26.

as a woman, an average woman, OF TODAY! I once correspond- ed with a fellow who made long taffeta bloomers for him- self and who wrote about being taken to a school (today!) where the boys, for punishment, were garbed in corselettes, taffeta pantellettes, taffeta petticoats, and taffeta frocks, and other relics of a bygone age. When simple fetishism of this kind is offered up as truth I lose in- terest and become bored though sympathetic. I would not deny such people their indulgences, or condemn them in any way--I would simply plead that the term "transvestite" be given reasonable qualification, and that fetishism be given honest acknowledgement. TRANSVESTIA, I would hast- ily add, is an appropriate vehicle for material on fetish- ism as well as transvestism for I feel an affinity for female clothing fetishists, being a lover of all items of regular feminine apparel.

I am sure the L'Abbe de Choisy derived no less pleas- ure from dressing as a woman because nylong panties, up- lift brassiers, Harvey Woods' negligees and rayon crepe afternoon frocks were not available to him. One loves reading about him and the other transvestites of the past. But shouldn't a male of 1960 longing to wear garments of a former era be classed as a fetishist? Am I merely quibb- ling over a fine point, or do some of our readers and friends agree with me?

Jo-Anne, Montreal

Editor's Note: Here is an interesting observation and a challenging question. For the enlightenment of all of us it would be interesting if some of you would take up the challenge and give your opinions. Either a consensus of agreement or of disagreement would begin to give a picture of the way the average TV feels about his pastime. As it is too little is known about TVism that applies over a large number. What is known is usually based on observa- tions of just a few individuals. So lets have it!!