Unmentionables

One of the interesting aspects of belonging to a health club is observing the variety of ways women get ready for their post-workout lives.

It's odd - as anyone who knows me can attest, I'm definitely a high-maintenance person in many ways. But when it comes to hair & make-up, I'm as low-maintenance as possible. And I'm certainly in the minority, based on my observations of other women in the locker room. It's frankly amazing sometimes to see the array of skin-care, beauty, facial, hair, and make-up products that women pull out of their tiny lockers to arm themselves before re-entering the real world.

I have to wonder: do they truly enjoy these lengthy preparations? what motivates them to spend so much time applying make-up or curling & blow-drying? do they feel compelled by some external force? or do they believe they must use these accessories to be acceptable and attractive?

Another cause for musing and puzzlement on my part comes from the abundant lack of imagination that most women display in terms of underclothing. Women have so many chocies in this department - underwire or soft cup? lace or satin? cotton or silk? bikini or high-cut or v-string or boy-short or thong? Yet I have seen very few women at the health club who take advantage of this plethora of possibilities. The worst part is seeing how few of them even take the time to match - it's just not that difficult to pair white panties with a white bra, regardless of cut or style or fabric.

So why is it that the same women who spend at least 30 minutes on their hair and make-up don't spend just 5 minutes paying the same attention to detail with their underclothes? Why is their outward, public appearance so much more important than their inner, private layer?

I must admit, I'm just the opposite. I refuse to wear underclothes that don't match, and I take full advantage of different colours, styles, and fabrics. Yet I spend very little time artificially enhancing my face and hair. I wonder what this disparity reveals about me...