There Cannot Be An Unmarked Woman

*In response to Caelan's Blog*

Every night before I go to sleep, regardless of how tired I am from cramming or procrastinating, I make sure I pick out what I am going to wear to school the next day. There are a lot of things I consider, my own comfort, the weather, what I'd be doing that day, and what other people would think. I think about how feminine I come off, or how casual it is, or if it looks too nice, or if it's to short, or if it's too long. If I can't pick anything I usually go with my standard all black outfit, but even that makes a statement. I might look colder or meaner, but really I just couldn't decide. This proves the relevance of Deborah Tannen's argument; it's a problem in our daily lives. Some might say that marking is just mistaken for a slip in someone's routine; how "if a girl chooses to wear sweatpants one day [she] would...be marked if she normally comes to school wearing dresses and skirt" (Caelan). But this only proves Tannen's point because women have "to choose between wearing attractive shoes and comfortable shoes," or in this case, comfortable sweats and troublesome dresses.

The world has it's eyes on this issue, but they don't see it as an issue. They see it as entertainment and a way to make money. For events like the Oscars or the Grammys, men choose between the typical suit or the weird stuff like "a cowboy shirt with string tie." Caelan brought up an interesting point where if anybody were to wear anything like that, they would be marked, and I have to say I agree with that. Every pair of eyes that saw a cowboy shirt on either gender would mark them. However, there is a spectrum that women are plagued with that he overlooks. There are so many different types of formal that can depend on their age, status, or career. She can dress "sexy," or cute, or mature, or bold, or classy to prove something or nothing about herself, but establishments like Cosmo always seems to assume there's something. Women do have the "freedom" to choose, as Caelan pointed out, but even if they choose something "appropriate" for the occasion, society will pick apart the threads until they're satisfied with their findings. Even when there's nothing there, people find a way to create something. For example, when Alicia Keys revealed to the world that she would not be wearing make up anywhere, people went ballistic. And now because the "no makeup look" is her "thing," her face is marked even when she has removed all marks.