Beauty Can Be Pain
Some have fallen down the metro stair in high heels, twisted their ankles, popped blisters, and developed aching legs and feet—all preventing that all important last dance. Others can’t cross their legs, and have to constantly adjust their skirts and dresses to avoid making a bigger impact than intended. And finally, there are always those who bear being too cold or too hot, all in the name of fashion.
Do you find yourself in situations where you don’t know if you should wear it, but know that even if its not comfortable, it looks pretty cool? It might be a little tight, but your outfit is completely on point. Or it might not be the best material, you might complain a little…but nothing else matches, and it definitely makes your look ten times more "in".
While the true main purpose of clothes is to keep the human body warm, and to protect us from the environment that we encounter around us, society and "fashion" sometimes dictates some more superfluous, less comfortable rules about what we should be wearing. Many people are rather conscious about following the latest styles, copying looks and imitating trends, or simply trying to find their individuality. However, we sometimes encounter the difficult decision where we have to choose between fashion and comfort. Of course, there are, and will be cases where there is no need to sacrifice either of the two, but what about those times when one might matter a bit more than the other?
French-American Eva Bonsignour
Image Credit: Pexels
Prom was only two days away, and there were no shoes that looked good with Bonsignour's dress. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in this case, it was buying the same shoes every girl owned. “Suffering through prom…thanks to the most uncomfortable shoes. The only time I had worn them before was when I walked to the other side of the store in them.” Believe me, it wont be the last time this situation occurs as shoe designer, Christian Louboutin said: “High heels are pleasure with pain.”
Bonsignour also favors a pair of size-too-small green pants and a rather itchy sweater, and complains of the lack of comfort, just for style, or even pride. One is tempted to ask why. “I wore it because I felt bad that I wasted money on pants, and they almost fit so I thought that eventually, they’d loosen up. [Also] the only thing I had that went with it was an itchy black sweater; it was really cute, but also the itchiest piece of clothing on the planet,” responded Bonsignour.
Image Credit: Kathleen Nixon
Filipino Tim Nguyen
Image Credit: Kathleen Nixon
“I would have to say that whenever I wear the most stylish ... clothing, I feel comfortable.” says Nguyen However, he is often wounded by his favorite boots. “Even if I know it’s going to hurt me; I still wear them, because I feel like it matches the aesthetic of the clothes I’m wearing. Not only that, but it also contributes to the contrast of colors that make the entire outfit something to look at,” he revealed.
American Savannah Hunter
Image Credit: Kathleen Nixon
“I typically wear clothes that I feel 75% comfortable in.” confided Hunter. She says, however, that, “I’ve only worn it once, because if I make one wrong move, it can become very short.” As an added bonus, “It made pictures nice. But I was ready to put on sweatpants when I got home.”
American Eleanor Rothwell
Image Credit: Kathleen Nixon
A question that constantly pops into everyone's mind upon leaving anywhere for a night out is always, "should I bring a jacket?" Eleanor Rothwell understands the struggle, saying “I usually don’t wear anything that is "painful"—but I’ve definitely been painfully cold! I refuse to wear a coat that makes me look like a Michelin man. I want my coat to be just as good as my outfit—which sometimes means dealing with ... the cold.” However, the good news is that puffy coats are coming back, “so, I might not have that problem anymore.”
As Sex and the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker once said in an interview with London’s Heart FM, "My philosophy is, I'd rather be cold and look good than be comfortable and think later, 'I really should not have worn a parka to the premiere' ... I would rather run for 18 hours in heels and think, 'Yeah, that looks great' because it's a long life. I feel panicked in a turtle neck."
When talking about putting fashion over comfort, anyone's opinion is surely biased to one side or the other. Aim for what makes you happy, for what you think suits you, and combine your individual tastes and essence when wandering into a clothing shop. An outfit is an extension of oneself—enjoy it.
