By: Samantha S. Daviss
When my husband and I first started dating, he was deep into
bachelorhood. But I guess my whit, charm, and dazzling personality wooed him
enough to help him see the error of his ways, and that dating, marriage,
children, and family were more his speed; and the single life was his former
life.
But during his single life, he was forced to only care for
himself, shop for himself, and clean for himself. He never realized the expense
girls must incur. Sure he shopped for former girlfriends, and he knows that
girls just shop more…period. But now that he is in the throes of wedded bliss,
he is starting to realize that being a girl just simply costs more than being a
boy. I’ve always realized this issue,
but this has really become a point of contention with my husband, ever since he
really had to start paying attention to my clothes, and the expenses I was
incurring.
Now I’m not talking about our “frivolous girlie needs” like
manicures, pedicures, or massages. Although, our men may complain about the
cost of those luxuries, they wouldn’t have anything less than a quaffed beauty
on their arm. No I am talking about comparing apples to apples, everything that
a man needs a woman needs.
For example, I understand that a woman getting her hair
styled and colored should cost a lot more than a man’s haircut; no, what I am
talking about is a simple trim. My husband can get his hair cut from anywhere between
$16 and $25. But when I want just to trim my hair, I am not talking styling, or
layering, or anything tricky, I am simply needing a trim to cut off the dead
ends…why is my hair cut typically three times more expensive than his haircut?
An even better comparison is a white button down shirt;
clean, simple, and neat. We all need one, for one reason or another, be it for
work, for casual wear, whatever your style is, I personally think a white
button down is a staple needed in anyone’s closet. But a woman’s button down,
on the average, runs at least double to four times more expensive than a man’s
button down. And in so doing this comparison, I am cross referencing within the
same store. I am not comparing some elite boutique to an average chain store. I
am truly comparing apples to apples. So why is this, I ask you?
Is it because the women do most of the shopping, so the retailers
know that we will pay more, because we are trapped? I wish there was something
we could all do about it. I wish we could take a stand. But I know, that
shopping, hunting, and scavenging for that “awesome deal” is in our DNA as
woman. But think about it, what if…what if there was a world of equality, in
the retail industry.
We do the same jobs as men, yet we are still paid less, even
in the year 2013; but yet, we need the same clothes, and luxuries that men need
and want, and we are charged double, if not more. Funny, I am definitely no
math major, but that really doesn’t add up, now does it? We are paid less, but
have to spend more to clothe ourselves. Kind of makes you go “Hmmmmm?”
Only place we get a price cut is on “Ladies’ Night” at the
bar…but that’s not much of a deal, because we have weird, annoying men
bothering us all night, in the same button down shirt that we are wearing, but
he paid half of what we paid for ours. So darn right we should get free drinks.
I know we can never stop shopping, but wouldn’t it be nice
to be able to pay the same prices men pay for the items in their closet? Can
you imagine the damage we could do then, ladies?
But seriously, it’s an unusual concept, and you have to
admit that it is. But I have always sat idly by my entire life and paid the
prices that are required of me as a woman; but humorously, this issue irritates
my husband more than it does me.
Just something to think about.
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