Six of history’s most dangerous fashion trends

Staying on top of the latest fashion trends can sometimes mean sacrificing your own health and comfort for styleBy Naomi Braithwaite Modern fashion trends including suffocating shapewear, flimsy ballet flats and oversized tote bags have caused misery for many wearers. But these trends are tame in comparison to many of history’s fashion fads — some of which were even lethal. Vertiginously volatile shoes The 1950s invention of the stiletto heel was met with mixed reviews. While for wearers it became a symbol of femininity and empowerment and many enjoyed the extra height it gave them, some women found the stiletto uncomfortable to walk in. Concerns were soon raised over the heels’ potential to cause harm. In 1953, British photojournalism magazine Picture Post ran a feature titled The Hazards of the Stiletto Heel, which cited concerns from doctors about the impending dangers that wearing these shoes could bring, from turned ankles to broken bones. Decades later, concerns over the harmful nature of high heeled shoes continues. Studies have shown there’s a direct relationship between high heel wearing and musculoskeletal injuries. However, it’s not only the act of wearing stilettos that causes harm. In 2016, The Telegraph reported that stilettos had been used as weapons in hundreds of assaults. In 2013, US citizen Ana Trujillo, nicknamed the Stiletto Killer, received a life sentence for stabbing her boyfriend 25 times with a blue suede stiletto heel. Stilettos have not only proved dangerous to wear but have been used as a weapon The deadly corset The corset has had a long and often controversial history, one which can be traced back centuries. From the 16th century, it was an undergarment made either from whalebone and sometimes steel that was used to shape the waist. But over the years, concerns were increasingly raised about the potential harms of wearing corsets – particularly from the practice of ‘tight lacing.’ For instance, in 1793 the German medical doctor and anatomist Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring published a book discussing his concerns over prolonged tight lacing. In it, he writes that the practice could compress the ribs and other internal organs and inflict deformities on the rib cage. In June 1890, The Lancet also published an article illuminating the devastating effects of tight lacing – including causing broken ribs, damaged organs, breathing difficulties, deformities and even death. While the trend for tight corset wearing may have subsided, there are still concerns over the impacts that more modern versions in the form of shapewear can have on the body. Poison gowns During the Victorian era, a deadly trend emerged for a particular shade of emerald green which became popular for fabrics, furnishings and fashion. But green was a challenging colour to produce. So to achieve this vibrant and fashionable hue, Victorian dressmakers would use a particular dye called Scheele’s green which was laden with arsenic. The public wasn’t aware of how harmful these arsenic-laden dresses were until renowned chemist AW Hoffman published an article in 1862 called The Dance of Death which exposed the dangerous toxicity of the green dye. The following week, the popular satire publication Punch Magazine featured a cartoon titled The Arsenic Waltz which featured a skeleton in a ballgown. The lethal effects of wearing these dresses included ulcers, organ failure and eventual death. Toxic cosmetics Queen Elizabeth I was known for her porcelain complexion, which was seen as a mark of beauty and status at the time. But the makeup Queen Elizabeth I used to achieve this look was also a mask which covered the smallpox scars on her skin. Queen Elizabeth painted a thick coat of white on her face The Queen achieved her pale complexion through the use of Venetian Ceruse, a lead-based makeup which is believed to have caused her eventual death. Recent research has found that Queen Elizabeth I’s white makeup was actually a combination of lead and white vinegar, which would allow lead to pass through the body in higher quantities than other recipes of Venetian Ceruse. As with many other fashion trends, lead-based makeup has a long history. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra used a lead-based kohl eyeliner – which more recent research shows may have actually prevented illness. Hazardous hair Hair, so often the mark of fashion, has been the subject of many toxic trends through the years. For example, the 1900s Pompadour hairstyle – named after 18th-century French courtier Madame de Pompadour – achieved its volume through the use of highly fashionable but toxic lead pomades. The early 20th century also witnessed an unusual and hazardous trend for radium-infused products – including radium hair tonics and oils. Some products claimed that radioactivity would help with hair growth and cure dandruff. In some instances, radium was also brushed into the hair so it would glow in the dark. Yet long-term exposure to radium had many detrimental effects, including on the bones and blood – even years after use. Crinoline skirts proved dangerous for dancing in Flammable fibres In 1871, Oscar Wilde’s young half sisters attended a Halloween party in Ireland. As society figures, they were both dressed in the height of fashion, wearing voluminous hooped crinoline skirts. But as they danced, their huge skirts caught light from a candle and both sadly perished. Their tragic story was not unique. During the Victorian era, over 3,000 women reportedly met the same fate. The crinoline was favoured for its lightness and freedom of movement, yet it was unwieldy and highly flammable. In 1858, the New York Times reported an average of three deaths per week, making the crinoline one of history’s most hazardous trends. Just as fashion trends change, so too do the hazards that can come from wearing them. But we might consider ourselves much more fortunate than our predecessors that today’s fashion trends are largely less lethal than many used to be. Naomi Braithwaite is Associate Professor in Fashion and Material Culture, Nottingham Trent University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence