From an early age, we are taught not to judge a book by its cover. Appearances can be deceiving. What is on the inside is more important than the outside. Intelligence and a good personality are much better than being pretty or well dressed or thin or all of the above.
Despite these good ideas and the best intentions, we tend to care how we look and how others perceive us. OK, well, me. I care. We think about what we wear and if we will wear makeup. Even those who consciously do not conform to standards of dress make choices about how they want to be perceived by others--even if they protest they do not care.
The Second-wave Feminist movement of the late 1960s and 1970s produced women who rejected the cosmetic industry, women's magazines, foundation garments, and a myriad of other products designed specifically for women. Some feminists argued that these products were a part of the larger subjugation of women. Since the 1960s and 1970s, we have become an increasingly casual society. The rules of no white shoes after Labor Day is a thing of the past. Conforming to such standards is a sign of buying into an outmoded system of repression. And not just for women. Men too let it all hang out. No one will tell me how to dress. OK, I accept "no shirt or shoes, no service." But other than going into markets and restaurants, I will not be told how to dress or style my hair or whether or not I wear makeup.
Yet, appearances do matter. I care whether my shirt matches my pants, or if I am wearing the right type of pants for that matter. (Our society obviously cares a great deal about the type of pants one wears; take Jessica Simpson's recent fashion faux pas. Apparently it was a slow news week. ) I want people to take me seriously. For that to happen, is it essential that I wear nice clothes (or the nicest clothes that I can afford), makeup, and have a suitably professional haircut? Will I be taken less seriously if I show up in jeans despite the fact that I am smart and prepared for work?
The situation gets even more dicey when I consider how much pleasure I get out of looking nice. Then I am in trouble, because I find myself taking time to dress well, fix my face, and style my hair. And all these efforts come at a price. Can I justify spending money that I do on hair, clothes, and makeup that I can find cheaper, but may not have the same "nice" result? Should I not be spending my time and money in better ways, such as reading or supporting a charity? The answer cannot be simply that I am giving in to male patriarchy or succumbing to the advertising industry.
Why do appearances matter?
1 comment:
I was thinking about this yesterday. Was I wearing makeup because it was socially expected of me by the male fantasy? Then again, I thought, there are quite a few men who would benefit from the wearing of makeup. Ha.
Long ago, I heard a very conservative Christian woman suggest that God made women's curves, and it was a heinous sin that we covered them up with gunny sack-like clothing instead of glorying in them. The contrast from the normal Christian blah-blah-blah made me gasp a little. What? you mean my humongous denim jumpers aren't more holy?
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