Back Breaking Work

I read an article in the China Daily this morning that looked at the growing issue of back problems in fashion due to the oversized handbags in use by trendsetters. The inset photo in the article is of Katie Holmes carrying this humongous bag that looks as if it weighs more than she does. I started to think, maybe they’re on to something. To which a friend of mine who abhors this whole fashion thing said wryly, “you think?” Her rationale was that these bags are huge for no reason at all, no one has that much stuff to carry especially not a “fashionista” (God, I hate that word). Truth be told, an inner voice silently agreed with her. It’s nothing new that women at times go through great pains to wear something beautiful. The laundry list goes from 5 inch heels that pinch toes, cause migraines and corns to dresses that take a whole lot of work to fit into.

Which leads to the never ending question: is it worth it? Yes. Sometimes. The answer is a bit of a cop out, but for a special occasion wearing a dress that you know will take an hour to get into but will make you look wonderful is a guilty pleasure that requires a pound of flesh. The same applies to shoes. It can be a painstaking endeavor to wear a pair that is so narrow it causes red marks along the top of your feet, but it looks sooooo sleek. The jury is out on the handbags, as personally I’ve never been a fan, but I can attest to one thing: I would suffer in a heartbeat for a Hermes bag, if only for one night.

The China Daily story can be found here.