Fashion
The Danger of Tight-Laced Corsets
In the graveyard of Kirkconnel Church (located in Springkell, Scotland) one can find a headstone that, according to legend, shows a woman who died because she laced her corset too tightly. The headstone also shows a man on horseback. He's supposedly going to fetch a doctor for her, though he was too late. Below is a 1907 engraving of the headstone as well as a more recent photo of it that I found on Flickr (Captain Keef Kremmen's photostream).
Whether or not the headstone story is true, tight lacing was definitely a fashion hazard that people worried about back in the nineteenth century, as seen in this cautionary illustration from The Family Magazine, 1835:
Posted By: Alex - Sun Dec 09, 2012 -
Comments (7)
Category: Fashion, Nineteenth Century
Lunar Fashion
Back in 1968, the artist Gianangelli unveiled these metal bathing suits that he described as the "lunar fashion from the year 2000." In hindsight, his belief that we'd still be going to the moon in the year 2000 was more wrong than his fashion prediction. [Calgary Herald]
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 07, 2012 -
Comments (9)
Category: Fashion, Space Travel, 1960s
The Bigouden of Brittany
In the Pays bigouden region of France, women traditionally wear a distinctive phallic-shaped headdress named a coiffe.
Apparently they keep it on all the time, even while driving. Provided they have a sunroof in their car.
But from what I understand, only a handful of women still maintain the tradition. Most of them just put the thing on for the benefit of tourists. Read more about the Bigoudène here and here.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 01, 2012 -
Comments (7)
Category: Fashion, Headgear, Regionalism
Defense Shoes
These spiked "Defense Shoes" introduced in 1955 didn't catch on as women's fashion.
Des Moines Register - Oct 3, 1955
Perhaps because of negative reviews in the press.
But I wonder if they might have been the inspiration for the spiked shoes worn by Rosa Klebb in 1963's From Russia With Love.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Nov 30, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, Shoes
Oxygen-Tank Bubble Dress
An oxygen-tank bubble dress designed by Hana Marie Newman. It supplies the wearer with a constant supply of purified air, so they don't have to breathe in the polluted air that everyone else is choking on. Reminds me of Emilio Pucci's bubble bonnet that I posted about several weeks ago. [via treehugger]
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 28, 2012 -
Comments (10)
Category: Art, Fashion
Emilio Pucci’s Bubble Bonnet
In 1964, Braniff airlines was looking for a way to differentiate itself from its competitors by adding a touch of glamour and weirdness to its service. So it hired Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci to design the uniforms of the stewardesses. What he came up with was the plexiglass Bubble Bonnet, aka the Space Bubble Helmet. Its purpose was supposedly to protect the hair of the stewardesses from wind and rain as they crossed the tarmac. Stewardesses complained that it was hard to hear anyone while wearing the things. Read more here and here.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 14, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Fashion, Headgear, Air Travel and Airlines, 1960s
1970s Youth Documentary
If the clothes and talk and scenes in this film do not send you on a magical mystery tour, your next hit of acid is free!
PS: that guy in the first few minutes with the WASP fro and beard-no-stache and glasses--I have pictures of myself looking exactly like that!
Posted By: Paul - Sat Nov 10, 2012 -
Comments (10)
Category: Education, Fads, Fashion, Juvenile Delinquency, Teenagers, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1970s
Everything Changes
Make up your mind! Or not!
Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 06, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Costumes and Masks, Fashion, Hair Styling, Music, Performance Art, Parody
Shark Shorts
What a shame these only come in kids' sizes. Although I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with even an image of a shark that close to the 'nads.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 05, 2012 -
Comments (12)
Category: Animals, Fashion
Drip-Dry Bullfighters
The invention of the drip-dry matador suit, announced in February 1973, was certainly an important moment in the history of fashion. [The Day (Feb 24 1973), Evening Independing (Mar 27, 1973)]
Posted By: Alex - Fri Nov 02, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, Sports, 1970s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |