The Intriguingly Mysterious Story of Sydney Smith, The Giraffe-Necked Woman
The Awakening Induced by Lady Gaga’s Outfit
Sydney realized that she felt she could be free to be herself after seeing Lady Gaga’s meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Gaga, fondly known as Mother Monster by her followers, has promoted expressing the genuine self via her songs throughout the years. Sydney stated that she identified with Gaga’s liberation message.
Despite the public outcry, the “Poker Face” songstress has never shied away from adopting the most outrageous aspects of herself and wearing whatever she wanted, including a flesh costume. Sydney was inspired to follow her greatest goal of having a long neck by the meat suit.
Inspired by the Kayan People
The Giraffe-loving Sydney Sydney recalled glancing at some Cambodian natives with odd cultural practices as a young girl. But as a grown-up, she chose to copy the Kayan people of Myanmar, who wore neck rings. Myanmar is a tiny South Asian nation that borders India.
The Kayans are indigenous people who are part of the Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority. The bulk of these people live in Myanmar, which is separated into two states, Kayah and Shan. However, there are also extremely minor groups in Vietnam, Thailand, and the United States. At least she’s found a way to emulate her most beloved animal, Sydney must have thought!
Deep Connection to Cultural Identity
The Kayans are subdivided into clans, which include the Lahwi, Gekho, Lahta, Kakhi, and Gebar. Only members of the Kayan Lahwi ethnicity (also called Padaung in Myanmar’s Shan state) wear the brass necklaces. This is a common practice by women.
When questioned about the practice, women stated that it was done to feel linked to their tribe and develop a strong cultural identity. Anthropologists believe it was for cosmetic purposes because long-necked women were considered more feminine. Some say it rendered women unappealing, thereby safeguarding them from enslavement by competing tribes. Others say it was to tie them to the dragon, a key Kayan mythological character.
The Modern-Day Backlash
Women have recently begun to remove their neck rings to expand their social prospects. By removing the circles, they can integrate better into society and seek higher education and other careers. Women in Mae Hong Son removed their bands in 2006 to protest the abuse of their tradition and the mistreatment of women in their clan.
As contemporary influences invaded Myanmar, the authorities pushed women to remove their neck coils to avoid coming across as barbaric and unenlightened to the West. The authorities desired to project an intelligent image to civilized countries, but the neck bands made this impossible. Talk about the passage of time!
Others with the Same Practice
Neck collars appear to be a common tradition in many communities throughout the world. While Sydney has stated that she was influenced mostly by the Asian states of Thailand and Myanmar, the tradition is also found on the African continent.
In South Africa, the Ndebele use neck circles known as “idzila,” which are taken as a sign of wealth and marriage in African tradition. It’s a present from a husband to his wife, and it’s made of brass or copper and commonly worn in multiples of three. These bands are also worn by women on various areas of their bodies, such as the arms.
The Awakening Induced by Lady Gaga’s Outfit
Sydney realized that she felt she could be free to be herself after seeing Lady Gaga’s meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Gaga, fondly known as Mother Monster by her followers, has promoted expressing the genuine self via her songs throughout the years. Sydney stated that she identified with Gaga’s liberation message.
Despite the public outcry, the “Poker Face” songstress has never shied away from adopting the most outrageous aspects of herself and wearing whatever she wanted, including a flesh costume. Sydney was inspired to follow her greatest goal of having a long neck by the meat suit.
Starting Out with Clothing Hangers
Sydney did not experiment with neck ornaments for the first time in her 20s. Sure, she began wearing professionally created bands in her 20s, but she began discreetly pursuing her fascination while still in her teens. She made the neck gear herself out of garment hangers twisted into circular shapes.
In her 20s, her first pendant was bulky, but it did the job. It was soldered together and composed of copper. Sydney began with three hoops and, after she mastered the art of it, she began adding more as she was eager to lengthen her neck. She wanted to be like a giraffe.
A Second, Narrower Sculpted Necklace
When she went on to her next collar, Sydney made certain that it was perfectly fitted for her. She commissioned designer James Hill to create her latest masterpiece. He created it with a distinct back and front section that could be combined. It was priced at $1K, but she thought it was worth it.
Sydney stated that it was more pleasant to wear than her previous one. It didn’t only appear better, but it was precisely what she had imagined for herself when she began wearing it. Better yet, this piece rarely needed to be taken off for maintenance, something she despised.
Mechanics of the Rings
The collar bones and ribs are compressed by the neck bands. By applying force to the bones, it’s possible to permanently distort them, especially when initiated at an early age when the bones are malleable. The Kayan Padaung natives start their daughters at age five.
Anatomically, the collarbones and ribs are modified to a 45-degree angle, greater than the normal slant. The neck does not expand; rather, it seems to stretch because the bones are now considerably lower in position. Except for the lengthening of the space between each neighboring vertebra, the spine does not change form. Basically, there’s a greater absorption of intervertebral fluids.
Slower Painful Progress
Sydney began with three bands and gradually increased her collar count until she had 15. However, it caused her a lot of agony and anguish, so she removed some. Her development would be gradual this time to enable her body to adapt to the alterations. She was initiating the rite as an adult, unlike Kayan kids, and her body could not take it well.
When she first started, she found it challenging to wear bands, so she enlisted the assistance of a friend. Sydney’s companion assisted her in putting on the first circles, but she gradually learned to operate on her own.
Gone with the Naysayers!
Sydney was well aware that her fascination with neck bands would cause many people to differ with her choices. So, she chose to shut off those who had bad things to say about her lifestyle choices to safeguard her mental health and spiritual attachment to the neck gear.
The issue was with her folks, who felt her experiments with coat hanger wires as a teenager were merely a phase. Sydney had to persuade them that it was a vital part of who she was and not just an ornament. It was a necessary process for her to engage with the Kayan people.
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