People are strange indeed. They are seldom satisfied with what they are, how they look and with what they’ve got. They have this urge of having more, becoming someone else, dressing in particular ways in order to get acceptance. This world we live in is just crazy, man! Here are some thoughts on human fashion oddities. Just read and learn.
1. Foot binding is for real
This atrocious practice of foot binding began in the 10th century in China, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It was a big hit for over 1000 years or so and was practiced by very young girls. 7 years of age was considered old for this kind of torture. Basically, the girls’ feet were broken, then kept in large bandages so they could no longer grow. Like all bizarre fashion atrocities, this practice was initially introduced in rich families. It was a sign of prestige and rare beauty. The ideal foot had to have three inches in length. These were called golden lotuses, while feet that were between three and four inches in length were called silver lotuses.
There are some famous photos wandering the Internet taken by Jo Farrell, with the last remaining women in China with bound feet. According to the BBC, Farrell said:
“Although considered fairly barbaric, it was a tradition that enabled women to find a suitable partner. Matchmakers or mothers-in-law required their son’s betrothed to have bound feet as a sign that she would be a good wife. (she would be subservient and without complaint). “These incredible women [have] lived through famine, the cultural revolution (where people were penalized for the four olds: old habits, manners, custom, and culture) and family deconstruction/migration of the twentieth century,” Farrell writes.
In the 19th century, Chinese reformers stated to take some measures against the practice but it was not until the early 20th century that foot binding began to die out. Fortunately, social conditions started to change and this horrible curse began to be lifted.
2. Choking with corsets
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Apparently, slender beauty has always been an obsession. Women had to look delicate at any costs. Well, corsets were the sure thing when it came down to contorting reality. Women have usually worn corsets in order to create a particular fit of clothing and appearance as far as the lady’s figure was concerned. The ladies wear them around the waistline. They often lace them up really tight to pull their waist into a much smaller circumference.
It is believed that in the 16th century, the corset’s purpose was not to create a slim figure, but it was designed to mold the torso into a cylindrical shape and raise the bustline. But as centuries went by, the waistline had to appear slimmer and slimmer.
Apparently, this was a guarantee for power and respect among women. For instance, Marie Antoinette, the beautiful wife of France’s King Louis XVI wore corsets that crushed her organs.
When worn, a corset compresses the ribcage which, as a result, is no longer able to work as it is meant to. And as far as the breasts are concerned, the pressure they are exposed to causes the nipples to reduce in size and in extreme ways this can even lead to breast cancer.
It can even affect menstruation due to the extreme pressure.
Among the gossip revolving around this corset obsession, a 19th-century story tells that a lady had died after falling in the street. As a consequence, a broken rib was pressed inwards by the tight corset, causing it to puncture a lung or the liver.