Deep freeze (part 3)

... part 2
It was late October when Ministry of Modesty was able to pass the Guardianship Law. Most people had expected the law to pass due to the pressure of Prime Minister Lloyd. Even the Prime Minister's wife, Lady Lloyd was very active as a spokeswoman for the law. The law was stalled in Parliament by a few liberals, until a compromise was reached, scaling the reach of the law and to whom it applied. While originally expected to cover every non working woman, it was scaled down. It covered girls between 18 and 20 years of age, married or unmarried. It also covered any lady that on their own chooses to be bound by the Guardianship Law. Or at least any lady that had a guardian that could meet the economic requirements set forth in the law. Any lady covered by the lady became the ward of her guardian, with oversight from the Ministry. Such a lady also became  entitled to special protection by the government, effectively codified a higher class. Severe restrictions were placed upon ladies, including the need of constant supervision by her guardian, her guardian's help, or authorized government personnel from the Ministry. The lady was not allowed to work, or study further than secondary. Ladies are prohibited from having contact with unauthorized men. Most relevant to the Ministry of Modesty, all ladies under the law were required to wear appropriate helpless suits, when outside, as a security matter. The imposition of the suit indoors was left to the discretion of the guardian. The law was praised by some circles, as a way to protect vulnerable women in a new harsh environment. To its critics it was a way to  objectify women note that most manual labor had been automated. Proponents of the law saw that as a positive. When Lady Lloyd went on national TV to announce the law, I was impressed by her, she was so elegant, so eloquent. She had become the poster girl of the law. She was widely admired, and was thought to have significant influence in the Ministry. I still remember seeing her in that TV appearance, she looked so elegant in a very expensive looking suit. It was dark green, with a large white decoration on her right side, in the silhouette of a flower. It had integrated black leather gloves and boots. And her boots had very tall spike heels. Probably not very useful for walking in the snow, but perfect for a public appearance.
At my school, as expected in a somewhat high class private school for girls, it didn't take long for all the girls in my class to start complying with the law a wearing a suit. Soon the very loose dress code of the school turned into a uniform, at least for the girls in the oldest class. However, the extra work of helping girls wearing a suit quickly overwhelmed the current staff, and soon my class was packed by governesses that had been called in to help. They would escort the girls to special restrooms. They unlock the girls' suits at meal times if they are wearing suits that cover their mouths. They also help enforce the dress code and made sure no girl would tamper with her suit. All of these were clearly identified by the typical clothing worn by helpers, mainly long sleeved gray wool dresses. However, many were surprised to see Principal Behar arrive wearing a helpless suit the Monday after the approval of the law. She arrived together with two other ladies, also dressed in severe suits. Gossip on the hallways said that the two visitors were inspectors from the Ministry.
Most of the girls accepted the changes, although few were enthusiastic. Even Jane was hesitant. She had originally enjoyed the exclusivity if wearing a suit, but over night a horde of girls began wearing suits.
Others were not happy with the changes, but had no option other than submitting. Day by day I could see Leigh becoming more and more submissive. While at first I could see her trying to fight her suit, she was starting to accept the permanence of her situation, reinforced by the multitude of staff and helpers tending to her new status. That and the new law.
And what about me? My life didn't change significantly with the law, although I knew I was bound by it. Ela has been eager about the "suggestions" given by the Ministry of Modesty, but for the most part she had already imposed all them, with father's blessing, of course. I'm sure he was compensating for being away for so long, and wanted me to be "secure". I was dressed in helpless suit all day, everyday, no exceptions. During the week Ela would make me wear one my regular suits. However, during the weekends Ela would sometimes dress me with my white suit, since she said having my mouth covered forced me to cut down on unnecessary chatter, and help me concentrate on my school work. While lounging at home, Ela would normally close and lock the zipper of the kick pleat at the back of the apron, limiting the length of my stride to almost nothing. This was to teach me patience. A lady was not supposed to do anything, a lady was just supposed to "be", Ela would say to me. I was sure she liked it because it made me easier to control. Was I comfortable? Not at all, the suit feel incredibly restrictive when fully done, but I learned that the less I tried to move, the less I would be inconvenienced by the suit. Other times, especially on days that we went out of the house, she would dress me in my baby pink suit with the pompoms. While less restricting than my white suit, she knew the suit made me self conscious, but I would even venture to say she enjoyed seeing me like that. By this time I had already gotten used to the limitations of my suits, the limited mobility, the heat, and the bulk. Seeing all of the girls in my social circle in the same situation made it easier to bear.
As the weeks passed and the weather turned dead cold some of the girls began wearing an overcoat on top of their suits, however on the street I began seeing a trend in the suits worn by the ladies that I hadn't seen before. Or maybe I had seen it before, but did not pay close attention to it before I started wearing suits of my own. However it did bring me a feeling of anxiety and foreboding.
... part 4