Those are some killer heels. Literally

I don't know about you, but I like my fashion wearable. Whilst most mags are packed with clothes and accessories impatiently waiting out of your grasp until payday, sneak a peak at the runways of London, Paris, Milan and New York and you’ll find fashion that makes your whole face scrunch up. They may kill your dignity - I don’t know many people who would wear a haystack hat but thumbs up if you’ve given it a go - but they ain't gonna kill you.

The same can’t be said of fashion trends from the past. Ouch.

Lead cosmetics
People as far back as the Ancient Greeks would use cosmetics to ensure that their skin appeared as flawless as possible. Yet, whilst Grecian goddesses avoided the stuff, no one else did. Throughout the world, women would trawl it on, applying more and more in an attempt to cover the damage that the lead had done in the first place.

Not only did it destroy the skin, it would often cause anaemia, headaches and loss of appetite. It also went to work on the nervous system, and could lead to brain damage. The first official death by cosmetic lead poisoning was Marie Dunning, an Irish woman famous for her porcelain complexion, who passed away in the 1700s.

Foot binding 
Rumour has it the Chinese practice of foot binding began amongst upper class dancers in the early Song dynasty. Seen as a symbol of femininity and daintiness, it was the eldest daughter - the one who would be expected to marry well and ‘be a lady’ – who’d have her feet bound. Her younger sisters would be spared the torment.

Binding would start at 3 years old as her feet would be soft and malleable. After soaking them in animal blood, her toes would be bent under her foot, and bandages would be applied to keep the agonising arrangement in place. No pain relief was provided, although the process usually took place during the winter months in the belief the cold could take the edge off the pain.

Men’s high collars
It isn’t only us women who’ve suffered in silence. High collars may have looked dapper, but should a gent fall into a drunken snooze whilst wearing one, that sweet slumber would be permanent. Yikes. Collars were so starched they were rock hard and when attached to a man’s shirt with studs, would put pressure onto the windpipe leading to dizziness, indigestion, abscesses on the brain, and sometimes complete asphyxia.

Despite the Europeans referring to these collars as ‘Vatermorder’ or father killers, men continued to wear them as a symbol of their masculinity. Although we’re not sure how manly almost being decapitated after tripping out of a taxi is…

So whilst we may empathise with Sarah Jessica Parker and her calluses, resent the irritation caused by an overly abrasive facial scrub and bemoan the pain of ‘intimate waxing’, at least we don’t have to forfeit our lives for the sake of fashion.

Gail is a Yorkshire girl who moved to Ireland six years ago. She lives in Co. Cavan with her boyfriend and spends her free time writing, baking cakes and buying dresses. She loves anything vintage and quirky. Gail's a huge fan of Irregular Choice shoes and Morrissey. She considers Minnie Mouse, Ariel and Wonder Woman her style icons.