Healthy Fashion Obsession? (girl, beauty, look, attractive)

[krmb]

Hmm, do most women think like this? When I was a little girl, I used to criticize the older women for doing things that I considered superfluous, like paying so much attention to hair, makeup, and general beauty concerns. I was adamant about not jumping on the bandwagon that I purposely made myself look less attractive; I even started shaving my chin! Well, that all changed shortly after I became an adult. My favorite program was about fashion, the college pushed "dressing for success," and even one of my bosses recommended that I "do something about my looks." After facing so much pressure, I finally started trying. Now, I'm obsessed, and it's not really as much about making myself look good as it is about being accepted. We women, if most are like me, suffer in the self-esteem department and genuinely feel we have to earn the love of others through external means, so we try to play the part of ideal in any way we can find, be it dressing neat as a pin and keeping up with the latest trends or keeping our houses or reputations spotless. Is this just the way things are for us?

[CSD610]

You cannot use the words "healthy" and "obsession" in the same sentence.

You will never truly be able to love others or others freely love you until you love yourself first.
If you cannot be yourself for yourself you will never be happy no matter how much outside means you have/get.

I personally have not cared what anyone else thinks of me or how I dress since I was about 7 years old and at the age of 53 I don't see that changing anytime soon.
I do what I do because I want to do it for myself and honestly what others think is none of my concern. If I am "accepted" great, if not great. Not a life ending, earth shattering issue for me.

[Jay F]

For every woman who is obsessed with fashion there are hundreds of frumpy women who don't follow fashion in the least.

[DaniellaG]

Have you considered therapy? Possibly getting to the root of why you have low self esteem and working on ways to feel better about yourself outside of appearance will help.