November 5, 2007

Kick off your heels!


Anyone woman who has ever come home from a formal party with aching, swelling feet knows that high-heels hurt. Patriarchal society may scoff at ancient Chinese foot-binding traditions, saying that high-heels are a different ball game entirely and surely not oppressive to such an extreme degree. Back here in the real world, women are dying from restricting trends like these.

The stereotypical Carrie-Bradshaw-of-a-woman, the young urban professional, appears to be carefree and confident. Behind the closed doors of her apartment, she coats herself in cosmetics, heightens herself in heels, slims herself in Spanx, and douses her hair in dyes. Why does this naturally beautiful and successful woman hide behind a mask? She herself is not even sure.

To attract men? To please herself? To fit in?

She may never even come up with an explanation, but as she thinks, she’ll be mindlessly applying a layer of Chanel lipstick. Why? The answer is habit. She may or may not want to stop, but either way she cannot. The beauty industry is an addictive drug—women need their “fix” of shoes or purses. By the time women decide that it’s no longer “in vogue” to condone these limiting behaviors, it may be too late. The best way to stop being a slave to fashion is to never become one in the first place.

(Writer's Note: Happy Bonfire Day, everyone!)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

we talked about this in women's issues too. we talked about how women don't dress up for themselves, men, or anyone but OTHER WOMEN. because they want to appear confident as compared to another woman they associte with. perhaps the reason behind that reason is for men, but under that theyneed to feel good abou tthem selves too, which goes into making other women admire you because u make them feel less beautiful than you.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, imagine if men wore heel for a day. They'd instantly become unattractive and possibly outlawed by the old white men.

Anonymous said...

men have odd looking feet too.