You generally never tag ‘clothes’ as being fatal to anyone. But, if you read on, you will find how dangerous some of the most trendy clothes can be!
Skinny Jeans and skin-tight pants
The circulation-blocking nature of these tight fitting bottom wear can harm our body’s health for several reasons. Let us start from the beginning – the waist.
The tight waist of these pants can cause lower back pain in the long run. Today back pain starts early. It can be due to the sedentary nature of our phone/laptop addiction, poor posture, or lack of meaningful activity…. And this gets compounded if your pants put pressure on the back.
And the tightness has another major consequence – gut problems. It is said that your health starts from the gut. And believe me when I say that digestive issues and heartburn can make your life miserable and make you dependent on medicines for a long time.
Acid reflux is one consequence of squeezing yourself into waist-constricting clothing like your body-shaping jeans. And what I have read about the long term implication of acid reflux is everything horrible.
The tightness of skinny jeans can restrict blood circulation on the legs, and this decreased circulation is supposed to cause varicose veins. My grandmother had varicose veins, and she never wore jeans in her life, so that is another thing.
Other things I have read about are more horrifying – blood clots and nerve damage. Let us not go there.
Pencil skirts
How are pencil skirts dangerous other than to an impressionable young man’s heart rate? The same way as any other movement-restricting clothes.
Pencil skirts are tight along the body and keep the knees together.
The tight silhouette of a pencil skirt can cause you to fumble and fall if you even increase your pace a little bit.
And you almost always wear heels with these slim-fitted skirts. They are a deadly combination.
Stiletto heels can, of course, cause a lot more falls than flats. But maybe you do not mind that because of the benefits they offer – killer looks. But they can turn killers themselves if you always wear them.
Arthritis, knee pain, back pain, ankle sprain – many people attribute these problems to their too-high heels.
Corsets
Thankfully women have a lot more say in what they can wear today than when they had to wear tightly laced corsets as a way of life.
Nothing against the pretty corset tops in the market today. But the corsets of yore were back-breaking and nerve wreaking. The change in their body into unnatural shapes is tantamount to this.
The Edwardian and Victorian ladies who had to lace themselves into slim corsets to conform to the societal standards of beauty had all the problems associated with restricted clothing. Their internal organs and lungs were affected. They could not even go to the washrooms if they wanted to.
Anyways, those are all in the past. But You can never say what women will do for beauty if such a fashion comes back again! It almost did, but it did not stick, thankfully.
Scanty clothes in winter
Short clothes will not make you ill, not by a long shot. But if you are feeling chilly in cold weather, wearing short or scanty clothes can make the body more susceptible to infections. You should wear layers of warm clothing to help retain body heat and prevent a drop in body temperature.
Clothes with drawstrings around the neck
The probability of these accidentally tightening and strangling the wearer is less for an adult than for a young person. But not unheard of. It almost sounds like the plot line of ‘Final Destination,’ but anything can happen. I am a pessimist, hence proved.
Ties
Tightening the tie is supposed to be a sign of professionalism and attention to detail. But when you consider the consequences, not much good comes from it. If your tie is tight on your neck for a prolonged period, it can mean reduced blood flow to your brain and pressure on the neck and shoulders, leading to long-term pain there.
Clothes made of synthetic material
Synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, and rayon are highly inflammable. In case of a fire, these materials will catch the flames fast, melt and bead up and stick to the skin. You have to be careful to keep your clothing away from flames, sparks, or other heat sources.
Synthetic materials are not breathable. They can turn very uncomfortable in certain conditions. This is in addition to the allergies some people have to synthetic materials.
Ill-fitting Bras
Many women suffer from back problems, circulation problems, and even skin problems. Not many connect these common ailments to wearing the wrong bras that are not the correct size. There is a complete lack of awareness about buying fitting bras. Many buy a “B” cup for all their different sizes and get on with life.
Many of us ignore that our breasts have changed shape over the years. And wear the same size wrongly fitting bra year after year – be it too tight or loose.
If the bra is too tight, you can guess what it does to your circulation and breathing. It can also cause worsening of disc problems of the spine, if it is there already. At the least, it can cause strain to the back muscles and give you some undeserved pain.
Fast fashion clothes
A lot of fast fashion clothes are made in sweatshops in poor working conditions and made with cheap fabrics that are laced with toxic chemicals like dyes, bleach, and other substances that can be harmful to human health. These substances are known to disrupt the human health balance and lead to long term health issues.
Following fashion trends are important, ofcourse. But so are following caution. Potential risks and negative impacts of the above mentioned clothes should be considered before you decide to follow the trends that feature these clothing. Did I convince you?
Oh wow! I knew about some but not in the depth you described them. Thanks for the info and interesting posts, I always enjoy reading them.
Thank you Sarina for this very interesting and informative article.
Thanks, Sarina, for pointing out facts that more people should acknowledge and then do something about — as in, wear clothes that are sustainable, attractive (possible!) and long-lasting. Fast fashion is wasteful and unnecessary. Also, the word you want about many fabrics is this one: flammable, which means that whatever it refers to can catch fire.
Good wishes to you!