Fake pregnant belly, ‘consumable chic’, and other really bizarre fashion trends from yesteryear

People always talk about how crazy times are these days outfit There are trends. when you take a look at us History, However, you will find that humans have always done questionable things in the name of Style.

From toxic beauty treatments to accessories that make it difficult to walk, see or even breathe, fashion has long been linked to ideas of status, wealth and desirability. Practicality…not so much. A look back at some of history’s weirdest trends shows just how far people were willing to go in search of the perfect look, long before the era of BBLs and obnoxious but stupidly expensive handbags.

Here are some of the most unusual fashion trends that people have eagerly adopted throughout history, despite the risks, inconveniences, or sheer ridiculousness.

Consumable chic (18th and 19th century)

Long before heroine chic, Victorian women tried to mimic the symptoms of tuberculosis, aka consumption, because pallor and weakness expressed views Of a pure, tragically beautiful leading lady of a Brontë novel. After all, fragility was considered extreme femininity at the time.

If you were not lucky enough to suffer from this disease, you may use makeup to get pale skin and red lips, and wear a dress that ruins your posture.

Eyes Dazzling Belladonna (Renaissance Venice to Victorian Era)

As the story goes, dilated pupils were considered incredibly attractive, and Venetian ladies of the court would put drops of highly poisonous belladonna into their eyes to get the look. However side effects included blurred vision and even blindness.

And then, when consumerist chic took over Victorian England, drops once again became popular as a way to look watery and on the verge of death. warm.

Hobble Skirt (1908 and 1914)

As the name suggests, these extremely tight ankle-length skirts, first introduced in France, were so comfortable that wearers were forced to take shorter steps.

When World War I began, these skirts were deemed useless and soon fell out of fashion. However, they paved the way for the more timeless pencil skirt.

Gorgeous Nail Guard (Qing Dynasty)

Nails in general have long been adorned and revered in Chinese culture. To protect them while growing, high-status women wore carefully decorated nail guards (Or hu zi) made of metal, shells and even jade. The peon, a symbol of good luck and wealth, was a popular motif.

While most people wear these sharp, claw-like nail guards only on the ring finger or little finger, Empress Dowager Cixi, who ruled from 1835 to 1908, infamously wore them on all of her nails. This behavior helped lead to the decline of his dynasty, as it became a symbol of the excessive opulence of the imperial rule.

Black Teeth (Edo period, Elizabethan era)

In Japanese culture, dark black objects were considered extremely beautiful. Compared to the stark white face paint worn by the nobility, natural teeth looked dirty and yellow; Darkening them created a surprising, deliberate paradox. And like this, OhaguroThe practice of blackening teeth with a solution of iron filings and vinegar was born. As extreme as it may seem through a modern lens, iron-based mixtures acted as early dental sealants, filling pores and protecting enamel, which actually helped prevent tooth decay.

Meanwhile in Europe, when Elizabeth I became Queen of England in 1558 and gained access to sugar through colonization, she quickly developed a habit of eating the sweetener…which caused her teeth to decay and blacken. Because terrible dental hygiene soon meant that one had the means to purchase sugary foods, English women in high society tried to blacken their own teeth to show their status.

Fake Pregnancy Pad (1793)

In 1793 England, the best thing you could do was buy a fake bump, which was aptly named padTo see what you were expecting. The trend is believed to have been started by a wealthy woman named Lady Charlotte Campbell, who tried to imitate the classical sculptures she saw while touring the country.

This desire to look pregnant may have been heightened by the empire waist dress, which showed her protruding belly. Campbell and his colleagues probably had plenty of women showcasing their fertility and tried to do the same.

This, of course, would only be the beginning of the use of padding to emphasize certain female features.

Chest rings (late 1890s)

That’s right, tight, highly restrained Victorians were also into nipple piercings, or “Annex de Seine,“as they were called in Paris, where they were first introduced. These rings were inserted through the nipples, sometimes linked together with a delicate chain, and were thought to keep a woman in a constant state of arousal.

And if you thought women were the only ones behind these wild fashion fads, guess again.

Macaroni hat (1760s Britain)

The macaroni hat is essentially a smaller, miniature version of the traditional tricorn hat. Rebellious, aristocratic youths, known as macaroni, wore them over ginormous, high-powdered wigs…which, in turn, looks not rebellious but cartoonish.

“Edwardian” collar (19th century)

These detachable collars were a mainstay of men’s fashion. However, they were so hard that they were life threatening.

One such victim was a man named John Cruetzi. In form of new York Times informedCruetzi was found dead on a park bench in 1888, after he was too intoxicated, having fallen asleep in such a way that his stiff collar blocked air and blood flow, and he was suffocated.

So many men fell victim to this deadly fashion accessory that the collar was eventually dubbed the “father killer.” fashionably lethal Author summer strevens. (Which is honestly a metal name. Kudos.)

And again, there were similar trends for men and women…

Titus Cut (Regency era)

Think of it as an old-timey pixie cut, reportedly named after French actor François-Joseph Talma, who kept his hair short to play the Roman Emperor Titus in a production of Voltaire’s play. Brutus.

However, this “guillotine cut” also shared the look of condemned royalty on their way to the chopping block. So this cut, along with the red ribbon worn around the neck to mimic the guillotine cut, was a funky, rebellious fashion statement.

Kraków, aka Poulance (15th century)

With this unisex shoe, the longer the tip, the richer you are. Because what does a situation like not being able to walk say?

Named after the Polish capital Kraków, their toes ranged from four to 20 inches, often needing to be filled with moss or wool to maintain their shape.

Fun Fact: A 2005 study Bunions were found in early and late medieval remains, particularly on bodies from “fashionable” neighborhoods who wore these deathtraps.

When will we learn?

The common thing we see in most of these trends, regardless of time or place, is that they are dictated by the rich. Common sense, practicality and even common sense evaporate as the message of wealth and status is conveyed. Which…sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it? Celebrity-endorsed GLP-1 drugs, cosmetic procedures, “luxury” brands…would any of these things really seem aspirational if they weren’t completely associated with a lifestyle that’s out of reach for any of us?

The answer (hopefully) seems like a clear ‘no’. So while people get into debates over the latest and greatest trends entering the online scene, perhaps our time is better spent cultivating what we find beautiful for ourselves, and taking solace in the fact that it is only a matter of time before said trends will be seen by future generations.

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