the idea of a corset as an article of clothing, only it had to fit.  I wanted to try a correctly fitting corset, which did not press hard anywhere and emphasised my figure.  This was a job for my husband and for the sewing machine. A corset was taken apart and every detail carefully measured, new parts were cut and sewn together. Of the old corset there remained only the bones and the busk. That all sounds quite simple here, but was some days work for us on the sewing machine and needed much trial and error. The first attempt failed because of our new sewing machine.  The modern household technology was not up to to the requirements of earlier days at that time, but Grannies treddle machine could not be defeated by 10 layers of material. Who knows, but that corsets had been sewn before on this machine, for she would have been over 100 years old. The corset fitted at the first attempt, and was substantially more comfortabley to wear, even if it were laced a little more tightly.  For me to lace in 3 cm felt very tight, I thought it was intolerable, and also considered it unhealthy at this time.

I wore the corset now more frequently, but it was however not really comfortable.  If I wore the corset for a few hours it hurt me on the ribs, and I could not move properly in it. At that time I discovered that it could be also quite pleasant to be laced in the corset to a certain extent. But the pain remained, and constant changing between lacing and no lacing did not get me used to it.  The corset remained an alien item for me, although more acceptable, but not really more comfortable.
When 100 years ago, the corset was part of normal, everyday wear, women wore a corset, and were laced from an early age, some very tightly, although some excessivly tight lacing sounds rather improbable, but in any case young women virtually grew up in a corset. It was laced normally, and a corset was worn constantly, like a pair of socks. The secret of its comfort, beside a correctly fitted corset, was above all becoming used to the constriction and to the reduced mobility.  When we came to this realization, we decided to try it out at once so I could become a constant wearer of a corset. But it had to fit properly, so a professionally made-to-measure corset was necessary.  We chose an under-bust model, because this kind seemed to offer the greatest comfort.  Our choice was made, using the internet, for JC in Amsterdam. We took the measurements exactly and ordered by telephone, because of possible further questions.  It should be a corset for constant wear, comfortably cut and not too tight. We were extremely excited when the corset came after a few weeks.  It fitted perfectly, could be laced up right away almost completely, without pressing hard anywhere. I was amazed that a corset could be so comfortable to wear. I turned around in front of  the mirror and was surprised the effect even a slightly laced corset could make. My figure was emphasised beautifully, and female curves were shown very effectively. Also my husband was inspired, and did not want to let my waist go. The corset compressed me only at the waist without squeezing anywhere else. I decided firmly to try to wear this corset constantly, from getting up in the morning to going to bed at night, in the same way as women used to do in former times.
 

Corset Training and Health.

After I received my first made-to-measure corset, I liked both the improvement of my figure and the corset as an exotic article of clothing. The challenge was to train my figure to a slim torso and elegant posture, but how could I get there? The corset must be long and rigid enough to keep the stomach effectively under control in spite of the tight lacing, because a good figure does not just mean a slim waist. Furthermore, as a Berufs Hospital nurse, under no circumstances could I let any harm to my health to occur.   So, in this way in October 2000 we began my corset training.  First of all, the first JC corset had to be taken in a little (may the corsetier forgive us), because I could close it at 60cm amost immediately. My bust at that time measured 85cm, and the corset was altered to a 54cm waist.  Under the corset busk was a firm strip of 1mm thick high-grade steel, to keep the stomach flat.  First of all I had to get accustomed to the resulting stiffness.  At first I was only lightly laced, and after a few days the tightness was slowly increased, always paying careful attention to corset seating correctly, and ensuring that there were no creases in my slip under it.

At this point my athletically trained body started to cause me difficulties, and at first had I pain in the back muscles.  After volleyball and fitness training for many years, these were being forced suddenly into inactivity, and furthermore, they had to reduce in size considerably, leaving nothing in their place. After about 2 months I could lace into 55cm, which I bore all day long, not without some inconvenience, but nevertheless without great pain. From then on I also wanted to wear a corset constantly at night. For the night I got a more flexible night corset, which offered to me more freedom, however my waist and lower ribs were just as firmly constrained.

At first I slept very badly, for the corset was inconveniencing me, but I did not want to take it off. Sometimes I had back pain, or pressure points.  Several times my husband had to loosen the corset, once I even took a sleeping pill, although I am normally very adverse to such a thing. That lasted for a very long time, some weeks, yet once I started with the night corset, after two days I did not notice it any longer!

Also, in the beginning, the greater constriction gave me some problems by day. I  got a pain in the ribs again and again, so some loosening of my laces was necessary.  A special problem was meals.  At first I could eat nothing when tightly laced, but if we loosened the lacing before the meal, it was even worse, sometimes afterwards I had heartburn. From medical considerations, we progressed carefully and therefore did not lace so tightly for a few weeks until all the difficulties had disappeared. After about half a year the corset was completely closed, without me feeling at all unwell. My waist measured 55cm, and my bust had increased to 87cm, with the upper part of my chest beginning to widen because of the restrictions lower down.  After we had kept the lacing constantly so for a few weeks, the corset was again taken in a little. I was now gradually laced into approximately 53cm, and at night to 55cm.   I am now out of my corset for only about half an hour per day and once a week for about an hour for sport. I use a flexible corset for sport, so that my back muscles do not develop unnecessarily.

I did have some genuine setbacks in my corset training, particularly when I had become well accustomed to being laced, and I could move more easily within my corset. Once, while doing housework, I squeezed a few ribs with an unfortunate movement, which shifted against each other in their tight constriction.  It was extremely painful, needing some weeks for healing completely.  For some time, I could bear only a very easy lacing, and in the first days I did not wear a corset. Now I understood why tight corsets should also be rigid. The practical requirements of some things eventually make themselves evident, even if they are not obvious at first sight.  This is the case of the long and rigid training corsets 19th century. They were thought only to instill in the young ladies elegant gestures and deportment, but they also made possible just the desired physical changes without serious damage to their health. If a tightly laced torso moves, the ribs can very easily be squeezed, or nerves can become pinched.  Tight lacing in a "softer" corset appears to me much more dangerous than tight lacing in a very rigid, long corset.

My later corsets are of this (long and rigid) type, usually long underbust corsets of the old design. An overbust corset has the advantage that a rigid busk does not press so hard between the breasts on the breastbone with tight lacing and great stiffness. The busk stiffener is shaped in such a way as to press the base of the stomach backwards, and is rigid enough to control the belly. With most corsets, the tighter the lacing the more belly pushes out, which is something I do not like at all.  The waist is cut high and expands only very gradually up to the chest, so that the lower ribs are strongly pressed in to make the torso narrow.  Restrictions around the waist area with these models is mainly at the sides and in the back, while the front remains straight.  The body position in such a straight front corset is quite tiring at first, since the torso is constrained permanently into a hollowed back posture.  Also it is not so easy to restrict the waist, since no constriction is possible at the front. Fortunately I decide for myself how much I am laced in, because it is difficult in this type of corset.  After first getting used to the corset, I was again laced increasingly tightly, proceeding with special caution, since with this corset each increase in the tightness of the lacing increases the pressure in the back and on the lower ribs much more. Every now and then it was tightened painfully and arduously all day long.

Today I work and also cycle in this sort of corset, but if I sit for a long time in the car it is very difficult, as my back cannot adapt when wearing such corsets. If I drive car therefore, I always put a cushion in the small of my back, and sit very upright in the seat.  Fortunately I rarely drive long distances, but if I do, then I wear another corset. I can be laced, problem-free, into 46cm in a softer corset, but this does not cause lasting results, and there is the danger of getting jammed or squeezing ribs or trapping nerves, therefore I normally avoid this type of corset. I normally lace into 49cm in rigid corsets.

My bust now measures 89cm and my hip measurement has changed from 95cm unlaced to 100cm with tight lacing. Without a corset, although that happens only rarely, my natural waist is 58cm. From time to time I chose to wear another corset, an underbust corset or a lacing belt over a dress.  In the summer I go to bathe at the beach without a corset.  Generally speaking, it is my choice when and what sort of corset I wear. Contrary to the situation of ladies in the 19th century, there is no social obligation to wear a corset. However, if I do not wear a corset for several hours, my back begins to hurt, an inevitable result, because the back muscles and spinal column are now dependent on a supporting garment.  But with a little training, at any time I could be "cured" of this, however I do not feel that there is in any sense a danger to my health. I do not wish to set up any record, I just want to look good, and I want to feel good. A waist of 48cm seems to me at present to be entirely sufficient.  The waist measure is only one part of the figure, and is central to the special silhouette and the slim torso which a corset brings out.

If one is permanently laced in a rigid corset as I am, one gradually achieves certain physical changes, and one begins to move differently. After a certain time, moving in the rigid corset was less of an effort, for the body no longer tries to fight against the corset.  For instance, some actions are done differently as dictated by the corset.  Instead of stooping down, one bends the knees to reach anything on the floor.  Because of the constriction of the waist and the lower ribs, one gradually begins to breathe with just the upper thorax.  At first I breathed quickly, since in a corset one cannot take deep breaths, but in time that becomes automatic. When tight laced, it is important to learn to breathe appropriately for the activity, e.g. sport, hiking or cycling. In time the body gets accustomed to a certain restriction. The internal organs, above all the lungs and stomach, will accommodate themselves within the steadily decreasing space available, so the stress on the body is reduced. If the lacing is then further tightened, then the problems will start afresh. In addition, there is unfortunately no alternative when eating to take only small portions, and in addition drink something to clear the stomach.

Lacing my corsets is normally done by my husband, who sometimes uses a little device to tighten me in. To start with, he laces me somewhat tighter than I can easily take.  If I then complain after a time about a pain or that I can eat nothing, then he will loosen the lacing a little, and this does the trick. I feel less tightly laced, although I am actually quite tight. I experimented as to what is a reasonable amount to lace in which I found to be not more than 10cm.  If one is to keep reducing, the constant lacing must continue, even at night. In our opinion, it is important to compress not only the waist but also the lower ribs so that an aesthetically beautiful figure develops, but that is a matter of opinion.  I am therefore not training for an extreme wasp waist, but to train the whole figure, which encompasses the waist, the whole silhouette and deportment. The waist is thereby only one part, and not even the most difficult.  It is much more difficult to taper the lower thorax, so that a straight cone tapering to the waist develops. The lowest ribs should be compressed gradually to the same extent as the waist, so that the waist becomes higher, with the lacing becoming less the higher on the body it is. This generates a beautiful expansion of the chest upwards.

At the start of tight lacing, the pressure on the lower ribs is great, and it does cause an oppressively tight feeling.  The pressure on the ribs every now and then can cause a stabbing pain. One should not fight to breathe, since respiration is limited by the diaphragm.  This gets worse, the higher the tightness of the corset reaches up the chest.

Posture training is just as difficult. Now everyone does not wear a straight front corset, but the silhouette formed thereby is for me the ultimate corseted figure. The belly is kept flat and the posterior pressed back. With tight lacing in a corset of this type, the upper and lower parts of the body are moulded into their intended shape. Below the waist, the organs are pressed into the hips which are pushed back back, instead of, with a normal corset, the belly being pushed down and outwards by the tight lacing stretching the abdominal wall.  At the same time, the chest is raised.  Once one has become accustomed to this posture, the lacing is quite bearable. However the corsert should not be laced too tightly, for it could be harmful as the human body has only a limited flexibility. If one wishes to try for a record waist, one should try using a normal corset which does not put such pressure on the ribs and spinal column.

Each individual must decide for herself how far to go when wearing a corset. Both occasional wearing and continuous lacing have pros and cons.  Every corset entails a certain amount of restriction of mobility, some models more, some models less. Each style is more suitable for a certain application than another.  Permanent lacing, day and night, represents a significant challenge, it causes an inevitable slimming effect.  If one wishes to undertake a some activity, one must keep in mind the consequences of that activity; for considerable changes have occurred in the body, and it may no longer be possible to do it in a corset.  With not too tight lacing (this differs from person to person), these physical changes are not injurious to health, nor do they impose stress on the body, or potential health risks.  One must recognise this if one wishes to lace oneself continuously.  Conversely, if one laces only occasionally, this can cause stress and health risks, since each time is a significant change for the body to accommodate.  Everyone must make their own decision in this matter. A wonderfully corseted figure is always worth it. Other things in daily life present substantially greater health risks than it a corset.  Since wearing a corset today is not an obligation, it has become primarily a challenge to dress in a possibily unusual and elegant way and to escape the drab uniformity and shapeless offerings of the ready-to-wear industry. One does not have to be masochist to take a little trouble and accept the restrictions, just by looking in a mirror, or noticing the admiring glances is to receive more than adequate compensation for the little effort and care expended.
 

Corsets and Sport

In my view a wasp waist or hourglass figure is only acceptable if the entire body presents a "good figure".  As in most other things, to achieve this sport can be a great help to stay healthy.

One must distinguish whether a corset is worn only occasionally, or whether one is permanently laced and corset training in undertaken.  For those who wear a corset only occasionally, sport has the same importance as for all other people. In addition, someone who laces in this way views herself as a "normal" figure.  The person who wears a corset occasionally should make certain that her appearance is attractive and nice to look at. Like many other things, this requirement to look beautiful will require some expenditure.  It applies to the legs, hips and stomach so that they result in a suitable whole with the wasp waist. No corset should be worn with a wholly natural shape, for although it causes no harm, it will go a little way towards figure training.

Sport becomes very significant when figure training entails permanent lacing.  First a short historical view. The figure training of a young girl in the 19th century was done by constant tight lacing in rigid corsets. To start with, this moulded the young body into the ideal shape, and it also held the young lady in an elegant posture and allowed her only gracious movements. This is today still the intent of such a training. The young girl had to wear a tight and rigid corset constantly, which moulded her body, and imposed on her a certain posture and deportment. This posture and deportment training was done with exercises, walking, riding and gymnastics. Within her corset, her body was forced to move only in certain permissible ways, and her posture was controlled by the corset.  In this way, the young ladies became accustomed to only that posture and those movements, and soon it became normal for them. 

Today, anyone who intends to wear a corset constantly should consider these historical facts.  The person who wants to feel at ease in a tight laced corset must train hard for it, if she is a continuous wearer.  One should realise that figure training that aims to change the waist and body entails becoming used to a life permanently in a corset.  If one does not want that, or has fears for one's health, then don't be permanently corseted, but figure training without a corresponding body change is not possible. Similarly, it is difficult for someone accustomed to being permanently laced, to do without her corset.  In my opinion, it is more dangerous to tight lace only for short periods; one should reach this condition by slow training towards a normal condition of being tightly laced and with a special body posture.

So how can one be corseted and play sport at the same time?  Corset training restricts the waist and lower part of the chest to a greater or lesser extent, to obtain a certain silhouette.  The chest is naturally somewhat broader on top than lower down, and it narrows into the smaller waist. The result of corset training is for the top of the thorax to increase and maximise the bust.  This occurs naturally when the lower ribs are tightly confined continuously.

This constriction does not have to be very great at the beginning, but it has to be firm enough so that the ribs are pressed inwards from their normal position.  At first this constriction of the ribs is unpleasant, one feels that one cannot get enough air and the displaced ribs give a stabbing pain. With time one becomes accustomed to the pressure, so the lacing can be gradually increased. To obtain optimum training results, the lacing should be tightened so that a minor and bearable discomfort arises, which allows lower ribs gradually to squeeze together till the rib cage meets in front, more than this is not possible anatomically.  The tightest lacing entails a long period of uneasiness and discomfort to reach this state.

How long it takes until this result is achieved is different for each individual case, but it happens more quickly the younger the constriction is begun. After a certain age such a great body change is no longer possible.  There are no precise data available, however it can be assumed that that due to the structure of bone and the body development up to an age of 40 years, the ribs are reasonably ductile, but later than that it is more difficult, and requires more time.  Certain internal organs are shifted by the tight constriction and are forced to change (for more information on this see the article by Dr. Helen Stern), the only part of the body that remains unchanged is the upper, unconstricted part of the thorax, which begins to widen slowly. This development is a goal of the training, and is effected more quickly and emphatically the more deeply the body is made to breathe.
 
The work rate of a person corseted in this way is initially quite low, as the volume of her lungs will have been reduced.  But regular exercise from sport causes the upper thorax to expand, increasing the lung capacity to almost their original size. Breathing can, however, take place only with the upper thorax, so that this must must be raised and lowered quite a lot with each breath, which promotes further widening and expansion.  During regular physical exercises, a laced person will clearly exhibit the desired changes, and will probably feel much the same as a similarly laced person who is not exercising would feel and who will not have experienced the same expansion of the upper thorax.  The type of exercise depends on the degree of the constriction.  The torso should be tightly laced and as immovable as possible, with an erect carriage. Laced in this way, only few sporting activities are possible.  Walking, cycling and riding are paricularly well suited given the posture and movements required.  Also, dancing, skipping and other energetic exercises are suitable. A tight and and rigid constriction requires one to change many ways of moving.  It is a fact that a laced person will find that certain movements are impeded again and again or made more difficult by her corset. When tightly laced, a person will want to avoid sitting down as it increases the pressure on the parts that are laced, and it is also difficult to get up again.  Similarly, it is awkward to pick something up from the ground, to put on stockings or shoes, or to bend the rigid body forwards. With all these movements the constricted body tries automatically to use muscles whose movement is made difficult or impossible by the corset. The compression causes a feeling of great uneasiness as the body is constantly prevented from doing something to which it was accustomed. By constant and  conscious use of these movements, which can be rather and unpleasant at first, the body learns not to use any longer the muscles forced into inactivity, but to rely instead on the stiffness of the corsets.

The uneasiness eventually disappears, when the muscles that are no longer necessary learn to relax.  Getting used to these restraints is helped by suitable exercises such as knee bending, and sitting in straight backed chairs together with frequent getting up again.  But one must absolutely avoid all movements entailing rotating the torso. While the tight and rigid constriction effectively prevents bending the torso, rotating is still possible despite the corset, but is extremely dangerous, since the ribs can become jammed and squeeze the nerves. People who must perform manual labor, either as a job or in the house, should not overtighten their lacing, so as not to be constantly conscious of it, or that she is wearing a corset.  As one gets more used to the corset, occasionally one completely forgets it while working, which, for a beginner, would seem inconcievable.

About once per week for one or two hours exercise or an easy sport is recommended without a corset, so that muscles can be loosened and those parts of the body that are kept immovable can have their blood circulation improved.  However one should avoid strenuous exercising and training of normally laced muscles, the intent is only to allow the muscles to move, not build them up. There is a dispute about swimming as a suitable sport. In my opinion, it is not recommended, as the back muscles are heavily exercised. Those who wish to, should go into the water with a swimming costume, and relax in it, and not try to swim long distances.  With a proper swimming corset, that is difficult anyway.  Similarly, tennis or badminton is dangerous in a corset, since the body can be easily twisted.  Finally I would like to state that the above comments and opinions come from my personal experience of both occasional lacing and continuous corset training. They are not scientifically proven nor medically accepted facts, and therefore not generally applicable in every case.

Lacie,   April 2002.
 

Working in a Corset

An argument frequently used against the corset is that it impedes one's daily work, and one's normal everyday occupation cannot be carried out.  But this argument is not at all correct.  True, the corset hampers some actions, so one then has to avoid these movements in daily work, and consequently one has to learn to work differently in a corset than without.   Obviously a person who laces must decide for herself what work she can do. Similarly it is important what sort of corset is worn, particularly if one laces tightly. A short corset will not necessarily be more comfortable. The most important criterion as to whether a corset feels awkward to work in is becoming used to wearing it.  Someone who laces only occasionally will surely feel awkward, because the corset will inevitably impede their normal movements.  Someone such as myself who is permanently laced, gradually learns to adjust to make those movements that the corset allows.  One gradually and unconsciously learns to avoid any action that is prevented or made more difficult by the corset. When, more than 100 years ago, the corset was an everyday item of clothing, women of all classes wore one:  housemaids, women workers, farmer's wives or lady doctors.  Not all were equally tightly laced, but a corset was worn from an early age by everyone everywhere.  One can become accustomed to such a "restricting" article of clothing only by everyday wear.  If a corset is worn only occasionally, working without the corset is probably more advisable. The corset thus directly affects what can be done. How does this work out in detail?

A corset limits the mobility of the torso more strongly the more tightly it is laced and more rigid it is. But the tighter the corset, the stiffer it should be.  That means that with increasingly tighter lacing, the mobility of the torso becomes ever more limited.  To bend down is therefore difficult with the more rigid ones, if not actually impossible.  Instead of trying to bend the corset, the lady must bend at the knees with a straight back, and can also only look downwards to a very limited extent. At first this is quite a problem, but one gets used to it fairly readily. In addition, this kind of the movement is far healthier for the spinal column than bending forward normally.  Whoever sits a lot at a desk will soon find a corset quite pleasant, provided it is not too tightly laced. With tight lacing, sitting for a long time is initially quite unpleasant, since the seated position increases the pressure on the waist. But again, getting used to constriction becomes its own remedy.  The continuous heavy pressure on the waist gradually becomes ever less and less uncomfortable.  A genuine problem for me in a tight corset, however, is driving a car, for as my corset is extremely rigid, it is difficult to sit in a relaxed way in the car seat. With normal corsets this problem might not be so pronounced.  But I believe that any job in which it is essential to move can be done in a tightly laced corset, provided one is used to it.  A job which does not call for much movement, such as just sitting or standing, may be more difficult, but I do not have any experience of that myself.


 My experiences working:

Today I prefer very rigid straight front corsets, but it took some time to get used to and until I could work in this corset.  First I wore the rigid corset for some hours each day at home. At work I wore just a "normal" Axfords corset. Gradually, as I got accustomed to the more rigid corset, I began to change my movements during housework, as I describe above. Then I wore my rigid corset for the first time in my hospital. Some things I could not do as I used to, and some things took somewhat longer, but everything went to amazingly well, and nobody objected to it.  I was often told that I moved very elegantly, and held myseld very erect, a generally positive result.

Working in the rigid corset took more effort than before.  As a nurse one must run occasionally, bend and also move quite heavy people, when washing or when getting them up.  This takes a real physical effort.  In addition one is always under pressure for time, and has a great responsibilities. But this work also has its good side:  I forget being laced every now and then completely, and have very quickly become accustomed to working in my corset.  Today my corset hardly scarcely impedes me at all at work, because I am accustomed to it and move easily in the corset.  Only in summer, if it is very hot, it can be difficult to work in a corset.
Lacie, 2003