Madonna has been a 'sex symbol' for decades, with her streamlined, slim, healthy body and attractive blonde image conforming to the feminine ideal. She has become a loaded sign in herself. In this way, when she makes the corset visible it becomes fetishised. The revealing of undergarments is already a sexual image, but by coupling it with a sexual body this effect is enhanced (Lurie, 1992, p6). She also does not appear uncomfortable in the garment, and can move easily about the stage, thus indicating that if one conforms to this stereotype then they will achieve some element of freedom. Similarly the cone shaped breasts become objects of sexual desire by drawing attention to her breasts in a non maternal light, making them the most eye catching thing about the entire garment. The costume is completed with fish net stockings, an item which conjures images of promiscuous women. To add to this her hair is tied up in a style reminiscent of Barbra Eden's in I Dream of Jeannie, in which Jeannie calls Major Nelson (played by Larry Hagman) 'Master' (I Dream of Jeannie, 1965 1970). This combination of signifiers serves to reinforce the feminine stereotype through Jean Paul Gaultier's corset, rather than subverting the feminine ideal. In this costume Madonna becomes the fetishised subject of the male gaze. The duality of the garment is a clear indicator of the various ways in which fashion and dress can be read, as well as the way it ultimately still supports the constructed female gender identity despite trying to subvert it. It also shows that the reading of fashion can be influenced by the body and any pre existing signs which a garment or image may refer to. At times these references are clearly apparent.