Kim Kardashian Called Breathing 'An Art Form' While Getting Into Her Met Gala Corset
Kim Kardashian wore a corseted Margiela by John Galliano gown to the 2024 Met Gala.
The dress was so tight that Kim called breathing "an art form."
Experts advise against this type of heavy corseting.
Kim Kardashian has made headlines once again for her fashion choices.
On May 6, the SKIMS mogul attended the 2024 Met Gala was last night, whose theme was the “Garden of Time.” Kim sported a heavily-corseted Margiela by John Galliano gown featuring a floral lace train, which she paired with a simple grey shawl.
While the look was dramatic, the dress was so tight that Kim looked like she was having trouble breathing in it at one point. The 43-year-old also seemed to need to get help from attendees to make her way up the stairs due to how restrictive her dress was, per People.
Now, Kim has revealed exactly how difficult it was to wear the gown. In a behind-the-scenes video released by VOGUE on May 7, Kim sucks in a breath while her team laces up the corset. When the director asks her how her "breathing" is going, the mother-of-four replies, "It's an art form, but I got it."
Later in the video, Kim explains she loves the corset "because it makes my boobs look so good, and my waist."
"I'll feel so snatched, I won't even be able to communicate to you how snatched I feel," she adds.
This isn’t Kim's first time wearing a heavily-corseted gown to the Met Gala. In 2019, she wore a Thierry Mugler gown with an intense corset that she later said was hard to breathe in. “I have never felt pain like that in my life," she told WSJ Magazine.
Plenty of people have shared concerns in the comments of her Instagram post about the look. “Girl... slay. But where did you put all your internal organs???” one wrote. “How r u breathing tho,” another said.
After seeing all this, it’s understandable to have questions, including whether wearing a corset like this is safe. Doctors say it really depends.
“If worn correctly and for short periods of time, corsets are generally safe,” says women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, MD. “But if too tight or worn for extended periods of time, it can pose some health risks.”
In the short term, a corset can constrict the lungs if it's cinched too tight, making it hard to breathe, Wider says. There's also your skin to think about. “Harsh materials can cut into the skin, causing abrasions, rashes, and potentially infections,” she says. “Corsets can also compress the abdominal muscles, and impair proper digestion.”
If you're wearing a tight corset, "there are certain compromises being made," points out Christine Greves, MD, a women's health expert and ob/gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Florida. "It does result in shallow breathing," she says. Another potential concern that Greves flags: This can compress nerves in your body and cause a tingling feeling.
Something else to consider: "It can reduce blood flow and create some risks such as digestive issues and muscle weakness," says Jessica Shepherd, MD, an ob/gyn in Texas and founder of Sanctum Med Wellness.
But there are potential long-term impacts of corseting regularly, too. “There is some evidence that wearing a corset long-term can weaken the pelvic floor muscles because the muscles don’t have the opportunity to contract and release properly,” Wider says. When you regularly wear it over time, a corset "can definitely impair the natural movement of your diaphragm and cause impairment to the internal organs," Shepherd says.
Essentially, if you enjoy breathing and have internal organs, there's really no need to go this route. "Do your body a favor and listen to it," Greves says. "You may want to focus on having pretty fingernails instead."
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