Five of the most bizarre fashion trends ever
Fashion has been around since time immemorial. And if you think that today's generation's big-time obsession with crazy fashion items and practices is going out of line, know that our ancestors were way ahead of the curve, in this department. Here are five unbelievable fashion trends that are now (thankfully) just a thing of the past.
Hoop skirts
Made of crinoline, Hoop skirts were wildly popular back in the 1850s and 1860s. These skirts were so huge that they apparently saved women from drowning. But they had their own set of shortcomings too. These skirts often came in way of the wearer from getting out of trouble quickly. In fact, many women couldn't get out of fatal fires because of them.
Chopines
If you think your heel height is tough to match, you are in for some surprise from the past. Popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, Chopine was a sort of shoe attachment invented to help women walk through muddy streets. However, it soon became a fashion statement, as being tall signified importance and wealth. And so the height of the chopine kept rising.
Powdered wigs
This historical fashion trend has a connection with, hold your breath, syphilis. Back in the time, many in the upper and middle classes suffered from the disease. So, in order to hide the smell and of course baldness, caused due to it, many people started wearing wigs made of human/goat/horse hair, powdered in scents like lavender and orange. Fact: Louis XIV wore them too!
Hobble skirts
To prevent an animal from running away by tying its legs together is called "hobbling." And, what is evident of the way women were treated back then, the concept was attempted at women too, in the early 20th century. This was done by the invention of hobble skirts, designed specifically to slow women down while walking and preventing them from taking big steps.
#5: Codpieces
Men trying to showcase their sexual prowess is nothing new. One proof of the fact is the invention of the codpiece, popular in 15th century, which was made from a variety of materials, including wood, for the sole purpose of making men feel good about their tool.
