The phrase “fashion victim” took on new meaning this week, as a 35-year-old woman in Australia had to be cut out of her skinny jeans and hospitalised for four days when she wore them while squatting. The ubiquitous jeans, worn by everyone everywhere, now come with a health warning, but what other wardrobe choices have proved dangerous? Celebrities, always willing to be guinea pigs for an experimental look, have tried many out. Here are six items that have meant suffering for fashion.
Naomi Campbell’s platform shoes
High heels are always the stuff of doctor’s disapproval, with platforms and twisted ankles being firm friends. The most famous example of a platform mishap came in 1993, when Naomi Campbell took a tumble on the Vivienne Westwood catwalk. She was reunited with the offending shoes on the Jonathan Ross Show 20 years on and took a walk in them unharmed. Watch and learn, people.
Madonna’s cape
Who remembers anything about this year’s Brits other than cape-gate? Madonna’s performance of Living for Love saw her stumble while trying to undo her Armani cape and walk up stairs at the same time. She later said she suffered from whiplash, but she simply removed the offending item and carried on dancing. A proper pop trouper.
Victoria Beckham’s handbag
Victoria Beckham loves Hermes bags so much that she reportedly has up to 100 of them in her collection. Regularly spotted carrying a XL Birkin (the Parisian house’s most famous tote) in the crook of her arm, physiotherapists say the weight of it can cause tendon damage and torn muscles. It’s not known if Beckham has suffered such injuries but she’s certainly been spotted carrying more clutches recently.
Kim Kardashian’s waist trainer
Kim Kardashian is high maintenance, the kind of woman who has a team of people to wash her hair. So she’s not likely to blanch at the idea of a waist trainer – an extreme corset that supposedly gives the wearer an hourglass physique after wearing it for long periods. That remains the case even if it impacts those essential things like kidney function and, erm, breathing.
Lady Gaga’s hat
The pop star is hardly a stranger to unusual outfits, but the Philip Treacy creation she wore to the Grammy’s in 2009 was a pretty spiky danger to herself – and others. As far as we know, everyone in her orbit emerged unscathed.
Skinny jeans
It was one of us, a normal person, that eventually got skinny jeans slapped with a health warning but we can blame the famous for starting it all in the first place. The most extreme trend is male celebrities like Harry Styles and Joey Essex supposedly wearing women’s skinny jeans. Both should be warned: health experts have said these super-tight trousers could lead to bladder infections and reduced sperm count.
