Wednesday, February 29, 2012

FASHION VICTIMS KILLER CLOTHES (c) By Polly Guerin

Fashion victims have been the killing themselves for the sake of wearing the latest trendy garment or accessory to the point of causing themselves some very serious health concerns. This penchant to suffer is not a new phenomenon; women and men have been torturing themselves throughout the ages with devices that are too tight, too loose, too heavy, and too high, all for the sake of being on the cutting edge of fashion. When you fall suddenly tired or your body or legs ache the type of clothing you are wearing may well be the culprit. Unassuming fumes from fabrics may give you a headache and fabrics that don’t ventilate can suffocate. Stop to think about it. A disturbing reaction to your clothing may be a warning sign that your health is in jeopardy.
KILLER HEELS and FOOT AGONY Squeezing your feet into killer heels made even higher on a platform shoe may seem to be, as the French say, "the dernier cri," the height of sexuality, but with steady wear you’re heading for the podiatrist or worse foot surgery. According to studies heels higher than two inches have been the culprit of any number of foot disorders that develop over a lifetime. Hammer toes that cross over one another because the foot has been pressured into pointed toes and nasty bunions may even require surgery to relieve the agony and pain of expensive medical treatment.
FALLING FOR FASHION I have noticed any number of women falling off their fashion prerogative and spraining their ankle when they lose their balance as a result of killer heels. Further complications include shortening of the Achilles tendon, which can cause leg trauma. Some foot bones merely die due to lack of circulation caused by wearing plastic or imitation leather shoes that do not breathe. Need I say more? Yes, one thing, forget about those flip-flops, except for the beach. I once had a case of plantar facilitis, an inflammation at the bottom of the foot by wearing flats that lacked arch support. A word to the wise. Your feet have such an enormous task in carrying you throughout your lifetime, why not make it a comfortable journey.
RECONFIGURING THE BODY From the beginning of fashion adornment women have been reconfiguring their body through undergarments with various forms of padding or pillows and wire cages to affect a silhouette that nature never intended. Today’s answer to reshaping your body comes as Body Shapers that are touted to reconfigure bulges and bumps into a smooth, slimmer silhouette. These contraptions that are made of Spandex or other elastic materials may do the trick but if they are too tight they can compress the body’s organs and may even cause nerve damage. This is essentially the case if the body shaper extends from under the bust right down to the hips. Such compression may cause shortness of breath and headaches flare. Tight jeans that slither over your body without an inch of ease not only compresses you’re abdomen but may trigger leg pain or even sciatica.
I HATE MY BRA By the way, “I hate my bra.” That’s what so many women lament because if a bra is too large it does not give support and results in inevitable back pain. An ill fitting bra will look lumpy and questionable under a blouse or sweater. Okay you can purchase a padded bra, but that too must be the right size. If the bra is too small it will dig into your flesh and compress the breasts, which is something you do not want to do on a day-to-day basis as it could lead to other medical side effects. Solution: Visit a reputable bra boutique and invest in the proper measurement and fit.
VICTIMS THROUGH THE AGES Today’s fashionistas are not alone as fashion victims. Consider the court of Marie Antoinette. The ladies were suffocating themselves with a heavy load of rich silk or brocade fabric encompassing their legs in massive skirts that concealed their bodies. Adding to this extravagant silhouette were added phantasmagorical wigs, the harbingers no doubt of lice, and huge, weighty millinery atop their heads. They must have looked like a formidable fashion battleship.In addition, imagine the stench, more cosmetics and perfume were used than soap. The Victorians were not any better. Women were willing to squeeze themselves into corsets that could compress ribs and curtail breathing. No wonder there were fainting couches. Imagine the displayed organs from the tight lacing of corsets that may well have deformed their physique into a thirteen -inch waist, but worse such restriction may probably have been responsible for a woman’s inability to deliver a full-term baby.
IT’S A CRIME TO BE CHIC The fashion police ought to give women who tote around heavy-loaded satchels a desist notice. Even those new fashionable humongous handbags where women stash all their gear are the blame for that unattractive shoulder sloping. It can send you to the chiropractor to adjust your back or worse cause arm strain that rivets right down to your fingers. One lovely friend of mine is permanently off center, one shoulder seems permanently bent lower than the other from slinging a heavy bag over that shoulder. Good news is that there are some rather attractive retractable handle, rolling totes/handbags on wheels to accommodate laptop, paperwork or to use as an overnight bag. It’s better to protect the structure of your body than to abuse it to the point of seeming deformity.
Why not be inspired by the TV soap opera title, “One Life to Live,” and make it your mantra for healthy fashion choices that assure you the key to fashionable longevity.

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