Questioning the limiting beauty standards of today

The roaring 20’s preferred boyish figures, the 50’s demanded hourglass bodies, the 80’s called for tall and athletic women, the 90’s, thin and androgynous, and today- “big booty bitches.” More specifically, the 2000’s saw the rise in popularity of larger behinds, flat stomachs and full breasts accompanied by tiny waists. In an age of rising “body positivity” movements and “beautiful at any size” campaigns, the beauty standards have ironically become harder to reach without surgery. And so, the waist-cincher enters the picture.

This is basically a modern day corset used for the practice of waist training which promises permanent results as long as you use the garment as often as possible. In other words, women wear uncomfortable corsets throughout the day and during their sleep to try to achieve the Kim Kardashian figure. Some sources say a year of approximately five to twelve hours of waist-cinching daily produces the best results. Waist-cinchers are generally supposed to compress your core and decrease the size of your waist. Hourglass Angel, Waist Snatchers and Waist Gang Society are three popular online companies dedicated to the cause.

However, very few companies mention the side effects, and a quick Google search came up with not only the obvious consequence of discomfort, but also profuse sweating, back acne, breathing problems, stomach pains, compressed or broken ribs, numbness in the legs, shifting organs (yikes!), and impaired lung function. I’ll bet that Kim K hasn’t mentioned those issues on Instagram. Also, waist training has very vague rules and no specific set of “do’s and don’ts.”

Wanting to look like our favourite movie stars or singers (shout out to Iggy Azalea) seems natural, but wanting to change our genetic bone structure – not so much. However, it’s not hard to see how some unethical music industry representations can form this desire. When people see Drake gawk at Nicki Minaj and rap about her beauty, it’s easy to forget that her measurements are just as unattainable as Barbie’s. It’s not just this duo either; everywhere I look lately I seem to be seeing extremely curvaceous bodies with tiny waists and huge “buns” and breasts. Jennifer Lopez, Khloe Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, misleading “plus size” models on billboards, Rihanna, Sofia Vergara, Sports Illustrated covers, Amber Rose, Pippa Middleton, fitness gurus, Coco Austin, Fergie, the list goes on and on. No wonder some women have resorted to sleeping in corsets; at least it’s an affordable substitute for surgery. Seeing these celebrities has psychological implications on teenage girls and sets expectations on fans of any age. Morally speaking, advertising beauty standards is a dangerous game in itself but when it comes to big booties and minuscule waists-which are usually impossible to achieve naturally- I don’t blame the women who turn to consumer products for a solution.

So, is waist training the wave of the future? Undoubtedly, curvy figures have found their way into pop culture, but if the history of body expectations placed on women has taught us anything, it’s that this trend won’t stay around for long. There is really no reason to take part in a body modification practice with such serious potential health risks. In my opinion, corsets should be saved for bondage play or left in the history of Victorian England. But, if you still find yourself coveting Beyoncé’s curves, maybe learning a thing or two about Photoshop can be a cheaper alternative.

Featured image courtesy of Veronica Prokopovych