It’s not surprising for women to put on impressive dresses or clothes showing off beautiful curve of body with outstanding expectations. To achieve the dream look, some of them prefer putting hip boosters (or hip support panties) to boost confidence and extra attention. Thus, how often and common women use it? For Khmer women, hip boosters are used quite frequent, especially in traditional costumes. You might wonder when they wear all these costumes. Ranking as first country with most holidays, (28 public holidays) in a year, you can imagine how busy we are (of course, with holidays) and how often we need to wear traditional costumes to represent the country and sometimes require traditional dancers to open up each of big events. Well, that’s not even including traditional events like weddings, as well as other religion- and tradition-related ceremonies (Bon Pa Chai Boun, Bon Pka Samaki, Bon Pers Sda Pram Pi Chob, etc.). Those who are invited to all of these events are traditionally required to wear traditional costumes. I myself have experienced all of these and it was no surprise for me to have hip boosters worn in my wedding though I didn’t want to. Having had this experience, I’m starting to question myself and eager to know what are behind this popular hip boosters, and it seems to make sense to me for 3 reasons.
Apsaras as the first models
Khmer Apsaras are described as beautiful female beings who came down to the Earth from heaven to give entertaining, blessing and enchanting dances to both kings and gods. They are also described as beauties to entrap mortals with nice curl of flexible hands in slow-paced and differently unique moves of fingers, which offer audiences mesmerising moments. The best thing I can narrate about Apsara is their nice hourglass body shapes – tiny waist with wider hips, dressing in elegant silk costumes, embellished in stunning jewelries, comprised of headdresses, precious earrings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets.
If you look at Apsaras in Angkor era, they have the same body shapes, except their dress features and dance movements. The two of Khmer women Devatas (Apsaras) – South and North Devatas of Sikhoraphm (now based in Thailand) are estimated with waist-hip ratio around .57 and .59 accordingly. These measurements of Apsara shows the perfect size of women and are considered this low waist-hip ratio as attractive women.
With Khmer Angkor historical events passed on for generations, we have now conserved those dances with the same imitation of dance costumes and movements. However, not all the modern Apsara dancers now would have their elegant body shapes with small waist and wide hips. To make this exact same body shape, hip boosters (or hip support panties) are commonly worn underneath the skirt to add on extra curves. Of course, these boosters really gain extra attention from audiences and extend the meanings of how beautiful Apsara dancers in Angkor Era would be. Because of these reasons, I notice that these boosters have now popularly been used in Apsara costumes and other types of traditional costumes.
Most attractive parts of all times
Naturally and scientifically speaking, women’s body shapes are created more curvy than men’s ones, and women’s body shapes are classified into 7 categories: triangle (pear), rectangles (straight or banana), diamond, inverted triangle (apple), oval (round), athletic and hourglass. Among all, the hourglass shape – perfect shape with the curves of small waist and wider hips – is proven to be attractive to men, as the research finds men are reliable signal of physical and sexual maturity in young women’. In addition to this, Khmer saying states that ‘those who have wide hips are fertile in child bearing’. It has both direct and indirect meanings. The direct meaning simply refers to women’s fertility and easy giving birth while indirect one refers to sex. Yet I don’t think hip boosters are related to direct meaning of childbearing (perception), instead they seems to involve more in indirect meaning which attraction can lead to have sex.
Just be once a princess in a lifetime
As mentioned above, having wider hips are attractive at all times and Apsara is the representation for the beautiful look in traditional costumes. Thus, you will see hip boosters (and even boob boosters) worn in wedding costumes for the whole process. They are like must-use boosters, which you will be strongly convinced to wear. If you ask those who have recently got married about hip boosters, I’m sure all of them would answer ‘Yes, they’ve worn them’. I’m also positive to the idea saying ‘who doesn’t want to be the most attractive princess on her day?’. I would love to! It’s the best day to make a remarkable relationship status change and officially announce the relationship to family, friends and others you know. Cambodian wedding is about details of each spiritual or ancestor dedication, education and representations of stages turning into couples, which requires 3 days or now approximately 2 days in short. The bride-to-be will go through experiences of wearing regular-changing costumes (pumped up with both boobs and hip boosters) with jewelry alteration sets to match them, especially lots of photos and videos taken to mark this absolutely auspicious days. The incredible photos and videos of impressive body shape in modernised traditional costumes with stunning makeup will also help promote wedding planners to attract more future brides to hire their services.
Therefore, if you happen to visit Cambodia or might know someone who get married in Khmer traditions, don’t be surprised with all these.
Vinnie The Dainty 