Waistlines past and present

[Elleynia]

Since learning about T-Tapp a few years ago, I've observed the whole short torso/long leg (and vice versa) thing with interest (and agree with it.)

What I'm curious about is how the pin-ups of the 40s and 50s, who don't appear to me to be long-torsoed, managed such tiny waists. One thing I have noticed is that many of them seemed to have almost triangular ribcages (which modern women don't) which helped give them much of that figure 8 look. Was this down to restrictive underwear or was there something else?

Not sure that anyone will have the answer but I'm curious.

Thanks

[sockmonkey]

I'm betting that corsets or girdles had a lot to do with it. I know that my ribcage expanded several inches after having a couple of large babies and 26 years later it hasn't gone back down! So it stands to reason if it can expand, it can shrink. I'm not willing to test the all day corset wearing for 9 months to find out though!

Janice

[Lori French]

I know that when I wore my jeans at my natural waistline, way back when, my waist was much smaller, two inches or more than anything I can see in my *fit* shape! That was the same time frame that I was wearing pantyhose, at my natural waist, for 10 hours everyday, too......... So I'm not sure it was just under clothes, but fashion styles, too.

[HF]

People were all much smaller then, in height and weight, than now. I think as more additives and junk kept being put into our foods, like HFCS in the last several decades, this has expanded waistlines too. It's amazing how large people have become!

[MonkeyGirl]

Corseting will definitely pull in your waistline. For a modern example, Dita von Teese credits "corset-training" for her 22-inch waist, and cinches down to 16" when she's in the corset.

It's a bit odd that considering how many people want a quick fix for their bulging midsection that corsets and girdles aren't more popular now! If you could just invent one that was actually comfortable, you'd be an instant millionaire.

[Joyfirst]

Diet does influence our bone size- ribs included. People who live in the areas with high dairy use tend to have a lot of tall and large boned people because of the growth hormenes, that are intented for a large size animal. So it is possible that other things we eat influence our shape too.

[HF]

Summer, that's interesting about Dita v. T. - no wonder she's so shapely. (Being slender doesn't hurt, either!)

True, though, women had those tiny waists back when the heavy-duty corseting was going on.

My mother claims she had size 5 feet when she came to this country. She said was because her feet were always encased in snug leather shoes. In the U.S. she started going barefoot more often since we're WAY more casual than many places still. Her shoe size is around 7 1/2 nowadays.