Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala 2024 Look – I am not on board with it and here’s why…

Can we talk about Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look from a few days ago?

There is no denying her corset dress, designed by John Galliano for Maison Margiela Artisanal, is an absolutely stunning dress, a piece of art. There is also no denying she is a beautiful, successful, extremely savvy woman but I have a bone to pick (possibly one of those she crushed with that ridiculous corset).

This is not the first time she has been seen wearing a corset dress (the Thierry Mugler “wet dress” from the 2019 Met Gala comes to mind); however, I think this was the first time that I really noticed how unnatural her body shape has become due to the extensive corset training she has admitted having undertaken, and all in order to achieve an extreme version of the Hourglass Body shape. Year after year, her waist seems to shrink even more to create a body shape which is now verging on the cartoonish. As a personal stylist working with many women to teach them to embrace their own body shape, this bothers me. A lot.

So many women and young girls poured over the pictures coming out of the Met Gala, looking forward to seeing who and what their favourite celebrities will be wearing, and as a mum to a 6-year-old girl I can’t help but think what kind of message she was sending out to young, impressionable girls everywhere. Because the message I’m hearing is:

“I squeezed my body so hard into an unnatural shape to fit into an impossible ideal of beauty”.

And make no mistake, this extreme hourglass shape is as unnatural as it gets. She looked like she could barely breathe in this corset dress, let alone walk up those Met Gala stairs, sit or eat…

So, what actually happens to the body and our internal organs with this extreme corseting fad and why is it so dangerous?

The corset compresses the lower rib cage and lungs and diaphragm are restricted, leading to shortness of breath, which in turn leads to dizziness, fainting and fatigue.

Bones and muscles are compressed which can lead to musculoskeletal changes. Wearing a corset over time can lead to weakened back muscles and a reliance on the corset for postural support. Prolonged use can alter the natural curvature of the spine and potentially lead to chronic back pain and posture issues.

Stomach and guts are affected, which can lead to a slowed digestion system, acid reflux and heartburn. Tight lacing has many effects on the digestive tract. The compression of the abdomen can displace the stomach, intestines and liver as well.

The heart and blood vessels are also affected by corset wearing. Tight lacing increases pressure inside the abdomen, which can compress the large vein that carries blood back to the heart.

So, are you on board with extreme corseting or has this gone too far now??