A (flip-) Flop from Grace

Thursday night I was in the city to do a focus group (there's nothing better than being paid cold, hard cash to have a discussion about your favorite products...). It being around 10pm on a Thursday night, as I walked back to Penn Station, the sidewalks were filled with 20-and30-something-year-olds dashing into bars and nightspots to start their weekends early. I happened to be in a nicer part of the city with trendy restaurants, bars, and lounges - the types of places that call for a nice outfit. The guys were pretty much carbon-copies of one another; khakis with button-down short-sleeved shirts or polos and loafers. Neat, tidy, dressed for the occasion from head to toe. The girls were also pretty much identical (read: boring) to one another; thin and tan with long straight hair, skimpy but dressy dresses, chunky jewelry and.... FLIP FLOPS. Now, I'm not talking about the nice kind that are dressy with maybe a little heel or a sparkle here or there. I'm talking about the ones you can get on the corner for $1 a pair.

As I continued my walk, I saw woman after woman after woman in nice dresses with those cheap flip-flops. I have no problem if you're pairing them with a casual summer skirt or sundress, but how can somebody dress up nicely for an evening out and actually think of putting something so casual on their feet? At first, I hoped and prayed that these women would be changing their shoes once they arrived at their destination. But no, they walked in and out of these restaurants looking like glossy magazine ads from the ankles up and, quite frankly, disgusting from the ankles down.

I don't quite know how and when we lost pride in how we present ourselves. As an American, I always felt defensive knowing that most of the world thinks that we look like slobs; now, I'm starting to see where they are coming from. Yes, I'm the first one to complain that my feet hurt, even having to take taxis instead of walking or change itineraries because of pain. I can see the argument for comfort. But, come on America! We're at a point where chivalry is almost dead, function has almost completely obliterated form, speed and quantity take precedence over quality, individuality is almost nonexistent. Where is grace? Where is beauty? We women should be lucky that we have the opportunity to look and act with class, femininity, and individuality while still being respected and powerful. A (flip-) flop from our womanhood would be a tragedy, a path I fear that has already begun....