The Real Truth Behind Fashion Trends We Follow Blindly

The feminine beauty ideal is a “socially constructed notion that physical attractiveness is one of women’s most important assets, and something all women should strive to achieve and maintain”. Feminine beauty ideals are rooted in hetero-normative beliefs, and heavily influence women of all sexual orientations. We are going to share the dark secrets behind popular fashion trends that all of us have been following for years. Trust me, you’ll be as amused as I was while doing research on them.

1. CHOKER

Origin:

• During the French Revolution, women took to wearing red ribbons around their necks to pay homage to those who met their death at the guillotine.
• Around 1900, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom also worn one to hide small scars.
•  And in the late 19th century, a plain, thin, red or black ribbon choker had ties to prostitution, to attract and let men know of their existence.
• Also, A plain black woven choker or ribbon could signify secret lesbianism in the Depression era.
  
  

2. CORSET A.K.A THE TUMMY TUCKER

A corset is a close-fitting piece of clothing which has now become a fashion statement for millennial women.

Origin:

• French women had inconceivably narrow waists because they used to wear a corset or bodice over the chemise, which makes their shape more delicate and slender. The corset was considered a great asset to make women more attractive and curvaceous.
• It was also a torturous contraption that often caused women to faint & possibly deformed their bodies. The negative side of this was that it caused the woman to breathe with the top part of the lungs which lead to irregular and heavy breathing.
• Sometimes, for health reasons and body support, a medical corset made to individual specifications was worn. Warehouse workers, both men, and women, often wear an elastic support, much like a corset, around the waist to give support to the lower back when lifting and bending often.
  
  

3. FISHNET STOCKINGS

The origin of fishnet stockings, the racy leg ornaments which are all the craze today, have a much darker history than you can imagine.

Origin:

• They originated in Paris among the dancing, acting, and “prostituting” crowd that slunk around the City Of Love at night. In particular, the free-loving girls at the Moulin Rouge (Cafe where artists go) made fishnets known to Europe and the world at large.
• In 1920’s, Fishnets became popular with flappers and show girls.
  
  

4. GARTER BELTS

Garter Belts are also referred to as shapewear and may come with suspender slings attached. These clips, also known as suspender slings, are best attached to stockings with a simple belt that does not have lace or ‘hold-ups’ with a silicon rubber lining. 

Origin:

• Suspender belts for men do exist, usually worn when there is a need to wear support hosiery for medical reasons.
• These are worn by women who suffer from thrush or cystitis instead of tights as nylon worn close to the genital area can exacerbate any infection present.
• The other reason for wearing support stockings is for medical reasons associated with varicose veins or poor circulation.
• More than that, strippers in bars made it largely famous.
  
  

5. RIPPED/DISTRESSED JEANS

Not all distressed jeans were worn as a fashion statement.

Origin:

• Ripped jeans were simply a result of over-wearing.  Prior to the 1970’s, ripped jeans were mainly associated with the less fortunate.  The lower end of the working class could not afford to part with their denim. Obviously, if a family cannot afford to purchase new pants, they may continue wearing them past the point of their own personal preference.

6. GRUNGE STYLE

The word “grunge” dates from 1972 but did not enter popular terminology until the birth of the Seattle sound, a mix of heavy metal, punk, and good old-fashioned rock and roll, in the late 1980s. The youth movements most often associated and compared to grunge-hippie and punk were driven both by music and politics.

Although the grunge look was considered “anti-fashion”, the fashion industry turned the grunge look into a distinct fashion style. The fashion industry began selling such items as plaid hooded sweatshirts, plaid long sleeved t-shirts, and plaid shorts.

Origin:

• Punks and hippies used music and fashion to make strong statements about the world and are often referred to as “movements” due to this political component. While the youth of 1980s Seattle were aware of politics, grunge was fueled more by self-expression-sadness, disenchantment, disconnectedness, loneliness, frustration and perhaps was an unintentional movement of sorts.

7. GLADIATORS

Gladiator sandals are great if you want to flaunt your legs and your end-of sock weather pedicures. 

Origin:

• The original gladiator sandals of ancient Rome, according to Roman-Colosseum.info, were “predominantly leather.” The shoes were made from animal hide, with the toughest leather used for the soles and the softer pieces for the straps and inner soles.
• Sandals for gladiators, for whom the footwear was named, were constructed from the highest quality leather so their feet wouldn’t get covered in the blood-soaked sand of the battle arena floors.
• All other Romans wore cheaper versions of the shoe “studded with hobnails” whenever they were indoors because no one walked around barefoot for fear of looking impoverished–even if they were.