Countless myths and tales such as Cinderella use clothing and accessories to convey a deeper message and signify character traits, personal transformations, and "spiritual laws" for finding true fulfillment (or everlasting doom). In the tale, Cinderella must deceive the Prince through wearing
magically appearing or conjured regal clothing, signifying that her character isn’t good
enough and that superficial appearance, status, and wealth is the only means to
win the affection of a very desirable man.
She becomes transformed, and it seems a happy transformation, though from the start it is riddled with
anxiety. "What if he sees me as I really am?" she thinks."I must flee from him before the magic of my deceitful appearance wears off!" This isn't too far a cry from the anxiety women (and men) feel when out on dates or in romantic partnerships. As most modern ladies know: a night out on the town also has its limits. The now standard uniform of three and four inch stilettos and smokey eye make-up have their time clocks, don't they?
Kate Moss on Style |
From her bondage as a servant to her evil stepmother, Cinderella is given an opportunity to be loved and free – through her dress, shoes, and
coach. Though freedom and love are
admirable, the way she intends to
acquire them is superficial. When the Prince discovers who she is by trying on the
glass slipper (a metaphor for seeking the correct and beautiful fit of his
partner) they don’t consider each other’s character. She sees only that she can
be free, loved, and have status. He sees that he can have the woman that seemed
to fit him on the enchanted evening they met and that she can become that woman once again -- with the right shoes and dress.
Many people today are trying to find the right romantic “fit” through appearances and superficial transformations. Women and men diet and exercise fanatically and are obsessed with their figures in order to attract partners. As the essay “Fashion, Lifestyle, and Psychiatry” suggests, “weight is the predominant reason for distress in the majority of women today” (p. 170). Bonelli, a psychiatrist, reports that a general concern for appearance is a sign of health but that many take it too far. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to eating disorders, such as anorexia, which has only a 33% recovery rate and among whom 33% die (p 171).
OK Cupid, an online dating site, reminds men and women that the most important factor in whether men will message women is based on attractiveness. Christian Rudder reports "When it comes down to actually choosing targets, men choose the modelesque.... Site-wide, two-thirds of male messages go to the best-looking third of women. So basically, guys are fighting each other 2-for-1 for the absolute best-rated females, while plenty of potentially charming, even cute, girls go unwritten." On the other hand, women rate 80% of men as worse looking than medium,but they message these men anyway, which demonstrates that women message men based on different criteria than men (http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/your-looks-and-online-dating).
Women, how many of you have tried to "improve" your guy? |
People also try to “shape” their partners into “improved
versions” that fit what they find to be attractive, with little attention to
their partner's desires, needs, and character. Many end up going for people who
appear to be Charming Princes or Beautiful
and Well-Dressed Women, without first looking at compatibility of values
and lifestyle, which are deeper and more significant predictors of long-term
lasting love and partnership.
If you go for looks, Prince Charming has a good chance of turning out to be a toad. |
Such
is the same with our lives. Unless we choose partners who love us for who we
are and set us free to be ourselves, we will be in some sort of bondage or
other.