Sell All My Old Clothes - I'm Off to Heaven Quiz

Answer: Oscar Wilde

The great Irish writer and dramatist, Oscar Wilde, had two younger step-sisters, Emily and Mary. A freak accident happened when they were staying with relatives in County Monaghan, Ireland. While waltzing at a local ball, their crinoline skirts set light when they got too close to an open fire, causing both girls to lose their lives. The inscription on their grave at Drumsnatt Church reads, "In memory of two loving and loved sisters, Emily Wilde aged 24 and Mary Wilde, aged 22, who lost their lives by accident in this parish, Nov 10th 1871. They were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in death they were not divided".

The name crinoline is taken from the Latin words "crinis" for "hair, and "linum" for "linen", and used to describe the horsehair or linen material that was used to cover the wide hoop cages, the framework made from either metal or whalebone. Stiff crinoline petticoats were highly fashionable from the mid-19th century. Thousands of women died when their skirts set light next to open fires, got caught in carriage wheels, or were even literally blown away to sea as they strolled along a gusty harbour wall.

Answer: Spanish wool

The Ancient Egyptians were the first people to use cosmetics with killer substances, including malachite, galena, and kohl which was a dark paste using lead and copper. The Greeks then introduced a white face cream made from lead. Lead poisoning from cosmetics in the 18th century was quite common because of the fashion for wearing heavy white makeup with red rouge.

Spanish wool was a type of abrasive pad, made with red fabric, red cochineal colouring, quicklime, rock alum, gum arabic, brazil wood and verdigris. Overuse of any toxic cosmetic could lead to fatigue, weight loss, nausea, paralysis and even death. One well documented death was a vain socialite called Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry, who in 1760 died of lead poisoning at the age of 27 (image shown).

The 18th century was full of unusual make-up trends. Eyebrows were plucked and darkened with lead, or fake brows were made using mouse fur. Tiny patches of black taffeta were cut into star or crescent shapes and placed on the face to hide spots and pock marks. Head lice were common and scalps were shaved so that elaborate powdered wigs could be worn, often with ringlets, lace, feathers and sometimes even vegetables.

Answer: Pneumonia

The Sumptuary laws of the 17th and 18th century made sure that people were wearing the correct fabric, and not dressing above their station in life. The rich were allowed to wear thick brocades and furs, leaving the lower classes to wear more flimsy material. Muslin became all the rage and women's wear became less restrictive with lower bust lines and fewer items of underwear.

Some women became more daring, spraying their bodies with water before dressing in muslin, giving them a "wet t-shirt" look which showcased their bodies. Inadequate and thin clothing in winter, coupled with damp bodies and hardly any underwear led to sniffles, colds, sore throats, flu, pneumonia and arthritis, all in the name of following fashion trends. They called this 'muslin disease'.

Answer: Lotus feet

Foot binding started around 970 CE when Emperor Li Yu asked his concubine to wrap her feet in white silk in the shape of a crescent while she danced around a golden lotus on the points of her feet. Such was her gracefulness that others wanted to emulate her and the practice of foot binding started.

Very young girls between four and seven would have their feet softened in warm water. The foot arch and four smaller toes would be broken as they folded under, and then forced into figure of eight bandages which had been soaked in hot water, the material shrinking as they dried. The deformed feet were then placed into tiny shoes.

It is believed that out of ten million women who underwent the practice of foot binding, approximately ten percent died from related complications. These would have included infection, poor circulation, gangrene, paralysis and muscle atrophy.

Answer: Isadora Duncan

Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) was a very contemporary dancer and ahead of her times. Born in California, she moved to Europe and Russia when she was 22 years old where she became a famous performer, often wearing floaty clothes inspired by ancient Greek attire, using natural movements instead of formal ballet or dance methods.

Her dramatic death at the age of 50 was a huge shock to her family, friends and those who supported her. She was in Nice when she went for a spin in an open-top Bugatti driven by Benoit Falchetto as she was waved off by her best friend, Mary Desti. It is believed her last words were shouted "Adieu, mes amis, je vais a la gloire!", translated as "Goodbye my friends, I'm going go to glory!" as the car took off. The silk scarf became trapped in the wheel, causing instant strangulation and a broken neck with her body flung from the vehicle.

Answer: Stand up collar

It is not known who John Cruetzi was, but his obituary in the "New York Times" in 1888 was given the title, "Choked By His Collar". The report continued: "The Coroner thought the man had been drinking, seated himself on a bench, and fell asleep. His head dropped over on his chest and then his stiff collar stopped the windpipe and checked the flow of blood through the already contracted veins, causing the death to ensue from asphyxia and apoplexy".

Detachable stand-up collars were a very popular fashion accessory to men of fair means during the 19th century, although it was very constrictive, especially if said man had imbibed too much to drink at his club and fallen asleep with his head rolling forward. The collar was given the name "vatermorder" in German which translates as "father killer".

Answer: Mercury poisoning

The saying "mad as a hatter" was coined in the 18th century and referred to someone who was crazy. It was aimed at those who worked in the industrial felt hat making business as some of the workers suffered with mercury poisoning. The main symptoms were tremors, irritability, and mental instability. Part of the felt making process was called carotting, and this involved removing the fur from skin on small animals and coating with mercuric nitrate.

The Mad Hatter is a character in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". He was named after the people who made felt hats as indicated by the tall hat he wore with the price tag still attached which read "In this style 10/6".

Answer: Chopine

Chopine shoes were popular during the 15th to 17th centuries, especially in Venice. The high platform shoes were unstable and were difficult to balance on so the wearer would often walk aided by servants. The higher the platform heel, the more important the person was on the social ladder. Some shoes even reached 20" high. The carcass of the shoe was normally made from wood or cork, with brocade material, leather, velvet and jewellry added for decoration.

In the 1600 book "Courtly Dance of the Renaissance", a translation of "Nobilita di dame "written by Fabritio Caroso", the author: "Now in order to walk nicely, and to wear chopines properly on one's feet, so that they do not twist or go awry (for if one is ignorant of how to wear them, one may splinter them, or fall frequently, as has been and still is observed at parties and in church), it is better for [the lady] to raise the toe of the foot she moves first when she takes a step, for by raising it thus, she straightens the knee of that foot, and this extension keeps her body attractive and erect, besides which her chopine will not fall off that foot."

Answer: Fashion teeth braces

Dental braces have been used since Ancient Egyptian times as archaeologists have found mummies with metal bands, held together with catgut to pull the teeth taught. The French used a device called a bandeau before fellow countryman, Christophe Delabarre, invented the wire crib in 1819 which was the precursor to modern orthodontics.

Fake braces used today are fitted as a fashion statement and not as a health benefit to realign teeth. Hollywood stars Tom Cruise, Gwen Stefani, Whoopi Goldberg, Britney Spears and Cher have all worn the fashion accessory. They are glued to the teeth and come in different designs including Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty and tiny flowers. There are several health disadvantages to do-it-yourself kits, not least by causing inflamed gums, cavities and metal poisoning from lead fittings. It is alleged that a seventeen year old boy from Thailand died after he suffered heart failure due to a thyroid infection brought about by wearing fashion braces. A 14 year-old girl also died when she bought braces from an illegal stall. This led to the Consumer Protection Agency of Thailand banning the sale, import and production of all fake braces.

Answer: Steel boning punctured her heart

Mary Halliday reported feeling very strange before she suddenly keeled over and died. It was found during her autopsy that two nine-inch pieces of steel had punctured her heart, causing her untimely death. It is possible that she may have simply sneezed, causing the metal rods to suddenly pierce her vital organ.

Corsets have been part of fashionable attire for centuries but it was during the Victorian era when they reached their heyday. The common reason why women wore corsets was to streamline the body silhouette to make them appear more attractive. The waist area was forced in with the stiffened garment, the whalebone inserted into the lining to give additional exaggerated curves. The onset of World War 1 finally killed the corset as women's liberation took effect and fashion became less restrictive.