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Being ugly, apparently, is more than being physically unfortunate. According to one expert in neatness (the little-known study of the economics of appearance), ugliness affects every aspect of life: from employability to where you live, friendships and even lifespan.
As Tom Whipple, science editor of the Times, concludes in an article on this topic: “The beautiful glide through life, unaware of their privilege, wearing a crown that only the ugly can see.”
It’s no surprise that life is easier if you’re good-looking, and without wanting to get into the cultural and racial definitions of beauty, there are generally accepted markers for what beauty or good looks are.
But the ugly defies such classification. Does it have anything to do with the shape of the nose, or the closeness of the eyes, or the definition, or lack thereof, of the chin? Is it our posture, the shape of our skull? What are the characteristics that mean you are less pleasing to the eye than others?
It is not even possible to suggest such determinants without being offensive, although perhaps it is good to go back in time and cite, for example, the Hanoverian background of our royal family, which was famous for being ugly.
Being ugly, apparently, is more than just being unlucky in the looks department (file photo of a woman putting on makeup)
Many men who are spectacularly successful, both sexually and professionally, are considered ugly (stock photo of businessmen)
Ugly is the adjective that dares not pronounce its name. However, although being ugly is said to hinder life’s possibilities, another factor is gender.
Many men who are spectacularly successful, both sexually and professionally, are considered ugly. This could have led them to put a lot more effort into honing their skills, knowing from the start that they couldn’t trust their appearance.
The same does not happen as often with women. However, while golden boys and girls, whose confidence arises from their dependence on beauty, will inevitably have to suffer its eventual fading, ugly people do not suffer such a fate.
Perhaps, ultimately, ugliness, whatever it is, is not such an obstacle.
My race to repair the white house.
It’s been 18 years since my partner and I moved into our house and the poor thing is showing its age, with new cracks, holes and breaks appearing every day.
However, my attitude to this is similar to how I deal with my own aging, which is to ignore it for as long as possible and then consider what non-invasive cosmetic updates can be made to avoid any major surgery.
Houses, like humans, suffer from ‘coups de vieux’, those moments when they suddenly seem many years older, and what once seemed fresh and modern seems worn and tired.
Pictured: Alexandra Shulman, who shares her race to repair the White House.
When we moved in, we painted the entire place white, including the now open floorboards. But today my Instagram feed is full of examples of delicious wallpapered rooms, exotic curtains and colorful mosaics.
Whereas my friends and I once exchanged information about the pros and cons of Papers And Paints’ Not Totally White versus their Quiet White, now it’s Edward Bulmer’s Brunswick Green and Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue.
While we were all determined to tear down as many walls as possible, now it’s about creating cozy and comfortable attics.
Since some sort of update is probably no longer inevitable, I’m tempted to go with this new, more modern color palette.
But, by the same token, I’m hesitant about cosmetic fillers in my face or diet jabs in my belly.
In the end, I know I will stick with what already exists. And I hope that in a couple of years it will be fashionable again to walk into a sparkling white house, hopefully without cracks.
Portrait of a strong and captivating beauty.
Last week I watched a trailer for Sadie Frost’s documentary, Twiggy. Many of Twiggy’s former collaborators and friends felt cornered into talking about the model (including me, although I never worked with her) and the result, as expected, is entirely festive.
British model Twiggy (Lesley Hornby) wearing a pale pink minidress and large bauble earrings in 1966.
This might have meant that the documentary was too saccharine to take seriously, and I would have liked to hear Twiggy and others questioned more about the issue of very young models (her own career began at age 15) and the issues surrounding body image.
But the wonderful images that Sadie Frost unearthed showed not only the captivating and charismatic beauty that Twiggy was, but also that, far from being a vulnerable Twiglet, she revealed herself to be a strong young woman, determined to seize the opportunities that life presented her and who He succeeded in everything he did. Including now being a seemingly content, fun, and wise 75-year-old woman.
The pleasure of a flan at 35,000 feet
Lady Glenconner’s industry continues with the reissue of her Picnic Papers, a collection of reminiscences and recipes by the great lady author’s friends, including Princess Margaret and the writer Patrick Leigh Fermor, to which newer names have been added, including Graham Norton.
Flipping through the contents, my eyes were drawn to Arabella Boxer’s entry, A Picnic For The Air, as she used to be Vogue’s food writer. What a great idea to bring your own food on a flight. Better than a Pret A Manger sandwich, or having to suffer through the contents of your cart.
Unfortunately, although it sounds delicious, Boxer’s contribution was clearly written before the current airport restrictions on liquids, since it would no longer be possible to drink a jar of creamy leek soup. Also, I’m not sure how the suggested custard baked in a porcelain oeuf en cocotte dish would get through today’s security.
Now Primark is guilty of cover-up
The slogan We’re With You appears in the window of a Primark branch in east London, along with a montage of character posters.
One is a heavily tattooed trans guy with breast removal scars proudly displayed. However, all of the biological women who appear have their breasts covered. I’m confused about the messages here. Primark is certainly not “With Me”.