Tight-Lacers

When I was a little girl, I became aware of my overweight appearance and was subsequently motivated to doing anything I could to look thinner. Somewhere, in that process, I became convinced that a too small red and white cheerleading Halloween costume would do the trick. What got my attention the most was how the outfit seemingly flattened and decreased my stomach. And so, I wore this corset-y cheerleader’s outfit as often as I could, often under tight jeans. I was a rigid toy soldier, with bulging eyes and a facial expression which looked like I was holding my breath.

 One thing was for sure; I was NOT comfortable. And eventually, the practice of wearing the cheerleading frock contributed to the development of kidney and bladder infections which took months to resolve. My “slimming” outfit place too much stress on my internal organs.

Go, Team! Wave the pom poms.

Recently, there’s been more attention paid to the “tight-lacing” phenomenon. Yes, we’re all aware of the beauty trend as a part of our fashion past: Marie Antoinette and southern belles, for instance.

 

However, while mostly a part of underground, fetish culture, it has now become more widespread, reaching to celebrity culture. Kim Kardashian has embraced tight- lacing, or “waist training,” as it is sometimes called. And there certainly have been enough Pinterest sites and Tumblr blogs to, again, focus on its aesthetic, which, of course, is the tiny, narrow waist.

But we need to more closely examine what other effects this action has in its practice. Not only is the ribcage’s shape altered, but also the bust line and the wearer’s internal organs. And here’s where it gets damaging, possibly life-threatening and, at the very least, uncomfortable.

The training routine begins by using a custom-fit corset to gradually decrease the waist circumference. And, as the waist diminishes, the torso’s volume also decreases. This pushes the lower ribs inwards, moving the internal organs closer together and out of their original positions.

The lungs’ and stomach’s volume also diminish. Breathing and eating, therefore, are not at full capacity. Tight-lacers often experience a heaving bosom because of the breathing restrictions and discover, not surprisingly, that eating too much gives them indigestion and heartburn. Many tight-lacers will alter their diet in order to avoid these problems.

Fainting is not uncommon. After all, if breathing is more of a challenge, how can one really have everything they need to stand, let alone, remain conscious?

But, such nifty slogans as “No pain, no gain,” and “pain is beauty” are par for the course. It gets to be a slippery slope. One starts a behavior and before she knows it, unpleasant, even dangerous consequences result from it.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Proverbs 4:23

And furthermore, this image pursuit flies in the face of our natural, God-given images.

 “Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.”

Song of Solomon 4:7

 “O my dove…let me see your form…for your form is lovely.”

Song of Solomon 2:14

So, perhaps we’re not meant to have a six inch waist. Whatever the manipulation we internalize may be, via eating disorders, dieting, punishing exercise or restrictive garments, we need to recognize our inherent value and beauty, according to God’s estimation; and that comes from NOT being and the mercy of any particular and/or manipulated standard.

Copyright © 2015 by Sheryle Cruse