by Shona Johnson

Fashion was and still continues to be a huge part of people’s lives, keeping up with trends is so important to some that they will do anything to remain ‘in style’ – even if that means risking their health.

We see it still today with extreme waist training (thanks again, Kardashians…), and endless plastic surgery to achieve a desirable, voluptuous yet svelte figure. The lengths some people go to for aesthetic beauty is truly incomprehensible, so let’s take a look at five of the most dangerous trends in human history:

Foot Binding

In 10th and 11th century China, tiny feet were revered for being feminine and delicate. Many women would have their feet bound to achieve small feet, which I’m sure you can imagine is a horrendous process. Foot Binding involves the breaking of the bones in the feet, then restructuring them – and binding them tightly in linen. Many women would die from infection and shock as a result of the damage done, and those who survived the ordeal had extremely limited mobility. Quite the price to pay.

Powdered Wigs

When Louis XIII of France started to go bald, he decided to don an extravagant white wig instead – which in turn started a trend amongst the 17th century nobility. These wigs were so intricately designed and decorated that men and women often had to sleep sitting up to preserve the style. What made matters worse, was that these wigs were never actually washed, they were simply waxed, powdered and perfumed. Unfortunately, this lack of hygiene often meant that these wigs would become home to an all manner of unwanted guests, such as lice, moths and even mice. One urban legend claims that a woman left a party after complaining of a sore head, only to discover that a mouse had decided to make a meal out of her scalp. Disgusting.

Extreme Corseting

Today, we turn to the likes of the Kardashians for inspiration on how to get a tiny waist – via the use of trainers and mild corset usage. However, in the Victorian era corsets were worn daily in place of a bra. These corsets were often so tight that they bruised ribs, and suffocated hundreds of women – all in the pursuit of an hourglass figure. Unfortunately, lots of women still take lace-up corseting to the extreme today. Thanks, but no thanks!

Lead Face Paint

Today, a tanned complexion is seen as desirable – but throughout most of European history having tanned skin was a symbol of low social class, since labourers would often be tanned due to their abundant time outside working the land. Having fair, pale skin was a symbol of wealth and beauty – so many people would use makeup to achieve this look. However, this makeup was laced with lead paint which is toxic, which resulted in sores, headaches, nausea, tooth decay and eventually death from lead poisoning. Queen Elizabeth I was infamous for her use of such makeup, her skin was said to have been ‘pock-marked’ and ‘aged before its time’.

High, Stiff Collars

Women are not the only creatures throughout history to adhere to dangerous fashion trends, men fall victim to such silliness also. During 19th century Europe, a strong neckline was thought to be very alluring to women, so in order to achieve this look men would use abundant levels of starch to stiffen these collars and wear them so high that their jawlines actually touched the collars. In many cases, after wearing the collars all day they would ride up and slowly choke the wearer, often referred to as ‘father-killers’ these collars could cause asphyxiation – and death.

So…how far would you go for fashion?

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