UnDressing Women- Trading Fashion for Freedom

Here are three things that really get my blood pressure spittooning off the dial:

One- having to go anywhere wearing clothing/shoes which are restrictive and/or uncomfortable.

Two- watching an action movie with a woman in it who has to run and kick-ass just like her male counterpart, only she’s wearing high heels and invariably something considered ‘sexy’ (ie, something somewhere is likely to fly out of the wrappings)

Three- watching young women out for the day/evening wearing clothes that are so revealing I can check their vitals visually. Often blue from cold, leaving nothing to the imagination and unable to walk properly due to clothing tightness and ridiculous heel height, what are these young women thinking?

 Perhaps they are going for the ‘wounded deer attracts predator’ look. I’m sure I don’t know.

I do know all of the above says clearly to me that women still have a long way to go for equality if we generally still agree that the above is acceptable.

Here are some things I think we should question wearing, but most of all I want to people thinking about who laid down the rule-book that these things equal being a woman. Femininity should not equal womanliness since feminine is traditionally assiciated with prettiness and delicacy. I'd prefer to think of women as strong and graceful. Lets' aim for beautiful instead:

Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.

 

But let the mind and the senses be your own.

 

Bra’s- If your breasts and gravity are in opposition and you feel your novel needs a bookshelf, why go for something nasty? If you wouldn’t squash a kitten into a hamster wheel- why would you put a sensitive part of your anatomy behind bars? Lace or no lace- a jail is a jail.'

 Your ribcage has a right to expand- it’s called breathing. Your blood is MEANT to circulate. Any cleft in cleavage need not be a garage for your chin. If a bra is your choice, get something that lets perspiration (yes, this is allowed) to escape and let your moose as loose in the caboose as possible.

Take bra’s off as soon as is possible (on the bus is probably not yet acceptable) to help with circulation.

 If men got around in little under-wire jock-straps every day and they started to get a lot of testicular cancer, I think we might agree the ‘testierre’ may be contributing to that problem. I feel sad that every day women donate to breast cancer charities whilst wearing strangulating bra’s.

And for goodness sake do not wear a bra to bed. Your mind has a right to wander when you sleep and so too do your breasts.

 

 

Underpants- Where discretion allows I am all for sans undergarment. Clearly this works best in long loose garments with little breeze.

 Outside of that I do not agree that a string plumb-line or anything which travels of its own accord is okay, healthy or comfortable on a woman body. I also have to question the wisdom of putting seams on the inside of a garment which are prone to getting “caught among the briars’. Short satin bloomers are my vote. They make all shaped bottoms look lovely, are very comfortable, allow the breeze in a little and cover all mountains cleanly like a good dusting of polka-dot snow.

 

Shoes- I remember a comedian once describing lesbians as ‘women in comfortable shoes’. I really fail to see why they should be the only straight-spined, bunion-free, extremely smooth-walking women.


 

Wearing very comfortable shoes feels fabulous. If you have a cupboard full of designer shoes, consider yourself a starved creative and go create something useful with your clever eye. Shoe design is an art. There are lots of others ways to make beautiful things.

When I see little girl in high heels I get very sad/livid. Do not visit fashion pain onto your innocent children. Go look at damaged feet and spines on Google images from bad shoes and high heels.

 Look at men’s shoes. Yes, they are made to be comfortable so they can get a days work done or go out and comfortably recreate. My boys will not put up with an uncomfortable shoe, but I have handed a bandaid to many a heel- blistered friend. Ninety percent of bunions are on women’s feet. Nice.

And get shoes off your feet and walk barefoot wherever and wherever you can safely.

Your toes and feet need exercising that will help keep arthritis and the podiatrist away.

Clothing in general- Things that make you sweat, smell, cut into your skin, stop you eating enough, stop you breathing properly, stop you walking or moving your arms properly are doing something akin to taking away your basic human rights. If you went with those complaints to the doctor they would send you to hospital!

 Who told us that it was acceptable to suffer from the above? It is your right to move freely and comfortably, for your skin to breath and blood circulate.

 I think a woman is meant to be strong and graceful. You can do that in an outfit made from half a dozen dish-clothes and a few rubber bands, but if that isn’t you, seek pieces outside of the latest fashion that are made from natural, breathable fabrics and that let you move and breath. This has got to be far more liberating than following the herd into the latest fashion battle.

Someone once said- “A monkey puts on a hat in Paris and everyone follows suit.”

 

If you pause to think about that, it makes fashion seem so incredibly ridiculous.

There are thousands of famous people on the planet who lived amazing lives, none of whom are remembered for what they wore.

 I believe for the majority of them, fashion was a very low priority- they simply had better things to think of and do.

Once again if you love new and high fashion, consider the possibility that you are a really creative person with no huge outlet to focus your talent. Try and redirect that. As with shoes- you could start creating beautiful clothes that serve women better.  

Think for yourself- for your own body. How you like a person should have nothing to do with their  clothes. Surely it's the person inside the clothes that counts? That goes both ways.

 

If you are expressing yourself as a person and living a happy life- how can you fail to be attractive as a woman and as a person. A man who does not like you because of what you wear is suffering from the same fear and prejudices, we are all steered to delude under. If you want to be admired, be admired for your deeds and words, not the clothing on your back. 
 

Getting clothes and shoes that compliment your body in a comfortable way may take longer to find because there is not enough call for it yet unless you are pregnant or a larger sized person.

 

 But the more people search and buy and demand, the more clothes and shoes will be made. If you are clever enough, design and/or make some for the rest of us to buy and enjoy!Use internet search engines for ideas. Think outside the circle.

 

Women should be free to move and live freely. Ask yourself who says that you shouldn’t.