Why do we care about appearance? (Part 1)

As someone who loves girly things, getting dressed up, etc., I often wonder the big question, why do I care about looking good? Since this is one of the few things in my life where I actually ask this question, it really does make me stop and think. And I think it is something I should address here. Why do I care about what I look like? Why do I feel better about myself when I am put together and prettied up?

For me, I don't wear make-up or dress nicely to make myself feel better on the inside. I do those things because I feel that it's a part of showing respect to others. Let's face it men, you wouldn't wear your pajamas or hunting gear to a business meeting. You'd wear a classy suit. You want to show that you care enough about the person you're meeting that you made the time and effort to look half decent for that person. Let's face it, we all aren't perfect. But the people that deserve our respect, deserve us well dressed, if nothing else. We all have our lazy sweat pant days and that is okay. For someone that has a few jobs as well as going to school full time, I find it often tedious to look nice almost everyday but I still try. Why? Because I owe it to the people who have given decent jobs and opportunities to at least look half decent for work and school.

For most women there are reasons they wear makeup. I think that if you have some insecurities and you prefer to cover them up with makeup, that is absolutely okay. Why? Because as long as you are not caking it on and you are playing into your natural beauty, how is it changing you in anyway? In fact, putting on a dab of makeup in the morning can make you a better person. Sometimes just knowing that those little imperfections are kind of covered up can make you feel more confident and approachable for getting what you want in life. How in any way is that hurting you?

That said, you should feel confident in yourself without makeup, especially around those who are closest to you and know you best.

The other reason I think women feel the need to constantly look presentable is that for the entirety of history, women have signified beauty, sexuality and romance. If nothing else, women have been recognized as mystical creatures of beauty and have tried to enhance that essence the best they could with whatever resources they had throughout history. Why do you think all of those ancient sculptures are of half naked women? Because the appreciation for beauty is art. Even in the Old Testament of the Bible, in Esther to be exact, they talk about virgins having "spa days", beauty treatments and painting their faces in order to please a king looking for a new wife.

How you look is often the first type of judgement people pass on eachother when they first meet or see eachother. So why not be judged well?

Really we try and attempt to look beautiful because we're wired to, it makes us feel better and shows respect.