How Kim Kardashian's breathtaking silver corset proves the dangerous ... trends now

Kim Kardashian's waist, or lack thereof, is unquestionably the talk of this year's Met Gala. 

Thanks to an extremely tight, silver Maison Margiela corset, the reality star flaunted her almost impossibly tiny waist and enviable figure at the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Kim, 43, is no stranger to reality-defying looks.

Ahead of the 2022 Met Gala, the mother-of-four and ex of Kanye West drew massive flak for an 'irresponsible' crash diet that saw her lose slightly over 1st in three weeks to fit into an eye-catching dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe.

But her latest outfit took things to another level.

Shocked fans and critics alike took to social media to question where her waist was in the outfit with some even wondering if the star had had her ribs removed.  

Kim has previously promoted weight training binders that medics have warned are dangerous. Hazards of such devices include breathing difficulties, constipation, and even organ damage caused by the body being contorted into unnatural shapes.

But she is far from the only woman to go to extreme lengths to achieve that mythical golden ratio that science claims drives men wild — a tiny waist and wide hips.

In fact, she is part of a centuries-old obsession of women intentionally altering their bodies in pursuit of that much pined for hourglass figure. 

Rib removal, rubber knickers and even purposely eating parasites are just some of bizarre methods used in pursuit of a thin waist throughout history.   

Read More

Met Gala 2024: Kim Kardashian's astonishing waistline sends shockwaves through event as she leads red carpet arrivals alongside sister Kylie Jenner, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya on fashion world's biggest night

Corsets, an example of which Kim wore as part of her Met Gala look, can trace their popular history back to the Victorians. 

The devices, made of cotton, used baleen – a hard hair-like substance found in the mouths of some whales, or metal to tightly bind the waist into a more eye-pleasing shape in the 1800s.

Cases where the waist was constricted by as much as 17 inches weren't unheard of. 

Even back then, dangers of wearing such devices too tightly, dubbed 'tight-lacing', or for too long, were documented.

For example, The Royal College of Surgeons of England has within its specimen archives an eyewatering specimen of a women's ribcage having become deformed from wearing a corset.  

While such devices largely fell out of fashion in the post-Victorian era, they've enjoyed a resurgence over the past few decades, much to the concern of medics.

Rebranded as 'waist-trainers' sold online for as little as £7, the devices, which have been promoted by celebrities including Kim herself, work on the same mechanism as corsets, physically constricting the waist to make it look smaller, accentuating an hourglass figure. 

Despite the modern makeover and different materials, many of the same dangers remain. 

They can cause breathing difficulties by pushing the stomach into the diaphragm, a muscle below the lungs critical to respiration. This can, doctors warn, potentially restrict the flow of oxygen.

Kim once revealed she had to undertake corset breathing lessons to fit into a figure-hugging dress by Thierry Muglern in 2019, which took eight months to complete and was made to look as though she was dripping diamonds.

As well as breathing issues, corsets/waist trainers can also cause digestive woes, such as acid reflux. This is caused by the stomach being pushed up and constipation as the intestines are restricted from their natural movements.

Using such devices —nowadays typically made of synthetic fabrics and steel — can also cause the kidneys to shift to unnatural positions in the body, potentially cutting off the internal blood supply to the organs.

Historical cases of liver and rib damage have even been reported from corset use.

Restriction of movement while wearing a corset can cause back muscles to weaken, potentially causing back pain and weakness further down the line. 

Corsets and waist-trainers, which are typically worn for a short period of time, aren't the most extreme examples of the lengths some women will go to for a tiny waist.

Some even opt to have entire ribs removed to get that hourglass figure, in a procedure dubbed 'waist narrowing' or 'ant waist' surgery. 

Techniques vary, but typically involve removing the 11th and 12th ribs. These are also known as the 'floating ribs' and are those located towards the bottom on the ribcage, and which provide support to the shape of the waist.

Some surgeons also remove parts of the 10th rib at the same time to accentuate the effect.  

Removing the bones causes the waist to collapse inwards, creating that curvaceous figure.

Unsurprisingly, this isn't without consequences – those bones are there for a reason.

These ribs help protect vital organs in the abdomen, like the stomach, gall bladder and kidneys, from blunt force trauma. So, anyone missing them are at increased risk of serious injury.

Additionally, the op itself — which typically takes two to three hours — carries numerous risks including nerve damage, infection and scarring.

MailOnline couldn't find any surgeons in the UK offering rib removal for cosmetic reasons, though overseas clinics in the likes of Turkey and the US do. However, they don't list their prices without a consultation, stating it varies 'per patient'.  

Other cosmetic surgeries also offer a slimmer waist but are less permanent.

Liposuction, or lipo, removes fat from the unwanted areas such as the waist and can be combined with a tummy tuck to slim a waist down.

These can be combined with other procedures, such as a Brazilian Butt Lift and boob job to create an artificial hourglass figure. 

However,

read more from dailymail.....