As shallow as it is, I confess one of the parts I enjoyed most about retiring from the bench was having the freedom to dress a little more girly: shorter skirts, open toe shoes, dangling bracelets, make-up. When working with phenol-chloroform wearing a safety face shield or in a 4*C walk-in, you tend to be much more practical in your wardrobe, hairstyle, and cosmetic choices.
This summer, as an example, I indulged in a pair of snakeskin-imitation shoes. I was walking through Macy's and they called to me and whispered such sweet nothings that I was at the register before I paused to think. My Beloved hates them because:
1) they have a high(-er) heel
2) they show off my pedicured toes, which he also hates (another perk of office life that I have maximized this summer!)
3) they're imitation snakeskin (to quote: "yuck.")
I adore them so much that I coordinate my entire outfit around them. (You'd be surprised at how much pairs well with snakeskin!) I wore them today, and another female colleague complimented them. I then immediately passed one of the 20-something beefcakes who works in the same building, and noticed him *not* taking notice of my shoes. He didn't even glance at my feet. And it occurred to me that these shoes were something only a woman would appreciate. [ALERT! I'm making very broad generalizations! ALERT!] They are a fairly neutral color, and the heel is a normal heel. Nothing about them would necessariy catch your eye. It's a shoe you'd have to spend some time with before you'd realize what it was trying to be.
As I walked back to my desk, I reflected that these shoes might be one of those items designed to impress other women, not to catch the eye of Men. And I wondered what else I wear that might fall in the same category? Suddenly, I see my closet in a whole new light: the things that attract/impress Women are not necessarily the same things that will attract/impress Man.
I know, profound, huh?
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