1 Night, 11 Different Costumes

Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk.

Eva Longoria hosted the 2010 MTV Europe Awards in Madrid, Spain earlier this week and changed outfits a whopping grand total of 10 times.

Even more miraculous than her never-ending costume changing trick, was the evolution of her hair. She managed nearly every possible hair combination, which I would consider a bigger feat then changing clothes.

One thing all of her outfits had in common: short and tight (with the exception of her "ham dress"- an ode to Lady Gaga).

The actress debuted in a Georges Hobeika Couture silk top with pleats and also later wore the designer when she changed into a tuxedo type outfit with eggplant colored details.

Next up came a more-or-less one piece bathing suit ensemble by Gianfranco Ferre'. The last way I would describe this outfit is modest, to say the least.

Another fan favorite of the night was a red-mini dress the host donned in congratulations to the Spanish National Team which won the World Cup this past year. Considering the show was held in Madrid, it was a nice gesture.

Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk.

Of the 11 outfits she wore, only 3 were long, but don't worry, they took away as much fabric in other areas of the dress as much as they made them longer. Both of the long Emilio Pucci dresses she choose lacked fabric in significant areas like the front and sides of her dresses. The one other long dress Viktor and Rolf's A/W 2010 collection only remained long until Katy Perry ripped the skirt right off of Longoria to reveal her most revealing outfit yet: an embroidered bodysuit that hardly covered anything on the actress.

Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk.

My favorite choice of the night was her most conservative- or a better word choice would probably be "least revealing". The giant ham costume she choose was hilarious and a nice break from the endless array of skimpy outfits.

Overall, I do not think a host should need 11 costume changes to keep an audiences attention throughout the night. Ideally, the host should have enough talent to keep them entertained without them wondering "I wonder what she will come out in next?"

Over the years, these shows have become full fledge productions. The performances by special guests rival the special effects and performances from their tours, and the hosts will do nearly anything to keep you interested. It all about being the biggest and the best.

While changing outfits does add some fun to the show, 11 outfits truly is excessive and expensive. At an awards show, I would rather be entertained by the performers than the clothes (my answer changes if you ask about a fashion show, though). What do you think?

Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk.

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More Hair, More Problems

Photo courtesy of nytimes.com

I can almost guarantee that every girl has attempted to grow her hair out at least once in her life.

For some, with beautiful, strong and healthy hair, it comes with ease and it seems to grow at the speed of light. For others (like myself), it becomes fruitless and I am positive that my hair will never reach the endless lengths of some of my peers.

According to society's expectations, the teenage and young adult years of our life are when we should be sexy, fun, versatile and beautiful. To many, long hair perfectly represents all of these traits.

But, there seems to be an age limit on long hair. Once a woman reaches age 30, it's like there is a invisible law requiring her to chop off her locks and loose the associated appeal. 

Dominique Browning seems to disagree and defy the social norms, deciding against chopping off her long silver hair, even at age 55.

In her essay in the NYTimes, "Why Can't Middle-Aged Women Have Long Hair?", she talks about how it has become culturally correct for women of a certain age to cut their hair. She describes how her mother hates it, her sister worries about it, and her friend thinks it undermines her professional credibility.

Browning gives us 3 main categories that lead to peoples complaints about her long hair, and on older women.

First off, it says rebellion. It shows that these women are acting out against corporate America in general. Secondly, it shows that they are still "living in the '70s". And thirdly, that long of hair is high maintenance. It is impossible for women with long hair to go without brushing their hair or getting their hair tangled into some every day activity.

While yes, all of these complaints may be valid- the hair only affects the person's head it is on. (Unless they are sitting in front of you somewhere, and it gets on you- thats gross, but uncommon).

Realistically, I think it's impossible to pinpoint why society came to expect women to cut their hair, but that the increase of women in the workforce could play the largest role.  

Most working women do not aspire to by thought of as sexy and fun in an environment where they want to be taken seriously. A woman with shorter hair may be thought of as more masculine and as less of a sex object, therefore demanding more respect. 

Honestly, I don't think that women should need to cut their hair to be taken seriously or demand respect. A woman's (or man's, for that matter) actions should be why they are respected/disrespected, not their physical appearance.

I'll admit that I have occasionally thought that I would cut my hair shorter as I get older, but I couldn't give you much of a reason besides "it's just what people do". 

Maybe, I'm a victim of our culture and think like this because my mom has had short hair for the past 20 years. Even so, almost every woman I can think of over 30 has short hair as well. 

Whether the hair is long, medium, short, or shaved- I think it should only matter to the person who's head it is growing from.