de bene esse: The Cruel History of Fashion

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Cruel Women’s Fashion No. 1: Corsets

When one thinks of uncomfortable women’s fashions throughout history, most people jump to the corset. Originally developed in ancient Greece, women wore laced body braces that were tightened about the waist in order to create the illusion of an hourglass figure. For several centuries, women pushed the limits of osteological strength, attempting to shrink their waists to an ideal 16 inches, some getting as small as 14.

Source: Hoyden About Town

There was a serious consequence to repeated use of the corset that is as horrifying as it is obvious. If the wearer didn’t simply shatter her ribcage in the process, the woman potentially faced suffocation in the name of fashion. Also, as a corset-donning female made her corset tighter, she was basically herniating her intestines into the rest of her lower abdomen. A female impersonator even died onstage due to the unbearable stresses of the corset.
In a society that demands a physically impossible standard of beauty, it is an unfortunate reality that some will push their limits beyond the breaking point. However, in the quest for an hourglass figure, the corset may have been the safer option over the alternative.