The Kurious Kase of Kim Kardashian's Korset

Abstract

The 2019 Met Gala’s theme was based on the Susan Sontag essay “Notes on Camp,” and the celebrity attendees had a broad range of interpretations. The look that caused the most controversy was worn by the reality TV star Kim Kardashian, in a Thierry Mugler dress and Mr. Pearl corset. Rather than focus on the design, the first for Mugler since 2002, or how the dress fit into the theme, critics instead chose to focus on the corset and repeat a rhetoric about the controversial garment that has been recurrent for over a hundred years. There is a long tradition of opposition to corsets, including claims that the accessory is bad for the health of the wearer, that corsets are unnatural, and that they are anti-feminist. This article explores the history of corsets, health, popular culture, and fashion, using Kardashian as a contemporary source of examination. Kardashian’s body is a site of controversy, much like corsets, as she wears and sells shapewear. The critique of Kardashian’s use of modern shapewear reflects a long tradition of controlling women’s bodies through dress reform and medical intervention, a debate the Met Gala dress reignited.