Kim Kardashian has served up controversial Met Gala looks for over a decade. Every year, her waist seems to shrink further in ever tightening corsets. Her outfit by Maison Margiela Artisanal for the Met Gala 2024 was no exception. At this event, though, the corsetry was so extreme that viewers seemed more concerned by Kardashian’s seeming inability to breathe, rather than stunned by her fashion statement.
While Kim has long championed “waist training” – wearing high-compression elastic girdle around the midsection for long periods of time to “train” the body into a more hourglass shape – this recent look highlights a controversial fashion practice: tight-lacing.
Tight lacing is extreme corset cinching. It has raised concerns among medical professionals since at least 1793. Those desperate to achieve a “perfect” hourglass figure haven’t been put off by potential health risks, however. Cathy Jung holds the Guinness World Record for the smallest waist, which measured only 38.1cm in her corset. Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala waist can’t be too far behind.
