Two years after the World War II, Christian Dior, the French couturier heralded the ‘New Look’ that took the world by storm. The New Look symbolized radical femininity – tight-fitting jackets, A-line skirts and cinched waist. A waist cincher or a “waspie” is a belt worn around the waist to make the wearer’s waist physically smaller, or to create the illusion of being small. The clincher existed even in the 1900s. Back then they were worn on top of clothes and were more of a fashion statement. With time, the clincher like corsets and girdles started being worn as undergarments.
Around 1947, Dior came up with a
New Look that emphasized the cinched waist. The hand-span waist was so prized during that time, he popularized the waist cincher through his various designer gowns. Boned and back laced, the waist cinchers differed from the corset of the Victorian era. The cinchers were usually of 6 to 7 inches in size, super light in weight and with a feather boning. The cinchers were worn tightly around the waist usually over a girdle.
In modern days, cinchers are mainly used as shapewear. Most of them are made of Spanx, which compared to corsets is way less constricting. A new trend among waist cincher users are waist trainers. Waist trainers and cinchers are meant to aid weight loss around the midsection. They are supposed to do it by compressing the core, releasing toxins, and increase perspiration. But medical experts say a big no to the
use of waist cinchers for weight loss, as the principle of spot reduction doesn’t work, instead, it adversely affects the organs in the midriff section which in turn affects the lungs. But the cinchers can be worn correctly if worn a bit loose, where the goal is to have the tummy pulled in.
Waist cinchers can be a good, temporary, way to lose some inches from the waistline if worn correctly and if they are made of right material. Choose your cincher at Beverlyheels.com.
