In response to the column by Lauren Fox, "Beautification takes work; women need to be liberated from ritual" (SN 2/03), I am completely flabbergasted by her remarks.

I am married, and my wife rarely wears makeup. In my opinion, she is prettier without the makeup than most girls are with makeup.

I might be slightly biased, seeing as she is my wife, but when we first met I could have sworn she was wearing makeup. She wasn't.

I think that often, girls overdo the makeup. Most girls would be prettier if they just went without it. I would be willing to bet that leaving your skin as natural as possible would make it healthier, so you would not have as much to hide. Why can't girls just accept the way they look and feel good about themselves? I am not a psychologist, but I would guess that at some level, for some of them, it is a feeling of inadequacy.

In trying to show the pains of choosing an outfit, Fox states "We put on clothes. Then, undress and start over." In reality, nobody is forcing you to try on your entire wardrobe. It is quite simple: Make a choice and go with it.

On the subject of thongs: For crying out loud, it is underwear. Nobody should know what you are wearing, and if they do, it is your own fault. My sister-in-law insists that the thong is the most comfortable type of panty. Of course, you are entitled to your own opinion, and I say just wear what you find comfortable and stop moaning.

Peter Lambert
chemistry senior