Women Dress For The Men

It started on social media

(what doesn't, these days?)

'Women dress for Men!" was confidently displayed

as a meme or headline, I forget

Which

and yet it nagged at me like an itch

that I couldn't quite reach.

^

Ah, sure sometimes it looks like that.

At least for me, and my dress

appealing to the male gaze.

But, truly; in many ways

I'm just dressing for The Me

not The Men.

^

It's for The Me I think I am

(taller, thinner, no thighs-touching)

slim jeans painted on,

thank goodness for leggings.

It's for The Me I used to be.

Embracing the BoHo of now for the

girl of the 70's that ached for the

lace and the leather, the fringe and the beads

and reveling in the sweep of a gauzy skirt.

^

It's for The Me that is taller:

I wear the heels that

twist my knee and fool my skirts

into being a bit short.

It's for The Me that embraces the

silks and velvet, the velour a younger

girl dreamt would cloak a Princess

or lure a mermaid from the sea.

^

It's for The Me that's inside:

I drift towards the blues:

the cobalt, sapphire

and teal-tinged hues

that remind me of eyes that once wore

no hood, no bulges or puffy

baggage, like now when I stood

before the mirror and wonder at that past The Me

with eyes so blue-ly enhanced by shadow/liner

and squinting through thrift shop

(or St Vincent dePaul-scored) sunglasses,

between classes

with no where to go but older.

^

But, The Men?

Do I dress for you, too?

Sure. I love the look in his eye

when I try

and get all dolled up.

But we both know

that although cleavage pleases

it's my own pleasure and confidence

that suits me best.

My at-home-The-Man grins at me

and sees all of The-Me-s that ever were

and ever will be

and knows Me for Me.

~~

Comments welcome.

Let me know, what do you wear that You recognize as truly YOU?