Tough ballerina

I went out for dinner today and sitting at the booth next to me were two young, female teenagers. Both were blonde, thin, wearing short shorts and colourful tank tops, and their makeup was flawless. At first I was looking at them with a bit of envy. I overheard one of them ask the other "do you think it's ok to let a boy see you ugly without your makeup, or should you always wear makeup around boys so they think you're naturally pretty?" The second answered "Always wear makeup!"

This really got me thinking. Of course, everyone has different standards of beauty, of themselves and of others. However, how much does society really influence how we feel about ourselves? All the models are stick thin, every magazine ad features models with porcelain skin and all the movie stars are thin or fit. It's only natural to look through all these popular magazines or flick through the tv and wonder, "Am I supposed to look like that?" Perhaps some girls (and boys, too!) have great self-esteem and confidence, no matter what they look like. But more common than not, the thought "Am I supposed to look like this?" leads to "I don't look like that at all..." which leads to "How can I change myself to look like that?"

I'm not saying that society is to blame for all of young females' self-doubts. The media, parental messages, and peers are only a few of the things that can lead to your feeling of self-worth. But at the end of the day... if you're constantly trying to change yourself to fit other people's ideals, then how will you ever be happy?




(Sirens coat, Vera Moda dress, thrifted belt)