Fashionably Uncomfortable!
Thankfully, most fashions these days are all about comfort and style but that’s not always been the case. Throughout history there have been some incredibly uncomfortable and downright dangerous trends. We have arrived at the current point in fashion no doubt due to these mistakes and learning from them. Let’s take a look at some of the worst examples of fashion trends that have preceded us.
Powdered wigs: fashionable but far from hygienic
Powdered wigs were a big thing, literally, throughout 17th century Europe and were started by Louis XIII when he began to lose his hair. These large wigs were very ornate in some cases and women often slept in a sitting position just to preserve the grandeur of a wig. As you can imagine, due to a lack of hygiene, these wigs became rather smelly and also harboured some unwelcome critters. The wigs were perfumed, powdered and waxed rather than being washed but suffered from infestations of lice and moths!
About one hundred years earlier in Europe, the paler your skin, the more beautiful you were considered. Makeup was used to pale the skin but unfortunately it contained lead and we now know that lead is poisonous. It caused horrifying side effects including nausea, headaches, rotting teeth and even death! Elizabeth I was one Queen who was said to have suffered the terrible effects of lead-based makeup.
A trend that featured men appeared in the 19th century and included a stiff, high collar. They were rather dangerous though it seems and could cause strangulation, as a collar done up slightly too tight could choke you to death. For a much safer and infinitely more comfortable range of Mens Designer Clothes, visit http://ejmenswear.com/.
Corsets and other harmful body-shaping trends
Corsets were another less than comforting piece of clothing that have been popular for centuries. From the 16th century onwards, the use of corsets to make the bust and hips look curvy whilst maintaining a tiny waist, had been common practice. It was particularly trendy in the Victorian era but caused a myriad of painful conditions. They restricted movement and also caused indigestion, fainting, problems breathing and even internal bleeding.
If bizarre forms of clothing weren’t enough, imagine trying to change a part of your body for fashion. The Kayan people in Burma see long necks as a symbol of attractiveness and so girls as young as 2 begin wearing rings around their neck. It is a slow process but causes permanent damage and doesn’t actually lengthen the neck but restricts growth in the shoulders and pushes down to warp the rib cage. This gives the impression of a long and slender neckline.
More recent fashion risks: long earrings
A slightly less dangerous trend but quite painful nevertheless was the fad in the 1980’s to wear extremely long dangly, earrings. This fashion is making a comeback but beware as many young women got the earrings caught in things, even just brushing their hair and they ripped out the earrings, taking part of the ear with them! It might be best to make sure that your earrings don’t extend longer than your collar.
Summary
This article looks back at some of history’s most uncomfortable and dangerous fashion trends. It covers powdered wigs, lead-based makeup, stiff high collars, corsets, neck rings worn by the Kayan people, and 1980s dangly earrings, explaining how each caused real harm such as poisoning, restricted movement, choking or torn ears. It concludes that modern fashion has learned from these mistakes.
Questions this article raises
- Which of these historical fashion trends caused the most lasting harm?
- Are there any modern fashion trends that could be seen the same way in future?
- Why did people continue wearing these harmful items despite the risks?
