I made it almost all the way through this week's dose of insipid advice before I found that one little nuggest (it is always in there) that suggests Catherine Specter landed her job because she's related to someone with more influence than common sense.
This week, BARE-FACED asks for date advice for women who choose not to wear cosmetics. Here's what our favorite sorority sister has to say:
DEAR BARE: If makeup isn't your thing, then it's not a must for you. The goal is to look fresh and ready, so pretty up in other ways. Fun-up your hair, wear dangly earrings, think very good thoughts to erase work from your brain, and put a gleam in your eye. Nothing's sexier than "that look. Trade work shoes for heels but not office heels! Wear the fun pair you bought and never wore. If your toes hurt, deal with it, they won't hurt more than a missed opportunity. You can prettify and flirtify anything, including your attitude. I still stand by sheer lip gloss or shiny lip balm.
Puttng aside the health issues for a moment, Catherine Specter once again wants to drag women back to an era of pleasing men at all costs. She obsessively lectures women about bring pretty and flirtatious, sending a clear message that physical beauty (and appearance) is the benchmark for self-worth.
And what the hell does it mean to prettify your attitude? That's easily the most stupid comment I've read in the Post-Gazette for over a year and, arguably, the most anti-woman. (And I read Jack Kelly).
The facts. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, American women spend $2 billion a year on surgery related to footwear. Research indicates high heels are associated with foot pain, foot deformities, a change in back posture, knew osteoarthritis and balance impairment. (Medical College of Georgia).
Something I didn't know - women's shoes are designed for men's feet. According to Dr. Mary Franklin, associate professor of physical therapy at MGC "men?s feet are shaped differently than men?s; women?s feet tend to be more narrow at the back than the toe. Women generally use the back of the shoe to determine their fit?whether or not the foot slides in the shoe. Shoes based on men?s foot shape will fit in the back but be too narrow in the front, unnaturally constricting the toes."
Correspondent's Call: let's try and find Cat Specter a man so she can turn all her attention toward pleasing him and leave the women of Pittsburgh alone.