Fashion Secrets Exposed

Women have always had their little beauty tricks, from Cleopatra’s elaborate eyeliner to the advent of the Wonderbra. It’s no wonder the nation’s largest lingerie store adopted the moniker “Victoria’s Secret.” As the name implies, women go to great lengths to keep these appearance enhancers hidden from our male admirers, lest they realize we are less than perfect. Following are some of the biggest secrets we try to keep just between us girls.

Padded Bras

If only men were interested in brain cleavage, we wouldn’t need padded bras. According to the Fashion Windows Web site, only 29 percent of women admit to owning padded bras. No wonder, as those of us who wear nothing but these embellishing undergarments feel a shameful sense of false advertising. On the upside, we won’t embarrass ourselves if we encounter a cold breeze.

Butt-Lifting Jeans

JLo’s musical or acting abilities may not leave an indelible mark on world history, but her posterior assets have certainly made an impact on modern preferences. Her willingness to flaunt a bountiful bottom has influenced men’s appreciation of (and women’s longing for) a cheeky derriere. No worries, many clothing companies now make jeans that offer an uplifting effect for your backside. Acting much like a push up bra, these pants counteract the consequences of gravity by squeezing in and pulling up your fanny for a higher ride and rounder rump. The downside? Eventually, you have to take them off!

Shaping Panties

The days of the corset may be long gone, but women today still want the look of a smaller waist without sacrificing lung capacity. Enter the girdle, or “shaping panty” if you prefer a less Edith Bunker term. If you want some extra smoothing under a slinky dress, these garments tuck the tummy without painful surgical procedures. Sure, they leave ugly red marks on your skin, but it’s worth it to squeeze into an old pair of jeans for a reunion with your high school boyfriend.

Hair Removal

Why, oh why do we pretend that hair doesn’t grow on us in the same places it grows on men? Women have been known to pluck eyebrows, wax inner thighs, shave feet and toes, bleach facial hair, electrolyzes abdomens, Epilady lower backs, Nair knees and laser underarms … all to look as smooth and silky as airbrushed models appear in magazines. Wherever we perceive hair to be too thick, too coarse, too dark or just plain too much, we lose all feelings of attractiveness until we remove it – sparing ourselves no pain in the process. Ladies, we are mammals. Body hair comes with warm blood and the ability to give birth to live young. It’s time we learn to accept our animal attributes … unless, of course, these traits result in a unibrow. In that case, bring on the tweezers!

Secrets are Meant to be Shared

It’s easy to get caught up in our beauty secrets, depending on them to disguise things we don’t like about ourselves. However, these enhancers should be additives we use to help us look and feel our best. When padded bras, butt-lifting jeans, shaping panties and hair removal techniques become necessary to create a sense of femininity and desirability to men, it’s time to rediscover the things that truly make us beautiful and worthwhile as women.

Let’s look at things from another perspective:

Men have their cover-ups, too. However, they are more than willing to expose their bald spots and expel gas in front of us. Why? Because they are confident we will still love them for their real characteristics. This is certainly a secret worth sharing, and one from which we women can learn.