Secret Women's Business

BUY:

I made an oblique reference on 9 May to a rather substantial purchase: $235 for Secret Women's Business.

 

Admission time... 6 sessions of laser hair removal. For obvious reasons, there is no photo!!

 

WHY?

"Western women have been controlled by ideals and stereotypes as much as by material constraints." - Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth

In her 1991 book "The Beauty Myth", Naomi Wolf presented a theory that women are enslaved by an idealised view of female beauty. That the pressue to achieve that standard increases women's insecurities, diverts their attention and limits their access to power and advancement in society.

It has been a while since I read Wolf so I will have to reread the book to see what she says about the economics of the beauty myth. I know one argument she puts forward is that the politics of beauty can potentially limit women's career progression and therefore capacity to earn. But my theory (and maybe hers too!) is that it is potentially responsible for women having less financial freedom and wealth generally than our male counterparts. I'm going to put it out there that the beauty myth underpins the society we live in. The desire to attain this high and somewhat impossible standard, I would posit, dictates many women's purchasing decisions. Women would easily spend more on goods and services that are directly associated with their asthetics than is really necessary. Even deeper than this though, is that many products and services only exist because of this beauty myth and so the capitalist cycle is complete....

So for me, the 'why' behind this purchase, wthout getting too personal, is all about self confidence and feeling good in my body. And I know that feeling good in my body is a direct result of the beauty myth I have bought into (literally and continually) because what I am changing about my body is completely natural and supposed to be there! 

BUY:

$22.40 - Oxford top (down from $79!)

WHY?

As a member of the Oxford Shop frequent flyer program or whatever they call it (the result of purchasing a shirt there straight off the plane last year), they send me a $25 gift voucher every quarter. At the same time the voucher is due to expire, there is often a 40% discount sale so I go shopping for things I didn't realise I needed!! I bought this top because I think it looks good on so it makes me feel good and again, the cycle is complete. It also falls under the Want. Take. Have. motto that I have a habit of following.

BUY:

$40 - Haircut

WHY?

Normally my hair cut costs a minimum $100 - double if I get a colour as well as a cut. I am trying to grow it out to what it looked like this time last year (see here) so my wonderful hairdresser Jade just trimmed the back so it didn't look like I was trying for a mullett but left the sides as they're the bits that need to grow!

I could probably have left it a few more weeks but by then the mullet would have been well and truly out of control and that's not the look I want to rock. Yes, I totally buy into the beauty myth. I am also self-conscious and want to look my best. My thought though is that I doubt very much whether guys would spend close to $200 every 6 weeks or so on their hair - not to mention the products that are required to keep it straight/curly/up/down. Or, if they have given any thought as to how much it costs their girlfriends to look as good as they do.

It's expensive for a woman to look good, but it's also expensive just being a woman!

BUY:

$7.78 - Pads and tampons

WHY?

Despite what the Australian Federal Government thinks, these are necessities. Every month I spend at least $10 or so on sanitary products and if you look a little closer at that receipt you'll see that 10% of that is GST. I'm being taxed for being a woman! Great, isn't it?

I'm going to get on my soapbox for a bit. Did you know that sunscreen, condoms, personal lubricants for men and women, and incontinence pads are all GST-free, on the basis that without the the Government believes one would suffer a 'disability'.... Umm sorry? How do tampons not fall into the same category? During the parliamentary debates back in 2000 when GST was being sorted, one minister likened tampons to shaving cream... Not quite the same thing. Periods are annoying enough and yet we have to pay extra for the privilege? Not happy, John. He's not even in power and he's still impacting on my life on a day-to-day. And, the Labor Party has no intention of changes this. Grrr.

BUY:
$82.50 - 4 months of the Pill.

WHY?

In my mind of the greatest inventions of the 20th century - providing women with control of their fertility and therefore their futures. I could go on and on about how I think this is important but most of you reading this will already know and benefit from its existence. But, as a lesbian, contraception is not something I really need to worry about! However, I need the pill to assist with a medical condition I have so this is a necessary (but ironic) expense! For me, this probably belongs in the Health section but really, it's only something a woman can use so that's why it's here!

 
BUY:
$3.49 - razors
 
WHY?
Despite spending a fortune on hair removal, these are still required!