Recently, I was sitting in a room full of people, listening as recent graduates of a medical residency program were congratulated while their photos were shown on a screen in front of the room. When one woman’s photograph came up on the screen, the presenter read the following note from the woman’s family: “To our daughter,… Continue Reading →
5 ways you can take a vacation from getting “vacation-ready”
What have you done to get ready for your summer plans? Getting excited for my recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, I was using all of my spare time on Pinterest — of course. As usual, my “quick browsing” evolved into an hourlong surf session of anything having to do with summer. What started as innocent excitement turned into… Continue Reading →
Spas for tweens: Fun or f*&$ed up?
I have mixed feelings about the “little girl dress-up” industry. I recently read a New York Times article about spas that cater to young girls, and it kind of made my head spin. As an adult, I immediately cringed. Six-year-olds getting massages? A spa for girls called “Seriously Spoiled” — as if being spoiled is a good… Continue Reading →
The case of the working woman’s fashion crisis
Last month, I started my first paid, full-time job. At the beginning, I was anxiously guessing the expectation for women’s fashion at work: what I should wear, how my hair should look, if I needed to wear makeup. I started to feel like no matter what I did to primp and prepare, I never looked as… Continue Reading →
Holland’s Next Top Model just made a huge mistake
Recently, I was working on a part of my PhD thesis wherein I had to describe why my research about body image is important for the broader public. Piece of cake. But my supervisor wasn’t pleased with the final product: “You need to make it crystal clear that body image is a hot topic in… Continue Reading →
The haircut: A body image trial
Having just completed an incredibly challenging year abroad, I decided I needed a change. Something radical. So why not chop off all of my hair? It would the perfect symbol of growth, accomplishment, and moving on, I thought. Which was totally valid. But I’m glad I didn’t go through with it. See, what I was… Continue Reading →
Why I love Amy Schumer’s new music video, “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup”
The other morning, while eating my breakfast, I found this: comedienne Amy Schumer’s new music video, “Girl, You Don’t Need Makeup.” I watched it thinking it would be a silly remake of some song. I was wrong. It is so much more. I have since sent this to all of my best girl friends. I… Continue Reading →
Women’s health? Think again.
Here’s something I find disturbing: The cover of April’s Women’s Health magazine. Here are some of their cover stories: “20 Easy Ways to Look Hot Now”; “Drop 5 Pounds-Eat Your Way to a Smaller Size”; “You’ll Own Spring in the Coolest Shoes, Bags, Jewelry, and More”; “The Single Best Anti-Ager Most Women Skip”; “Working Out… Continue Reading →
Help! My gym is promoting unhealthy body ideals
My gym is doing some renovations. To make sure we’re all aware that the gym will be temporarily under construction, they’ve posted signs throughout the facility that list the planned renovations and depict a smiling woman in a hard hat. They posted one of these signs in the women’s locker room, and on that particular… Continue Reading →