100 DRAWINGS IN 100 DAYS - BLYTHE VON TEESE

BLYTHE VON TEESE (LOVES HER JOB AS A BURLESQUE DANCER - IT MEANS MORE LINGERIE AND SHOES!)

i'm really not fond of reading blogs that begin with "it's been 3 days since i last blogged, because...". it sounds too "dear diary" to me. and it's usually some quite lame reason as to why, and it's not as though we're in high school and we have to blog every day, and now this is sounding more and more as though i ought to... so, let me see, how to begin... it's been 3 days since i last blogged because i had knee surgery and the pain has set in! and now that i've said that, i'm going to get straight into the business of blogging.

i'm almost certain that most grown adults would know who Dita Von Teese is, however if they don't, it's not that uncommon. she's a very influential, almost cult-like figure in the world of Burlesque, strip-tease, and the tasteful art of seduction. once i had decided on this drawing today, i spent the best part of the day researching von Teese, her iconographic looks, (you can even learn how to do Dita Von Teese makeup on You Tube!) This lady has taken us on a journey back to a time when corsets were not optional, they were as mandatory a piece of clothing as your left shoe, and she has created a newfound interest in the corset as naughty-but-nice lustful underwear... the thing is, she does it with such elegance and high-class that it seems almost unimaginable!

corsets, a constrictive undergarment made from whalebone, steel or horn, were thought to have been around since the 15th century, and worn primarily to alter the appearance of the figure. they were a sign of status and wealth, usually only reserved for aristocracy, and were a source of constant medical problems from day one. women used to have access to "fainting couches", "smelling salts", and were known to have "spells", all of which were due to the corset constricting and limiting the human body's normal functions, namely the cutting off of circulation, causing digestive problems, dizziness and light-headedness, even fainting. the smelling salts were made from ammonium carbonate, and were used to revive the unconscious women.

we now find that corsets have made a comeback in the fetish realm, namely in burlesque perfoming. fortunately for the performers though, they get to take them off at the end of their shift! they do however, look a lot more pleasing to the eye than they did back then... and can you believe that men used to wear them?? see if that would happen today!