Burlesque reveres the corseted waist. Any size, any shape, a tightly-laced steel-boned busk is the staple of many a performer’s wardrobe. Now see the human hourglass, Ioana Spangenberg.

The Human Hourglass – Ioana Spangenberg

Ioana Spangenberg has hit the international headlines this week with her teeny tiny NON-corseted 20” waist! The Romanian model insists her shape is all natural and not a result of tight-lacing.

She told The Sun, “When I was 13 my waist was around 15 inches.” She added, “Someone could put their hands around it, their fingers would touch and they would still have extra room.”

Extreme waists have been achieved via other means by women in the past. Vogue Italia inspiration, Ethel Granger trained down to a miniscule 13” waist, for a time the world’s smallest.

(Image from Vogue Italia)

Recently, UK pensioner Cathie Jung became The Guinness World Record holder with a 15” vital statistic.

During Kylie Minogue’s Showgirl tour of 2005, media outlets reported a ‘shocking’ 16” waist from the already tiny lady from Down Under. It wasn’t, Kylie’s PR company later admitted but too late. The corseted waist entered popular fashion and eventually onto the high street. H&M amongst others produced their own versions alongside leather harnesses, corset belts and form fitting Roland Mouret style efforts.

(Image from Kylie Minogue)

If a corseted-waisted (natural or otherwise!) is for you, we looked at some of the best corsets available on the market in Honeymoon Lingerie and Wedding Lingerie.

Find out How to Remove Burlesque Corsets.

Burlexe is a sensational London burlesque show inspired by the women who created the genre and perform the art. It fuses burlesque performance with storytelling, dancing with acting.

Find out more about our unique burlesque show and join our mailing list.

(Main image from The Gloss)