Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry - Tattoo Documentary

Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry explores the roots of American tattooing through the life of its most iconoclastic figure, Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins. Considered by many the foremost tattoo artist of all time, Collins is the father of modern day tattooing, whose uncompromising lifestyle and larger than life persona made him an American legend.

Through rare interviews, photographs and hours of archival footage, Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry: The Life and Times of Norman Keith Collins, explores the past, present and future of the global tattooing phenomenon. Featuring interviews with Sailor Jerry's protege, Ed Hardy.



Sources

La Sumisa
Hulu



Subscribe to updates thru BBM: 32669473

Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry - Tattoo Documentary

Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry explores the roots of American tattooing through the life of its most iconoclastic figure, Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins. Considered by many the foremost tattoo artist of all time, Collins is the father of modern day tattooing, whose uncompromising lifestyle and larger than life persona made him an American legend.

Through rare interviews, photographs and hours of archival footage, Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry: The Life and Times of Norman Keith Collins, explores the past, present and future of the global tattooing phenomenon. Featuring interviews with Sailor Jerry's protege, Ed Hardy.



Sources

La Sumisa
Hulu



Subscribe to updates thru BBM: 32669473

Magnet Implant

Magnetic children have been springing up across former Yugoslavian nations recently. Their stories are a little dubious, but some scientists and body-modification fans have been irresistibly drawn to the idea of merging man and magnet, with startling results.

Magnets have long been a source of fascination for we curious apes, drawing the attentions of generations of scientists, writers and philosophers. The ancient natural philosopher Thales thought that they might perhaps have a soul, prompting Aristotle to note (with perhaps a hint of snarkiness), "[he thinks] all things are full of gods." 2600 years later the rapper Shaggy 2 Dope summed up the frustrations many of today's youth feel when physics intrudes into their lives, pleading, "fucking magnets, how do they work?"

History is littered with experiments in magnetism; from Shen Kuo's successful use of magnets in navigation by 1088, to William Gilbert's investigations of Earth's magnetism published in 1600, to my own experiments in the mid-1980s, which involved inserting bar magnets into my nostrils and trying to make paperclips stick to my nose.

I wanted a magnetic nose. I still do, and who wouldn't? A magnetic nose is not something to be sniffed at (or with; removing bar magnets from sinus cavities is not a pleasant task for anyone involved). Imagine being able to sense north through a tingling in your nose, feel your mobile phone ringing in your face, or spend the night locked in a pleasant nasal embrace with your dream lover of opposite polarity. The possibilities are as endless as the variation in your mileage.

In Eastern Europe my dreams of magnetic people have supposedly become reality, for a very low value of supposition and a very tenuous definition of reality. Boys and girls with 'magnetic bodies' have been springing up all over the place, without a nose-bleed or a hidden bar magnet in sight.

The latest is Ivan, a six-year-old Croatian boy with "the ability to attract metallic objects, from coins to heavy frying pans, to his body" according to the, er, well, Guardian sadly. He follows ten-year-old Serbian girl Jelena, and her seven-year-old compatriot, Bogdan, who is supposedly banned from going near anything electrical and therefore won't be on Twitter any time soon.

All three are claimed to be magnetic, but this obviously isn't the case. Bogdan is pictured with china plates and a TV remote control plastered to his chest, while Jelena is able to 'attract' mostly-plastic cigarette lighters - not objects you would really expect magnetism to act on.
The videos are rather oddly staged, too. None of the footage shows any objects being impelled by any force, or moving without human assistance; the items are always placed carefully against the flesh, with big surfaces in contact rather than, say, the edge of a knife. Larger, heavier items are positioned at the top of the chest with the child leaning backwards, suggesting that actually a lot of the weight is pressing into the skin, not pulling against it (and both boys are generously proportioned, allowing some of the weight to rest on their tummies).

It also bugs me that the demonstrations are so unimaginatively lame. If my ejaculate somehow gave rise to a magnetic boy I can think of a thousand experiments way cooler than sticking cutlery to him. It would be nice to see him lift a cloud of iron filings off of the ground with a wave of the hand, or put a compass near him, or have him picked up by one of those electromagnetic cranes they use to pick up cars in junkyards, or make him be the first person to wing-walk on the underside of a wing.

In short, these aren't very convincing displays. Human skin is greasy and oily and stretchy and can be pretty sticky - most men at some point in their lives will experience the agony that comes when you sit naked on a leather chair in hot weather and then stand up, only to find the bottom half of your scrotum still welded to the seat. There's nothing in the videos that can't be explained by sticky skin and some careful positioning.

My dream isn't quite dead though. Thanks to the efforts of artists and scientists, magnetic people do exist. Quinn Norton wrote a fascinating essay for Wired in 2006 which describes the adventures of body modification artists Jesse Jarrell and Steve Haworth, who worked in collaboration with graduate student Todd Huffman to develop implants that would allow them to sense magnetic fields through their finger-tips.

The implants were tiny - miniscule fragments of iron encased in a silicone sheath to prevent rejection - but the results were startling. "In time, bits of my laptop became familiar as tingles and buzzes. Every so often I would pass near something and get an unexpected vibration," Norton relates, in an article that is well worth reading in full.

In Britain, graduate student (and science blogger) Jawish Hameed at the University of Reading has been living with his own magnetic implants for over two years.

His implants are tiny neodymium disc magnets inserted in the ring and middle fingers of his left hand. They are 3mm in diameter, and just 0.7mm thick, and coated in a material called Parylene C to prevent any reaction with the surrounding tissue. Doctors at the university refused to perform the surgery, so Hameed had the procedure carried out by a body modification artist, Mac McCarthy. It sounds risky, and he tells me that he did it with his family's 'minimal knowledge', "They had concerns of its long term effects. But over two years with the implants without incident has comforted them somewhat!"

The magnets are positioned in the pads of the finger-tips. Electromagnetic fields can stimulate the magnets, and their tiny movements and vibrations are picked up by the tightly-packed mechanoreceptors (nerves that sense mechanical pressure and distortion) in Hameed's fingers, allowing him to experience magnetism as little tugs and tingles.

I asked him what it felt like. "It startled me on numerous occasions when interacting with everyday things like cash machines, microwaves, speakers and even my own laptop," he says, "I was suddenly aware of the silent spin and working of the hard drive and the cooling fan. I could feel a field around microwaves from about a foot away."

His experiences then are similar to Quinn Norton's, with household objects suddenly interacting with his senses in whole new ways. "Each magnetic field induces a different sort of feeling, depending on the strength and frequency of the current that drives the electromagnetic fields," he tells me, "It is hard to describe an analogy but [it] feels like the vibrations from wind."

A simple interface, consisting of an electromagnetic coil on a wire-frame wrapped around the finger, allows a computer to deliver signals to the implants. Initial tests have been promising, although there is obviously a long way to go before anything like this could be used widely. There are many possible applications, particularly for the blind. He has been able to use the implants to receive Morse code, and has experimented with transmitting information from an ultrasonic ranger to the implants to help people 'feel' the environment around them.

He also plans to integrate the implants with his mobile phone, "I'm currently preparing a mini ring-sized wearable interface to injecting text messages from my phone." Even without the interface, he says his extra sense has practical uses: "I use it quite regularly to sense if a wire is carrying AC household current."

Check out the video below, it shows how the procedure is done.



It goes to show that where we find fairy tales, science is often not far behind. Jawish Hameed is not 'Magnetoman', but there's something quite amazing about a species that, given five wonderful senses with which to experience our world, sets about trying to build a sixth.


Sources
La Sumisa


Subscribe to updates thru BBM: 32669473

Magnet Implant

Magnetic children have been springing up across former Yugoslavian nations recently. Their stories are a little dubious, but some scientists and body-modification fans have been irresistibly drawn to the idea of merging man and magnet, with startling results.

Magnets have long been a source of fascination for we curious apes, drawing the attentions of generations of scientists, writers and philosophers. The ancient natural philosopher Thales thought that they might perhaps have a soul, prompting Aristotle to note (with perhaps a hint of snarkiness), "[he thinks] all things are full of gods." 2600 years later the rapper Shaggy 2 Dope summed up the frustrations many of today's youth feel when physics intrudes into their lives, pleading, "fucking magnets, how do they work?"

History is littered with experiments in magnetism; from Shen Kuo's successful use of magnets in navigation by 1088, to William Gilbert's investigations of Earth's magnetism published in 1600, to my own experiments in the mid-1980s, which involved inserting bar magnets into my nostrils and trying to make paperclips stick to my nose.

I wanted a magnetic nose. I still do, and who wouldn't? A magnetic nose is not something to be sniffed at (or with; removing bar magnets from sinus cavities is not a pleasant task for anyone involved). Imagine being able to sense north through a tingling in your nose, feel your mobile phone ringing in your face, or spend the night locked in a pleasant nasal embrace with your dream lover of opposite polarity. The possibilities are as endless as the variation in your mileage.

In Eastern Europe my dreams of magnetic people have supposedly become reality, for a very low value of supposition and a very tenuous definition of reality. Boys and girls with 'magnetic bodies' have been springing up all over the place, without a nose-bleed or a hidden bar magnet in sight.

The latest is Ivan, a six-year-old Croatian boy with "the ability to attract metallic objects, from coins to heavy frying pans, to his body" according to the, er, well, Guardian sadly. He follows ten-year-old Serbian girl Jelena, and her seven-year-old compatriot, Bogdan, who is supposedly banned from going near anything electrical and therefore won't be on Twitter any time soon.

All three are claimed to be magnetic, but this obviously isn't the case. Bogdan is pictured with china plates and a TV remote control plastered to his chest, while Jelena is able to 'attract' mostly-plastic cigarette lighters - not objects you would really expect magnetism to act on.
The videos are rather oddly staged, too. None of the footage shows any objects being impelled by any force, or moving without human assistance; the items are always placed carefully against the flesh, with big surfaces in contact rather than, say, the edge of a knife. Larger, heavier items are positioned at the top of the chest with the child leaning backwards, suggesting that actually a lot of the weight is pressing into the skin, not pulling against it (and both boys are generously proportioned, allowing some of the weight to rest on their tummies).

It also bugs me that the demonstrations are so unimaginatively lame. If my ejaculate somehow gave rise to a magnetic boy I can think of a thousand experiments way cooler than sticking cutlery to him. It would be nice to see him lift a cloud of iron filings off of the ground with a wave of the hand, or put a compass near him, or have him picked up by one of those electromagnetic cranes they use to pick up cars in junkyards, or make him be the first person to wing-walk on the underside of a wing.

In short, these aren't very convincing displays. Human skin is greasy and oily and stretchy and can be pretty sticky - most men at some point in their lives will experience the agony that comes when you sit naked on a leather chair in hot weather and then stand up, only to find the bottom half of your scrotum still welded to the seat. There's nothing in the videos that can't be explained by sticky skin and some careful positioning.

My dream isn't quite dead though. Thanks to the efforts of artists and scientists, magnetic people do exist. Quinn Norton wrote a fascinating essay for Wired in 2006 which describes the adventures of body modification artists Jesse Jarrell and Steve Haworth, who worked in collaboration with graduate student Todd Huffman to develop implants that would allow them to sense magnetic fields through their finger-tips.

The implants were tiny - miniscule fragments of iron encased in a silicone sheath to prevent rejection - but the results were startling. "In time, bits of my laptop became familiar as tingles and buzzes. Every so often I would pass near something and get an unexpected vibration," Norton relates, in an article that is well worth reading in full.

In Britain, graduate student (and science blogger) Jawish Hameed at the University of Reading has been living with his own magnetic implants for over two years.

His implants are tiny neodymium disc magnets inserted in the ring and middle fingers of his left hand. They are 3mm in diameter, and just 0.7mm thick, and coated in a material called Parylene C to prevent any reaction with the surrounding tissue. Doctors at the university refused to perform the surgery, so Hameed had the procedure carried out by a body modification artist, Mac McCarthy. It sounds risky, and he tells me that he did it with his family's 'minimal knowledge', "They had concerns of its long term effects. But over two years with the implants without incident has comforted them somewhat!"

The magnets are positioned in the pads of the finger-tips. Electromagnetic fields can stimulate the magnets, and their tiny movements and vibrations are picked up by the tightly-packed mechanoreceptors (nerves that sense mechanical pressure and distortion) in Hameed's fingers, allowing him to experience magnetism as little tugs and tingles.

I asked him what it felt like. "It startled me on numerous occasions when interacting with everyday things like cash machines, microwaves, speakers and even my own laptop," he says, "I was suddenly aware of the silent spin and working of the hard drive and the cooling fan. I could feel a field around microwaves from about a foot away."

His experiences then are similar to Quinn Norton's, with household objects suddenly interacting with his senses in whole new ways. "Each magnetic field induces a different sort of feeling, depending on the strength and frequency of the current that drives the electromagnetic fields," he tells me, "It is hard to describe an analogy but [it] feels like the vibrations from wind."

A simple interface, consisting of an electromagnetic coil on a wire-frame wrapped around the finger, allows a computer to deliver signals to the implants. Initial tests have been promising, although there is obviously a long way to go before anything like this could be used widely. There are many possible applications, particularly for the blind. He has been able to use the implants to receive Morse code, and has experimented with transmitting information from an ultrasonic ranger to the implants to help people 'feel' the environment around them.

He also plans to integrate the implants with his mobile phone, "I'm currently preparing a mini ring-sized wearable interface to injecting text messages from my phone." Even without the interface, he says his extra sense has practical uses: "I use it quite regularly to sense if a wire is carrying AC household current."

Check out the video below, it shows how the procedure is done.



It goes to show that where we find fairy tales, science is often not far behind. Jawish Hameed is not 'Magnetoman', but there's something quite amazing about a species that, given five wonderful senses with which to experience our world, sets about trying to build a sixth.


Sources
La Sumisa


Subscribe to updates thru BBM: 32669473

Body Modification

The concept of body modifications has long been prevalent in the human race. Put in simple words, ‘body modification’ refers to the process of making changes in the body. The changes incorporated can be temporary or permanent in nature. Primarily done for the purpose of beautification, body modification has emerged to be very different from what it had started as. The need as well as the ways for body modification has undergone transformation. This concept of making changes in the body has various implications and differs from culture to culture. While sharp objects, to tattoos to amputations are all categorized as ways to modify any part of the body, jewelries are the most common element that is used in body modifications.

Apart from being a fashion statement, body modifications in early days were done for purely religious reasons. This thing still prevails in the modern times where examples can be cited from various regions. Believers do so with this faith that their sacrifice and pain will satisfy God and they will be granted their wishes. The pain inflicted on the body while doing so becomes immaterial at that time.

Tracing back to the times of Indus Valley civilization, ornaments or jewelries has played a crucial role in body modifications. Earrings, anklets, necklaces, nose rings all excavated from the ruins have proved that they were in use in those days. The Bronze statues of a dancing girl excavated at one such site bore proof of the same fact. Bangles, rings, head bands also found at the excavation sites are evidence of the fact that even men used these for body modifications.

For many cultures across the world, body modifications have an altogether different need and importance. It is an inherent part of their culture and they are taught to imbibe this from their very childhood. Say for example in Myanmar, the women of the Padaung tribe has this tradition to wear tight neck rings around their necks. The practice starts at a tender age of 5. While at this time, the number of ring put around the neck is one, the number soon increases with time. It’s quite prevalent among them to wear as many rings as possible around their calves too. The ultimate reason for doing so is to modify the neck as in the process it gets elongated at times to alarming rates. Other body modifications followed by tribes related to this use jewelry extensively for elongating their ear lobes or ear piercings done previously.

Instances of body modifications can also be found in the American culture where the use of labrets is common among First Nations people inhabiting the North west coast. Modifications of the lips with the use of lip plates are common among Sara and Mursi people, mostly of African origin.

Body modifications can hence be categorized as common and ‘extreme’. While some are temporary and easy to do like body piercing, ear piercing, dermal anchoring which is placing a small steel bead on the skin, neck rings and tattooing – some can be really dangerous and harmful. The extreme kinds consist of tongue splitting and extra ocular implant.

With time, the sense of fashion has undergone a considerable change. For so long, footwear, jewelry and handbags co ordinate perfectly with stylish attire drew the attention in the crowd. Now is the time, when a ethnic embroidered apparel from India or a chic Indo western wear is well complimented by a perfectly done body modification.


Sources
La Sumisa
Tattoo Articles


Subscribe to updates thru BBM: 32669473

Body Modification

The concept of body modifications has long been prevalent in the human race. Put in simple words, ‘body modification’ refers to the process of making changes in the body. The changes incorporated can be temporary or permanent in nature. Primarily done for the purpose of beautification, body modification has emerged to be very different from what it had started as. The need as well as the ways for body modification has undergone transformation. This concept of making changes in the body has various implications and differs from culture to culture. While sharp objects, to tattoos to amputations are all categorized as ways to modify any part of the body, jewelries are the most common element that is used in body modifications.

Apart from being a fashion statement, body modifications in early days were done for purely religious reasons. This thing still prevails in the modern times where examples can be cited from various regions. Believers do so with this faith that their sacrifice and pain will satisfy God and they will be granted their wishes. The pain inflicted on the body while doing so becomes immaterial at that time.

Tracing back to the times of Indus Valley civilization, ornaments or jewelries has played a crucial role in body modifications. Earrings, anklets, necklaces, nose rings all excavated from the ruins have proved that they were in use in those days. The Bronze statues of a dancing girl excavated at one such site bore proof of the same fact. Bangles, rings, head bands also found at the excavation sites are evidence of the fact that even men used these for body modifications.

For many cultures across the world, body modifications have an altogether different need and importance. It is an inherent part of their culture and they are taught to imbibe this from their very childhood. Say for example in Myanmar, the women of the Padaung tribe has this tradition to wear tight neck rings around their necks. The practice starts at a tender age of 5. While at this time, the number of ring put around the neck is one, the number soon increases with time. It’s quite prevalent among them to wear as many rings as possible around their calves too. The ultimate reason for doing so is to modify the neck as in the process it gets elongated at times to alarming rates. Other body modifications followed by tribes related to this use jewelry extensively for elongating their ear lobes or ear piercings done previously.

Instances of body modifications can also be found in the American culture where the use of labrets is common among First Nations people inhabiting the North west coast. Modifications of the lips with the use of lip plates are common among Sara and Mursi people, mostly of African origin.

Body modifications can hence be categorized as common and ‘extreme’. While some are temporary and easy to do like body piercing, ear piercing, dermal anchoring which is placing a small steel bead on the skin, neck rings and tattooing – some can be really dangerous and harmful. The extreme kinds consist of tongue splitting and extra ocular implant.

With time, the sense of fashion has undergone a considerable change. For so long, footwear, jewelry and handbags co ordinate perfectly with stylish attire drew the attention in the crowd. Now is the time, when a ethnic embroidered apparel from India or a chic Indo western wear is well complimented by a perfectly done body modification.


Sources
La Sumisa
Tattoo Articles


Subscribe to updates thru BBM: 32669473

Body Modification and Cultures

It is wonderful to see how many ethnic cultures have preserved their habits, ways of living and what they believe is the right way to live. Sometimes people in what is called "civilized" countries admire the way of living of people from many parts of the world and they do fantasize of living such loving, united and pleasant life, they wished they lived a way from noise and pollution and their big desire is to live in a jungle, a tribe or perhaps a life where people respect the right of others to live. Sometimes those who complaint of not having enough money to spend on a trip forget there is people who can't afford shoes or had never wore them at all, they might not know they exist. There is people in this world who don't care about things that we think we can't live without, still they got what we wish we had.

People around the globe have their ways of living and cultural differences that make them unique and allow them to have their own identity. Having their bodies modified since an early age is common and normal, it represent status or let everyone know where they come from without saying a word, could also be a warning for those who try to get in their way. When it comes to the so called civilized world things change, many years ago, having a tattoo was taboo and would make anyone think whoever wore them was associated with criminal gangs or was an ex-con, etc. Every individual has a reason to get a tattoo and all reasons are different from each other.

People have learned to accept tattoo and body modification in a great way and it is simply because they have taken the time to educate themselves and passed it on to others. Tattoos and piercings are more common this days and people who enjoy body modification in general have moved up to new options and more things to enjoy. Many years ago it was shocking to see someone with a tongue piercing and today, anyone can just have it. Today those who want to get to a higher level or want to upgrade from a tongue piercing, simply make an incision to make it look like a snake tongue (see posting below) cause they want something new, exciting and that not everyone dares to do, people have a desire to stand out from the crowd and thats not a bad thing at all.

Some people might be shocked to see something different or unique, but if they look around and read a bit of history you will realize body modification has always been there, it is nothing new and sometimes a generation present it to the next one as something bad or wrong. We have to keep in mind that regardless of a professional career if a person have a desire to identify with a community they will do it regardless of what others might say, just because it is not visible, doesn't mean is not there.

Body Modification and Cultures

It is wonderful to see how many ethnic cultures have preserved their habits, ways of living and what they believe is the right way to live. Sometimes people in what is called "civilized" countries admire the way of living of people from many parts of the world and they do fantasize of living such loving, united and pleasant life, they wished they lived a way from noise and pollution and their big desire is to live in a jungle, a tribe or perhaps a life where people respect the right of others to live. Sometimes those who complaint of not having enough money to spend on a trip forget there is people who can't afford shoes or had never wore them at all, they might not know they exist. There is people in this world who don't care about things that we think we can't live without, still they got what we wish we had.

People around the globe have their ways of living and cultural differences that make them unique and allow them to have their own identity. Having their bodies modified since an early age is common and normal, it represent status or let everyone know where they come from without saying a word, could also be a warning for those who try to get in their way. When it comes to the so called civilized world things change, many years ago, having a tattoo was taboo and would make anyone think whoever wore them was associated with criminal gangs or was an ex-con, etc. Every individual has a reason to get a tattoo and all reasons are different from each other.

People have learned to accept tattoo and body modification in a great way and it is simply because they have taken the time to educate themselves and passed it on to others. Tattoos and piercings are more common this days and people who enjoy body modification in general have moved up to new options and more things to enjoy. Many years ago it was shocking to see someone with a tongue piercing and today, anyone can just have it. Today those who want to get to a higher level or want to upgrade from a tongue piercing, simply make an incision to make it look like a snake tongue (see posting below) cause they want something new, exciting and that not everyone dares to do, people have a desire to stand out from the crowd and thats not a bad thing at all.

Some people might be shocked to see something different or unique, but if they look around and read a bit of history you will realize body modification has always been there, it is nothing new and sometimes a generation present it to the next one as something bad or wrong. We have to keep in mind that regardless of a professional career if a person have a desire to identify with a community they will do it regardless of what others might say, just because it is not visible, doesn't mean is not there.

Evolution of a Corset

A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it, or with a more lasting effect). Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though women are more common wearers. In recent years, the term "corset" has also been borrowed by the fashion industry to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without actually acting as one.

While these modern corsets and corset tops often feature lacing and/or boning and generally mimic a historical style of corsets, they have very little if any effect on the shape of the wearer's body. Genuine corsets are usually made by a corset maker and should be fitted to the individual wearer. The most common and well-known use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette. For women this most frequently emphasizes a curvy figure, by reducing the waist, and thereby exaggerating the bust and hips.

However, in some periods, corsets have been worn to achieve a tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involves minimizing the bust and hips. For men, corsets are more customarily used to slim the figure. However, there was a period from around 1820 to 1835 when a wasp-waisted figure (a small, nipped-in look to the waist) was also desirable for men; this was sometimes achieved by wearing a corset. 

Note:

1) An over bust corset encloses the torso, extending from just under the arms to the hips.

2) An under bust corset begins just under the breasts and extends down to the hips. Some corsets extend over the hips and, in very rare instances, reach the knees.

A shorter kind of corset, which covers the waist area (from low on the ribs to just above the hips), is called a waist cincher.

A corset may also include garters to hold up stockings (alternatively a separate garter belt may be worn for that).

Normally a corset supports the visible dress, and spreads the pressure from large dresses, such as the crinoline and bustle. Sometimes a corset cover is used to protect outer clothes from the corset and to smooth the lines of the corset. The original corset cover was worn under the corset to provide a layer between it and the body. Corsets were not worn next to the skin, possibly due to difficulties with laundering these items during the 19th century, as they had steel boning and metal eyelets which would rust.

The corset cover would be in the form of a light chemise, made from cotton lawn or silk.People with spinal problems such as scoliosis or with internal injuries may be fitted with a form of corset in order to immobilize and protect the torso. Andy Warhol was shot in 1968 and never fully recovered, and wore a corset for the rest of his life. Aside from fashion and medical uses, corsets are also used in sexual fetishism, most notably in BDSM activities.

In BDSM, a submissive can be forced to wear a corset which would be laced very tight and give some degree of restriction to the wearer. A dominant can also wear a corset, often black, but for entirely different reasons, such as aesthetics, and to achieve a severe, armored, "unbending", commanding appearance. A very common fetish costume for women is the dominatrix costume. Usually it consists of mostly dark or even black clothing. The woman usually wears a corset or bustier and stockings with high-heeled footwear. High boots are quite common as they enhance the woman's domination.

Women in dominatrix costumes usually carry an accessory such as a whip or a riding crop. A specially designed corset, in which the breasts and vulva are left exposed can be worn during Vvanilla sex or BDSM activities. By wearing a tightly-laced corset for extended periods, known as tightlacing, men and women can learn to tolerate extreme waist constriction and eventually reduce their natural waist size.

Tightlacers dream of 16 inches (41 cm) and 17 inches (43 cm) waists, but most are satisfied with anything under 20 inches (51 cm). Some went so far that they could only breathe with the top part of their lungs. This caused the bottom part of their lungs to fill with mucus, symtoms of this include a slight but persistant cough and heavy breathing causing a heaving appearance of the bosom. Until 1998, the Guinnes Book of World Records listed Ethel Granger as having the smallest waist on record at 13 inches (33 cm). After 1998, the category changed to "smallest waist on a living person" and Cathie Jung took the title with a 15 inches (38 cm) waist.

Other women, such as Polaire, also have achieved such reductions (14 inches (36 cm) in her case). However, these are extreme cases. Corsets were and are still usually designed for support, with freedom of body movement, an important consideration in their design. Present day corset-wearers usually tighten the corset just enough to reduce their waists by 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm); it is very difficult for a slender woman to achieve as much as 6 inches (15 cm), although larger women can do so more easily.

Evolution of a Corset

A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it, or with a more lasting effect). Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though women are more common wearers. In recent years, the term "corset" has also been borrowed by the fashion industry to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without actually acting as one.

While these modern corsets and corset tops often feature lacing and/or boning and generally mimic a historical style of corsets, they have very little if any effect on the shape of the wearer's body. Genuine corsets are usually made by a corset maker and should be fitted to the individual wearer. The most common and well-known use of corsets is to slim the body and make it conform to a fashionable silhouette. For women this most frequently emphasizes a curvy figure, by reducing the waist, and thereby exaggerating the bust and hips.

However, in some periods, corsets have been worn to achieve a tubular straight-up-and-down shape, which involves minimizing the bust and hips. For men, corsets are more customarily used to slim the figure. However, there was a period from around 1820 to 1835 when a wasp-waisted figure (a small, nipped-in look to the waist) was also desirable for men; this was sometimes achieved by wearing a corset. 

Note:

1) An over bust corset encloses the torso, extending from just under the arms to the hips.

2) An under bust corset begins just under the breasts and extends down to the hips. Some corsets extend over the hips and, in very rare instances, reach the knees.

A shorter kind of corset, which covers the waist area (from low on the ribs to just above the hips), is called a waist cincher.

A corset may also include garters to hold up stockings (alternatively a separate garter belt may be worn for that).

Normally a corset supports the visible dress, and spreads the pressure from large dresses, such as the crinoline and bustle. Sometimes a corset cover is used to protect outer clothes from the corset and to smooth the lines of the corset. The original corset cover was worn under the corset to provide a layer between it and the body. Corsets were not worn next to the skin, possibly due to difficulties with laundering these items during the 19th century, as they had steel boning and metal eyelets which would rust.

The corset cover would be in the form of a light chemise, made from cotton lawn or silk.People with spinal problems such as scoliosis or with internal injuries may be fitted with a form of corset in order to immobilize and protect the torso. Andy Warhol was shot in 1968 and never fully recovered, and wore a corset for the rest of his life. Aside from fashion and medical uses, corsets are also used in sexual fetishism, most notably in BDSM activities.

In BDSM, a submissive can be forced to wear a corset which would be laced very tight and give some degree of restriction to the wearer. A dominant can also wear a corset, often black, but for entirely different reasons, such as aesthetics, and to achieve a severe, armored, "unbending", commanding appearance. A very common fetish costume for women is the dominatrix costume. Usually it consists of mostly dark or even black clothing. The woman usually wears a corset or bustier and stockings with high-heeled footwear. High boots are quite common as they enhance the woman's domination.

Women in dominatrix costumes usually carry an accessory such as a whip or a riding crop. A specially designed corset, in which the breasts and vulva are left exposed can be worn during Vvanilla sex or BDSM activities. By wearing a tightly-laced corset for extended periods, known as tightlacing, men and women can learn to tolerate extreme waist constriction and eventually reduce their natural waist size.

Tightlacers dream of 16 inches (41 cm) and 17 inches (43 cm) waists, but most are satisfied with anything under 20 inches (51 cm). Some went so far that they could only breathe with the top part of their lungs. This caused the bottom part of their lungs to fill with mucus, symtoms of this include a slight but persistant cough and heavy breathing causing a heaving appearance of the bosom. Until 1998, the Guinnes Book of World Records listed Ethel Granger as having the smallest waist on record at 13 inches (33 cm). After 1998, the category changed to "smallest waist on a living person" and Cathie Jung took the title with a 15 inches (38 cm) waist.

Other women, such as Polaire, also have achieved such reductions (14 inches (36 cm) in her case). However, these are extreme cases. Corsets were and are still usually designed for support, with freedom of body movement, an important consideration in their design. Present day corset-wearers usually tighten the corset just enough to reduce their waists by 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm); it is very difficult for a slender woman to achieve as much as 6 inches (15 cm), although larger women can do so more easily.

Menhdi

Menhdi is famous in the east for centuries. It is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration in the Indian Subcontinent, as well as by expatriate communities from these areas. Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and traditional festivals.

Mehndi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where they are sometimes called henna tattoos. Also, all other regions has its own style of Mehndi – every one is different, but one thing they have in common – they all have amazing color that offers a beautiful unique design on the hands and feet.

Menhdi

Menhdi is famous in the east for centuries. It is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration in the Indian Subcontinent, as well as by expatriate communities from these areas. Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and traditional festivals.

Mehndi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where they are sometimes called henna tattoos. Also, all other regions has its own style of Mehndi – every one is different, but one thing they have in common – they all have amazing color that offers a beautiful unique design on the hands and feet.

Hannya Mask

The Hannya mask is a mask used in Japanese Noh theater, representing a jealous female demon or serpent. It possesses two sharp bull-like horns, metallic eyes, and a leering mouth split from ear to ear. The name hannya is a Sino-Japanese word for prajna or wisdom.

The Hannya mask is used in many noh and kyògen Japanese plays, as well as in Shinto ritual kagura dances. The Hannya mask portrays the souls of women who have become demons due to obsession or jealousy. Plays in which a person may wear the hannya mask include Aoi no Ue and Dòjòji; its use in these two plays, two of the most famous of the Noh repertoire, and its distinctive and frightening appearance make it one of the most recognizable Noh masks. 

The Hannya mask is said to be dangerous and demonic, but also sorrowful and tormented displaying the complexity of human emotions. When the actor looks straight ahead, the mask appears frightening and angry; when tilted slightly down, the face of the demon appears to be sorrowful, as though crying. The oldest hannya mask is dated 1558.

Hannya masks appear in various skin tones: a white mask indicates a woman of aristocratic status (such as Rokujò in Aoi no Ue), a red mask depicts a low-class woman, and the darkest red depicts true demons (revealed after appearing as women, as in Momijigari and Kurozuka.) Those who get a Hannya mask tattooed in their bodies have identified themselves in one way or the other with this masks. People have a reason to get tattooed, and choosing a design plays a role as well.

Some people might like the way it looks, the colors, etc. or simply have a personal reason to go for the mask, some people follow the cultural significance and others might relate to the mask in some ways.

Hannya Mask

The Hannya mask is a mask used in Japanese Noh theater, representing a jealous female demon or serpent. It possesses two sharp bull-like horns, metallic eyes, and a leering mouth split from ear to ear. The name hannya is a Sino-Japanese word for prajna or wisdom.

The Hannya mask is used in many noh and kyògen Japanese plays, as well as in Shinto ritual kagura dances. The Hannya mask portrays the souls of women who have become demons due to obsession or jealousy. Plays in which a person may wear the hannya mask include Aoi no Ue and Dòjòji; its use in these two plays, two of the most famous of the Noh repertoire, and its distinctive and frightening appearance make it one of the most recognizable Noh masks. 

The Hannya mask is said to be dangerous and demonic, but also sorrowful and tormented displaying the complexity of human emotions. When the actor looks straight ahead, the mask appears frightening and angry; when tilted slightly down, the face of the demon appears to be sorrowful, as though crying. The oldest hannya mask is dated 1558.

Hannya masks appear in various skin tones: a white mask indicates a woman of aristocratic status (such as Rokujò in Aoi no Ue), a red mask depicts a low-class woman, and the darkest red depicts true demons (revealed after appearing as women, as in Momijigari and Kurozuka.) Those who get a Hannya mask tattooed in their bodies have identified themselves in one way or the other with this masks. People have a reason to get tattooed, and choosing a design plays a role as well.

Some people might like the way it looks, the colors, etc. or simply have a personal reason to go for the mask, some people follow the cultural significance and others might relate to the mask in some ways.