Beauty or Torture?

Uncomfortable fashion has through centuries and across civilizations been the forte of women. High heels, long nails, long hair, flowing dresses, make up, and various other "beauty enhancers" are the world of a woman (and generally speaking not that of a man). Recently, there has been much "education" around self-image and how the need for youth is imposed on women by the society. Yet, I sometimes wonder.

While I wear flats and keep my nails short to keep my sanity, I certainly enjoy well tailored clothes, pearls, and fresh prints, and even an occasional lipstick. And often, I am not looking for approval from anyone. In fact, there are times when patidev finds my clothes downright ridiculous and I wear them with a flourish anyway.

My 3 year old little brat has been watching me and the older brat change earrings through navaratri, diwali, and christmas season, and while I had beautiful sticker earrings (sometimes with intricate stone work) for her to wear, she wanted to wear the same earrings as us. So, after hopeless attempts at trying to convince her otherwise, off we went to Claire's yesterday, with warnings along the way from the older to the younger brat about how it would hurt. The younger brat, scared that we may still be trying to change her mind, assured us that she would be brave and not cry. She did not! Not a sound, a grimace, a whimper, a tear - nothing at all!

"How much pain would women bear to look pretty?" patidev asks.

If dressing up is accepted as an art form (like cooking a meal) then one does not measure beauty by the effort involved. Instead one gauges how pleasing the results are to your eye (or your palate). I say this, and yet a part of me wonders if it is really art or stupidity that makes us torture ourselves in the name of beauty.