Longest Entry of the Moment: Discomfort is What I Aim For

Ed. Note: I hope this entry is long enough for you peeps because I'm gonna be gone for quite some time. Since it's the holiday season, I'm gonna be taking a brief break to spend time with family and friends. Wish you all a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, and a wonderful New Year! I'll be off to Toledo, Washington (the state, not D.C.) to--hopefully--experience real snow after Nicola made me green with envy. I'm kidding, Nicola.

At left, the nutcracker

I'm not a sadomasochist or a fetishist. But one thing I'm very surprised about myself is I like to feel pain. Not the pain of getting spanked by a paddle, you silly goose! But the pain of sacrificing my own comfort for the sake of, well, looking good.

A podiatrist's nightmare: platforms from Versace Spring-Summer 2010

Unlike women, I don't go to the extremes of binding my foot with platform heels or wearing body shapers (like corsets or Spanx that supposedly improve the contours of a woman's body but is a huge hassle when disrobing). Although, I do have this obsession of wearing relatively uncomfortable shoes and skinny jeans.

Uncomfortable shoes? The mere thought of it might induce you with agony already. But what's the gripe with skinny jeans? As much as I adore mine, skinny jeans are poorly designed in one area: the groin. Women, clearly, have no qualms about being squeezed hither and tither in the nether regions, but their scrotum-bearing counterparts do!

For the moment, I have banished my tight pants indefinitely. Fertility shouldn't be one of my sacrifices.

The Inconvenient Truth:

Aside from the potential danger of donning pieces that is detrimental to biological function, there are incentives in wearing them.

Minimalist military at Celine Spring-Summer 2010

First off, uncomfortable vestments usually are the ones that make you look good. Time and again, women are advised to lay off the high heels for fear of spine damage or feet mangling. But as the case, fashion usually trumps health advices. Currently there is an uptick in wearing high heels (and the heels themselves are reaching record heights too!). They are mainly driven by runway shows, pop culture, burgeoning fashion tribes, and the singular fact that it makes women's legs look shapely. Rest assured, designers aren't on the verge of giving up the double platform stiletto anytime soon.

Second, uncomfortable clothes inform people about yourself, your background, your personality. Since it's not always about looking good that's important, there are intrinsic reasons why some people prefer to dress uncomfortably. Common knowledge dictates that there is a close relationship between looking put together and one's personal success. And believe it or not, there is an even closer correlation between looking put together and feeling the pain.

A hot look (literally) for summer by Balenciaga

Businessmen/women, for instance, wear suits not because they are comfortable (trust me, wearing pyjamas is the ultimate bliss). Suits are purely aesthetic: clean lines, smooth silhouettes, sharp shoulders. On a grander scale, suits signify one's ascent on the social ladder, a keen sense of self-control, and discipline.

The same goes for wearing sky high pumps and, to a lesser degree, men's brogues (or wingtips, bluchers, oxfords, etc.). Traditionally, men who wear brogues or wingtips to the boardroom present professionalism and elegance while women who wear high heels exude tenacity and command greater attention in the professional field. Even feminists now view platform heels as a symbol of empowerment.

Finally, wearing uncomfortable clothes offer a feeling of satisfaction in the end. As my friend Shao said "The best part about wearing [uncomfortable clothes] is taking them off." So for anyone feeling the aches and pains out there, just remember the bright side: people will always notice and, hopefully, compliment you for your looks and bravery! Stay strong, my friends.