Even people who claim not to care about how they look, actually DO care about how they look: Every adult human is responsible for his or her own grooming, clothing selection, health, and fitness. If a person neglects or ignores those things, that person is still making choices.* If a person spends every waking moment thinking about those things, that person is still making choices. And, of course, there is the happy medium that most of us inhabit.
But anyone who claims to never give a single thought to her/his appearance is exaggerating. Unless you are a small child, an active member of the uniformed military, living in poverty, or incapacitatingly infirm, you contribute to how your body presents itself every day of your life.
Your choices, your tastes, your needs, your unique look.
And that is nothing to be ashamed of. The diversity borne of our aesthetic, grooming, and fitness choices is a grand, grand thing to behold. Without it, we would all be the same shape, the same color, the same everything. Our hairstyles and clothing, makeup and shoes would constitute a sea of sameness. The fact that we engage with appearance on different levels makes our world richer and more interesting.
Never let anyone shame you about how much or little you invest in your appearance. It is all about choices, and those choices are yours.
*Excerpt originally from this post.
Images courtesy (from top to bottom) RyanLF, technopolitan, Denis Gustavo, puck90, jblanton, jekemp, philippe leroyer, Claudio Mancilla.
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved looking at these pictures- captivating!
Love this post! The world would be so boring if we all looked the same.
Cheers to that!
Let's continue to embrace & celebrate~
xo
Hooray, yes!!!
And I love, love, LOVE these pictures!!!
BRAVO. And I love all the differant choices these ladies are making. It's our choices that make us differant, and thus interesting.
And some of like to look quite staid, rule-following, and classic on the outside, saving our rebellion for an invisible realm. I think this is also a lesson about taking someone else's style as a starting point only. Human beings enjoy creating complex identities – let's give each other all the room to do so.
"The diversity borne of our aesthetic, grooming, and fitness choices is a grand, grand thing to behold. Without it, we would all be the same shape, the same color, the same everything."
Well, we wouldn't be the same shape and color; we'd still have different genetic material. But the idea of sameness, of universal conformity terrifies me.
I'm thankful we're living in a time when we are ALLOWED to change our appearance, when I'm not considered a floozy for painting my face or showing a little skin.
Here, here! I agree with Diana – life would be boring if we all dressed and looked the same!
what a great post, sal! it's such a wonderful thing to see style as a matter of choices, not of right or wrong, cool or uncool.
yes, very true!!!!!!
AMEN.
"Never let anyone shame you about how much or little you invest in your appearance. It is all about choices, and those choices are yours."
A big fat AMEN to that!
Thank you so much for this message…
Love from a little-invester.
I love it Sal! Thanks for the vote of confidence in everyones individual style! Great pics too!!
I care and am proud of it!!
You're so right. Love this post and the photos you chose. Gorgeous! xo
What a beautiful diversity of women in those beautiful photographs! x
I absolutely care how I look. I just might not care how you think I look.
Great post, and facinating pictures of all sorts of women.
I used to be vaguely ashamed of having a lot of clothes, because my mother used the term "clotheshorse" disparagingly when I was young. Last year, I decided to own the fact that I am a clotheshorse, and screw my mother's judgment. Also, a very dear coworker told me she didn't think that it was a pejorative term, and that being smart and being a clotheshorse were not mutually exclusive. I've been a lot happier with myself since I decided to fully embrace the sartorial me.
even in the military one has some control.
^^ Love Laura's comment.
Congrats on an intelligent and needed post. Too many people judge others on their appearance and that's rarely a good thing. We need more tolerance of each other and our choices. Convention is boring and those who transgress are interesting and often courageous. My best friend (Doe Deere) just started selling lipsticks in wild colors (even blue!) and, though they may shock some people, they're a welcome change to conventional style.
This is a great post and something I strongly believe in. Excellent job.