There is No Unmarked Girls

Some months ago I was at a big homecoming dance filled with girls and boys of all grades. Instead of focusing on my date, I found my eyes settling down on the other three girls in my group, just pondering how different our appearances were and how each style had a different statement.

One girl had her long brown locks in a tight bun, a style that is a cross between modern and traditional. Her formal black dress was underscored by the dainty diamond jewelry and the strict posture she was holding. Because her dress was her grandmother’s old dress, her style leaned towards more traditional than modern.

The second girl was full with playfulness and a hint of naughtiness. Her long hair flowed behind her in curled lockets, reaching to the small part on her back. As she smiled at the camera, her gold-sequined dress glittered in the sunlight with a black mesh creating a barrier between her skin and wandering eyes.

The third girl’s hair was similar to the second, but had a more side bang look. The hair, looking like a piece of the night sky, was thrown over her shoulders like it was no big deal. When she strutted down the entrance way, her bright fluorescent yellow dress could catch anybody’s attention. Coupled with her purple corset, she was quite contrasting.

Then I noticed the makeup. The first woman had a natural look with a black charcoal line drawn over each eye and a smoky and subtle eye shadow drawn above that. The second only wore a natural, pink lip gloss with a tint of black shadow to really bring out her dress. The third had a hint of purple eyeliner, mascara, and air-brushed facial mask; her fingernails sporting a purple coat.

Now the shoes. No. 1 wore tiny, glittery, black high heels; No. 2 had fashionable, gold, shoes made for impressing; No. 3, another pair of heels but this time, closed-toed.

As I analyze my friends’ style, I came to realize, why am I only looking at the girls? I glanced at the four men besides us and have come to understand…their style was unmarked

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This is me trying to write in Tannen’s style of writing in “There is No Unmarked Woman”. I agree with this piece because at the dance, every girl’s dress was unique, whether in color, length, material, etc. that makes every girl beautiful, but when I look at the guys, I just see the same ol’ things. A black suit jacket, some black dress pants, and a dress shirt and tie combination that matched his date.  And that is why the guy looks more at the girl than the girl looks at him ;)