We all become slaves to fashion at some time or other.
I don't mean slaves in the determined way of those self-styled fashionistas - the wannabe style mavens who are forever in pursuit of the 'must-haves', who are permanently clued in to what's hot and will buy into any fashion fad or faux pas.
Rather, I mean slaves as in how most of us are sucked into trends that sweep the fashion world now and then.
The reason? No one wants to stick out like a sore thumb or be called old-fashioned.
For example, you would attract stares if you pranced about town today sporting fishnet stockings or flared skirts over stiff petticoats, but those were fashion must-haves in the 1960s.
They were what girls in my generation wore, not because we thought those holey socks or scratchy petticoats suited us but because they were the in thing to be seen in.
Still, at least we weren't doing ourselves any bodily harm with these fashion fads.
It's a different matter altogether when it comes to the ultra-high heels so in vogue. They are a serious health risk (See Step up in footcare).
Like most women, I'm a fan of high heels and own a cupboard full of them. But these days, I'm snubbing my stilettos because I realise the long-term damage these heels can do to your body.
Even as shoe designers encourage us to totter on heels that get higher by the season, podiatrists tell us how we can contribute to the wreckage of our own bodies by wearing them continuously.
Super heels aren't the only example of fads which can compromise your health. In the quest to look hip, some have suffered skin reactions due to tattoos, hair dyes and multiple piercings.
Be a dedicated follower of fashion by all means but do also consider the threats to your health the next time you are won over by a fashion fad.
As for those very high heels, think that your knees might begin to weaken when you hit your 50s. It'll be a tad late then to rue those days when you stepped out in your trendy six-inch heels.
This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on Dec 11, 2008.
