I saw one post which mentioned that girls dress up to take the trash out, washing dishes, to go to the mall, when going to the beach and for everything else.
I want to inform the guys who make such posts the reason I dress up. I am not a feminist and I am not going to say “We girls have our reason” or some bullshit like that. Some girls do touch up their make up just to go to the grocery store. I am just going to give my side of the story alone here.
Although I would accept that I love dressing up, it is only when I am about to meet the person I love or I am going to a wedding or some social gathering like that. When I am going out with a bunch of friends casually I honestly don’t dress up or anything. I put on the clothes that makes me feel comfortable. I put on makeup if I feel like it. Makeup for me is some eyeliner and a little bit of lipstick. Nothing more. I don’t know how to put anything else on my face besides these stuff.
But when I am just going to the grocery store in the next street or going to the mall to catch a movie I don’t feel like dressing up properly. But do I have a choice? No!
I see a lot of guys just coming out in their shorts and a skimpy tee. I see them dressed like that almost everywhere I go. Subway, beach, movies, big bazaar, salons and so on. If I am going to wear sweat pants and go out somewhere I get a lot of looks. I used to wonder what those looks mean. Especially in Pune!
So today I felt like getting some pizza. I order some at pizza hut with pick up option. Those lazy fellows don’t deliver food in my area. Once I place the order I put on some decent top and a pair of blue jeans, tie my hair in a pony and leave my house in the scorching heat. As I wait to get an autorickshaw, a group of males were looking at me. I was the only human being standing in there. They started pointing at me and speaking among themselves. This is when I looked decent enough. What would have been the situation if I wore my home clothes and stood there? They would have come nearer and comment loudly that would increase my anger to a very large extent.
You can say that I will have to ignore such comments.
So I finally get to Pizza Hut and wait there as they bring my order. A guy standing next to me didn’t take his eyes off me. It was as if some one had turned his head to face left all the time. Is it because I looked a little out of the bed? (I did not care putting anything on my face) Or is it because I was sweating like hell?
By the time I came back home I was drenched in sweat. I had to literally peel the jeans off me. Wearing jeans on a hot hot day like this does not really feel good. Would I have felt a little better if I had worn comfortable clothes? Yes! But the stares I get would have spoiled the little better feeling I get. This is not the problem with gentlemen alone.
Once we had planned a group study. So we (2 other girls and I) were to meet at a friend’s (again another girl) place and study calculus. I was wearing track pants and just added a decent tee over it and went. I mean this girl is my best friend and I am going to study math. The least I could do is keep myself comfortable because math is not going to help in that category. I drove over to her place and as soon as I entered her room all the other girls started laughing at my appearance and my dressing style. I was little confused. Are we going to a party? No! So why exactly do I need to dress up for a god damn group study? Although I laughed with them and shrugged it off, it did feel a little bad. I am no diva. But I put comfort before looks. But then I got teased by my own friends because I wasn’t all prim and proper for no good reason.
I am no person who wants to impress anyone in the society. But hearing such comments from your peers is going to get on your nerve no matter what.
On another occasion the same group were to meet up at this girl’s place and then go to some school reunion or something. Not wanting to get those girls started over my dressing sense, I put on some nice clothes and a little makeup. I enter her house and again I get teased that I am way too dressed for the occasion. I was like “What the hell is wrong with you girls?”
Now I have to take extra care just so that these people won’t irritate me by talking about my outfit or appearance. In that matter I love hanging out with my male buddies. They don’t care what you are wearing as long as you are comfortable and make them feel the same way with you.
The only time my best buddy (a guy) spoke about my appearance was when I got all dressed up for a marriage and he was shocked to see that for once I cared to pay attention to makeup and stuff! 😛