I went to the doctor the other week. My right foot, specifically my big toe, had been hurting and acting weird on and off for maybe a year. It didn’t feel serious. My toe is a piece of my body that’s so far away from my hands and head, I can’t even touch it without bending my knee. But I had time, so I thought, get it checked. They made an echo and it showed something in the joint: wear.
Well this is ironic…
I didn’t understand what caused it. My doctor asked wether I had done any intensive sports. I didn’t. I’m otherwise in good health and only 42 years old. I didn’t understand until the next day when I went to the office. I have been off work for months, wearing nothing other than sneakers or easy boots. To the office I wore my high heels. Au… My big toe was pushing directly on to the part that hurt. It’s gender wear… I have wear on my joint from my ‘female’ footwear. WTF!
I read an article a few weeks ago, regarding expectations of women and what they wear at work. The article wasn’t about shoes, but in the comments somebody mentioned that they did think that women shouldn’t complain when asked to wear heels. Because it made women taller, which was convenient given that women are often shorter than men. ‘And you want to be able to look each other in the eye‘. Okay, I have an idea: why don’t we make men shorter? Let them bent their backs. It may cause back problems, but hey, so do high heels for women. I would think that women have built up some credit by now? Dear men, you’re up.
Of course I’m not serious. Ridiculous to ask or motivate people to injure themselves. Especially because in my opinion, the reason is bullshit. It’s not about eye contact. I’m 1.80m. I don’t need the length. High heels on women accentuate their tits and ass. And for some weird reason we have come to find that accentuation so normal, that we now call it ‘feminine’.
I don’t often wear skirts or dresses at work. They are very inconvenient. Let me share with you the drawbacks of skirts and dresses:
- There are often no pockets. So where do you leave your phone or other intimate items you want to have with you at all times? (don’t say purse. A purse is not the same as a pocket. A purse is luggage. I don’t want to bring my luggage with me to every meeting or bathroom)
- It’s not impossible, but it’s really inconvenient on a bicycle. Motivating me to take the car (not friendly for climate) or public transport (requiring me to walk more – remember the heels-problem?).
- It’s cold in the winter. Panties help a little, but not enough.
- A skirt or a dress limits you in your movements, particularly in the ways you can sit. You need to keep your legs together.
- Panties suck 1. They break easily so you are required to watch all remotely sharp objects or even velcro coming near your legs at all times. I don’t have time for all this hassle. And by the way, why do desks at the office have a bunch of sharp metal objects and/or velcro tie wraps under it breaking my panties every time I cross my legs? Can we please start designing the bottom of a desk leg-friendly?
- Panties suck 2. Because they break so easily you need to bring nailpolish with you or an extra pair, just in case. More luggage and stuff I may forget.
- Panties suck 3. They don’t breath because they are made of nylon (plastic). So you sweat more.
- Panties suck 4. Because they are made of nylon, if they break, or even if you wash them, you create plastic (micro)waste.
- Panties suck 5. Because they break so easily, you need a lot of them and they cost money.
I’m a pragmatic person, so I don’t wear skirts often. But when I do wear a skirt I get more compliments, some of them literally that I look ‘beautifully feminine‘. Strange. Born as a woman, I did not come out of the womb wearing a skirt (or heels for that matter). I was born with legs and flat feet. All women are… So why is it feminine? Is it just culture? If so, why do we live in a culture where looking ‘feminine’ requires way more of women (time in front of the mirror and in the bathroom (putting make up on and off, shaving legs), way more money (make up, panties), inconvenience (panty, no pockets, no cycling, limited sitting) and even physical pain and wear), than it requires of men to look masculine?
If so than I want a new culture. I want a culture where we compliment women on looking feminine or just beautiful when they wear pants, low shoes and no make up. Because that’s what a real woman looks like, without all the extra effort, and it should be good enough. I’m not saying we should ban skirts or condemn women who wear high heels. But maybe that outfit is the female equivalent of macho. Maybe call it mucha. That way we can have a bit more diversity in the spectrum and we can give women who treat their feet friendly, or who have a need for a pocket, warm legs and ease of movement, just as much chance at a compliment on beauty or looking ‘female’ as someone in mucha gender wear.