The Relentless Hassles of Being A Girl

Over the course of my sixteen years on this planet, several things have knocked me off my apparently average-sized feet: one of which includes the problems that are expected with being a girl. Obviously, both genders have their drawbacks - otherwise we wouldn't be able to recognise the benefits, would we? - but, in a way, I've always felt that the negatives of being a girl are more pronounced than the ones possibly experienced by boys because so many of these hassles are visual - a.k.a. your eyes cannot ignore seeing imperfections! Well, I was sort of hoping that my short-sightedness might have eased the pains sometimes endured by living in a female body, but I would have to be asleep all the time if I were to pay no attention to problems; in some ways, I think that I might have a sixth sense for trouble! A perfect example of a female-related hassle...

In my opinion, I feel that the reason why girls have a harder time with their gender is because society has painted all-perfect image of the fairer sex which we are pressurised into living up to. For example, does anyone take much notice if a man is caught wearing sloppy tracksuit bottoms and an ancient, tatty t-shirt outside? Not really. Unlike women, men don't feel as though they need to be clad in glamourous clothing all the time because glamour is not a term constantly associated with their gender; we, including women, often expect them to be dressed casually, which we absent-mindedly believe is a representation of their sex because things have always been that way.

However, women are more likely to be criticised - mostly by fellow women - for adopting a casual look because it is instilled in our minds to reject 'scruffy' appearances because it doesn't symbolise the beauty which women are usually renowned for. Even for me, when I visualise what a women looks like, the first few ideas which pop into my head are smart clothing - e.g. dresses - and immaculate make-up - e.g. foundation which mostly definitely not dripping down your face in tropical weather. Sounds stereotypical, doesn't it? Well, I apologise my thinking, yet such images have literally been forced down my throat from early ages - magazines, TV and even dolls have influenced my views. I suppose that it isn't surprising that toys can be highly influential because even my Bratz dolls wre never bare-faced, regardless of whether they were glamming it up in a dress or dressing down in fitness wear - hardly promoting an inspirational message of being true to yourself!

Still, my entry today is not entirely based on living up it up as a glamourpuss (a word which I wish that I could use more often, if not only for describing myself!), though beauty does play a major role in winding me up on a daily basis. Oh, I've lost count over the amount of times that I've suffered for the sake of looking good; as life expectancy further increases, my biggest fear is that I have many years yet of crippling myself in ridiculously high heels, applying way too much make-up on my face and plastering on a Hollywood-style smile whilst resisting the urge to scream in agony. Most certainly my kind of joy...

Bras

Boys, you really don't know how lucky you are to not be condemned to a lifetime of wearing itchy, heavy and uncomfortable garments so that what is essentially two Cornetto-shaped bits of fat don't slap you in the face when you try to run up the stairs! And that's without even considering the horrors that occur during the dreaded time of the month.

Despite being fortunate in being relatively small-chested, which is a massive relief when considering that the average bra size in the UK is now 36D, there are occasions when I wonder whether I'm carrying a pair of weights on my chest. Hence why I refuse to participate in a marathon bigger than climbing the stairs as everything goes out of control!

In addition to this, finding the right bra for you is an absolute pain in the you-know-what. If you want to wear something attractive, only padded bras provide it with different patterns and prints (including my oh-so-beloved leopard print), yet these aren't exactly the most practical choice when running on a treadmill - unfortunately, I've learnt the painful lesson of putting practicality over beauty unless being practical is unneeded.

As for push-up bras, they are identical to padded ones but are even more padded - in a way, they feel more comfortable than a mattress! Yet the labels on these bras aren't always clear, which is why I often pick up a bra, thinking that it is the one of my dreams (because it isn't in the dreaded dull-as-dishwater white colour), before I think that it is more padded than a cushion.

And, if you thought that the internet had taken away the needless hassle of going into a store and waiting in a queue to be served for hours, you will soon realise that shopping in-store is the only way that you stand any chance of picking up a decently fitted bra. Yes, it is absolutely irritating when you stroll down the lingerie section for the fourth time in two minutes, close to tears because you don't know what suits you, but the fit is what matters - unless pain or no support is your idea of fun!

Shoes

Depending on your height and shoe size, looking for shoes can be an agonising search because there are so many things which you need to take into consideration: do you seek comfort, style or a mixture of both? Also, you must consider if you want your shoes to stand out, be formal or look so casual that you could wear them wherever you go - thinking about all of these things can drive you crazy if you aren't sure as to what you want!

Therefore, heading into a shoe shop without considering any of these points is an unwise idea because you could leave with a new pair of trainers, heels, flats or boots that don't necessarily cater to your needs, along with emptying your purse. Like eating before wandering into a food-packed supermarket, you ought to ensure that you are in a stable state of mind before even looking at shoes in a shop's window - lust can have a crazy way of forcing you into getting things that you don't really need!

As I'm relatively petite (5ft 4in if you really want to know), trainers aren't really my favourite footwear because I dislike feeling short, which often leads me into wearing heels or shoes with a bit of a heel on them. Is it because I'm vain? Not at all as wearing flats places unnecessary pressure on my feet as I have quite a high instep, so I'm never going to have feet cut out for the likes of sandals, flip-flops and Converse. However, wearing flats might be more suitable for taller girls, yet getting it right with style and comfort need to be on your mind when making a purchase - the same of which also applies to heels, my preferred type of shoe.

One dilemma of mine is casual wear which, for many teenagers my age, involves being clad in pumps or trainers - shoes that I not only dislike but cannot wear without making my feet ache like mad. Still, I would look like an absolute idiot if I wore black leather three inch heels while all of my friends, even ones shorter than me, wore trainers and pumps - and, when wearing a t-shirt and jeans, high heels just don't look right on me!

This is why I pay much more attention to my clothes than shoes because footwear causes much more of a headache; besides, the first thing that I see when I look at people is their clothes, not giving the slightest thought to what they are wearing on their feet. Even though I appreciate the beauty of shoes, I highly value comfort as well - but where does the line end?