Is it cheap to be glamorous?

A couple of days ago I attended a friend´s party. I decided to glam up for it, wearing a dress, heels and make-up. Somewhat expectedly I got showered with comments. Some of them flattering, some unexpected. Either way thought provoking. One of the comments I´d received was, "looking like this, you probably get more male attention than you´d want."

So I spent the weekend thinking about it. I did some research on the internet, about beauty, perceptions of beauty, corporate motives in the beauty industry, about the body, especially the female body, sexuality, power and dominance and so on. I was beginning to think that perhaps it was wrong for me to dress up for the party, since that turned out to be "just what they´d expect of me". Which would, according to the stereotypes, be something like stumbling on my heels in my tight dress and falling helplessly, thus exposing my undergarments and providing light entertainment to the males around me.

I can say that I definitely don´t feel the necessity to wear make-up on a daily basis but I do like to feel glamorous on certain occasions. And when I decide to look or carry myself in a glamorous way, then it has nothing to do with submission or weakness, on the contrary. Yet I could go out and about like I was coming from a yoga class and be totally confident as well. It is the fun loving side of me that gets a kick out of being "the lady in red" for the night. The point is that I choose to look that way and as long as I am not uncomfortable, why not?

As a dancer I am very connected with my body. Also, I get to wear lots of make-up, adornment and feminine costumes on stage. But I know that it is not the costume that makes me a good dancer, nor my body shape. A dancer will grab and keep the attention of her viewers only if she is skillful, passionate and real. The same way an enchanting woman will get men´s attention whether she has heels or sneakers, make-up or not. Like a dancer on stage, with all eyes on her, she is at that moment always in the position of power.

I will use the opportunity to cite Carol Dyhouse, a research professor at the University of Sussex and author of "Glamour: Women, History, Feminism" who has said,

"Does glamour empower women, or turn them into objects? It is important to remember that women practise glamour, they are not simply the object of the male gaze. And, historically, glamorous women were just as likely to be seen as dangerous to men as victims themselves. Glamour can represent self-assertion, sexual confidence, playfulness, pleasure and delight. But in the end, nothing empowers women so much as a good education and a well-paid job." (The Guardian (21.03.2010)

Agreed.