The 3 Worst Reasons To Suffer For Fashion

For as long as women can remember, there has been a sentiment that we should suffer for fashion. Whether it was high heels, corsets, or painful hairstyles, women were made to feel like they hadn’t tried if it did not hurt.

While the trend has recently been to take sentiment in the opposite direction, there are many people who either don’t mind a bit of pain or actually enjoy the effort. Emma Watson decided against wearing corsets in Beauty and the Beast but Bryce Dallas Howard specifically chose to run from dinosaurs in high heels in Jurassic World.

There is no reason a balance cannot be found. Sometimes, a bit of pain to wear a dress you love is worth it. However, there are some terrible reasons to suffer for fashion. If the following 3 justifications are your rationale, maybe it’s time to try something different.

1. You Want To Hide Your Body

One of the reasons many women have chosen to suffer for fashion in the past has been to hide their bodies. Since time immemorial, society has had specific ideas of how a female body “should” look. These have changed drastically, and being skinny has not always been desirable, showing how arbitrary these standards are.

Many women still wear clothing that is incredibly uncomfortable specifically to hide our bodies. Instead of wearing comfortable clothing that looks great, the approach is to do everything possible to look how we think we are “supposed” to.

Not only does this not make you feel like your best self, but it also strips you of the chance to choose a fashion aesthetic you love. Calypsa does a great job of creating comfortable swimwear for women that looks great. Their approach is that you should wear something you love, and that it should feel good at the same time. This way, you can actually enjoy finding an aesthetic.

2. You Want To Be Someone Else

Modern celebrity culture has become extremely toxic since platforms like Instagram came into being. Whether it is big name celebrities wearing designer clothing or influencers being sponsored by brands, they show you a life that you are supposed to want to live. They use expert marketing techniques to sell you this fantasy.

If you find yourself thinking that you want to feel how they feel, pause and take a moment to think again. They look the way they do because of a lot of hard work, money, and photoshop. Many celebrities and influencers will admit that the pressure placed on them to look this way can feel unbearable.

In other words, working towards looking like them is unlikely to make you feel good. Working on learning to love your body is a far more valuable use of your resources.

3. You Feel Pressured

It is great to be part of a clique – when they are supportive. However, cliques often become toxic when one or two members see themselves as superior or in charge. It can feel amazing to go in matching clothes to an event. But it can also feel demoralising. This is especially true if the people proposing the outfits are thinking mainly of their own body types and preferences.

You should not suffer for fashion because your friends had an idea that suited them specifically. The best friend groups accommodate everyone’s needs and desires. They should help you find what you love and what feels good on you.