The other day I was walking to class, my phone told me it was 72 degrees, so I was dressed accordingly in shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers. I was sliently making a mental note to myself to leave the socks out next time, or wear flip flops next time but THEN walking dandily across the bridge towards me was a girl in a t-shirt, shorts pulled over black tights in knee high leather boots. I thought to myself, it’s so darn HOT, how is she comfortable in knee-thigh high BOOTS? Then I’m like, Duh Sneha, it’s not about comfort, it’s about the look, the style, the overall complement to the outfit.
Countless times I have seen women in high heels in the dead of winter making their way across the ice patches, risking or paying no heed to the possibility of slipping and breaking a few limbs. NOOO, forget that, it’s ALL about the look. People are watching me, I need to present myself at my best, practical shoes will NOT go with this outfit, what will people think, I would much rather risk comfort and safety than looking anything less than my best or risk looking like I have no dress sense….we women seem to give more importance to superficial presentation of ourselves, our bodies rather than the more permanent safekeeping of them. This is most blatantly seen in our footwear.
It seems to relate to the concept of the other oriented emotional economy—our self analysis and self mood status is inexorably linked to the perceptions of others on oneself. In achieving this state of emotional high, we go to lengths that are outside of our comfort level, implying we value aesthetics, impressions, and perceptions over functionality, basis and reality. Flip flops in frigid weather, high heels in negative temperatures, boots when the sun is shining are all body practices that support the above statement. It seems neverending actually, women have to be constantly on the lookout for often whimsical changes in fashion, constantly rising to meet that “standard” society imposes. This again relates to the point of docile bodies, women sense of presentation and sense of BEING relating to and following the path that external regulation sets.
