01 May 2011

Jump

The corset is a fascinating bit of fashion. It was first popularized as a figure flattener. The idea was to create a stiff cone shaped torso that matched the shape of a dress. Modern corsets tend to be used for lingerie or for fetishes.

There are of course the Dita Von Teese's of the world, who are using the corset to advance a sort of throwback pinup look.

Alexander McQueen loved the corseted look. He used padding in many of his dresses to achieve the look without attempting to cinch an already tiny waist. A model really can't be corseted anyway. What would get cinched? What would be pushed up?

The Metropolitan Museum is opening a McQueen retrospective next week called Savage Beauty. Vogue ran a preview in the May issue. Tom and Lorenzo havve kindly uploaded those pictures here.

Of course the corset also radically altered a woman's internal organs. They caused many bone, stomach, posture, etc. problems. And still do today.

I have to say that the idea of being wrapped in boning and tied up for beauty, while certainly savage, is also appealing.


Jump 5/1

hold

                        your
            breath quickly
take another

            it
will

hurt

tight            laces            tight

hold

                        you
are
            going to look
amazing your waist will
be so damn small

                        quickly
take a sip of water

you can’t eat until it’s off

shallower

breaths

thoracic

top            of            the            lung
it’s about
                        to get
            tighter

2 comments:

  1. Like.

    Also, love McQueen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You should get the book. It's only $45 and is insanely beautiful. The show runs until July...you could hop a train to NY and we could go see it.

    ReplyDelete