extended beauty?

similar to feet binding, i asked myself how the custom of neck rings came about. how was it possible for people to come up with 'fashion trends' that inflict such discomfort in another? unfortunately, once again, the women are at the brunt of it.

starting young 

image from feminist university

neck rings are formed with one or more spiral metal coils of many turns worn as an ornament around the neck of an individual. in a few african and asian cultures neck rings are worn usually to create the appearance that the neck has been stretched. padaung (kayan lahwi) women of the kayan people begin to wear neck coils from as young as age two. the length of the coil is gradually increased to as much as twenty turns. the weight of the coils will eventually place sufficient pressure on the shoulder blade to cause it to deform and create an impression of a longer neck. 

the elongated neck: ideal beauty?

the custom of wearing neck rings is related to an ideal of beauty: an elongated neck. neck rings push the collarbone and ribs down. the neck stretching is mostly illusory: the weight of the rings twists the collar bone and eventually the upper ribs at an angle 45 degrees lower than what is natural, causing the illusion of an elongated neck. the vertebrae do not elongate, though the space between them may increase as the intervertebral discs absorb liquid.

x-ray of deformed collarbone

while many may condemn the practice of 'neck stretching', we cannot forget how this custom has become definitive of the tribes' culture. the question is: does culture and tradition have to have an outward expression even when it is clearly in opposition with the natural order of the human body? is no one born beautiful?

fash'on... BAM!