They’re pretty. Okay? They are pretty.

Embroidered and studded and bejeweled corsets and “bralettes” and so forth, on trend with dressing as though your underwear were your outerwear, are pretty and alluring on women who have the figure to sport them – and even people who don’t.

I still think they are weird. Stick with me for the reason why. I once had a relationship-shattering dispute with a friend’s son about underwear. It was when Scott Brown, former US Senator from Massachusetts and lately ambassador to New Zealand, was first in the news – along with the revelation that the handsome young man had once been an underwear model. 

To this friend’s son, I said, “If he were a woman, he would be getting a lot of grief for that. There would be suggestions that he’s not a serious person." To which he replied, “You’re just jealous because nobody would ever want to see you in your underwear."

Well, no, I was not. I was just making a point about differential treatment. This was before Sarah Palin posed in her bikini with a big rifle, putting paid to all that stuff – in other words, a long time ago. But I still have a problem (several problems) with fashion stories that point out how “sexy corsets" and "bustiers" can be paired with a garment, such as jeans, that are not revealing  - and the juxtaposition really works well.

This may be true… but … why? I was reading about actor Olivia Wilde and others sporting long-form bras (bustiers) as clothing “tops,” and one of the things I noted with horror were the prices. Okay, granted: Hollywood stars don’t need to forego paying their electric bill in order to pay $900 to $6,200 for a scrap of beaded fabric. That said, so what if they can, should they?

I’m not one who necessarily looks down her nose at people who spend money on trifles: It’s their money. They don’t have to give it all to The World Wildlife Fund. But … that much for … that much? It sort of does seem immoral. But I’m just getting started.

The thing that really irks me is that these garments are only for women and they reinforce the idea that to look attractive, a woman has to look “sexy.” That is, her primary consideration in dressing up should be to pay attention to how she appears as an object of desire.

There is no equivalent for men. I’m not going to include the sort of new and quite outre example of celebrities such as Jared Leto and Vin Diesel wearing the equivalent of skirts. It’s not the same thing; it’s not pervasive. It’s not the same as appearing in a formal setting with much of your private anatomy showing.

Women could (and do) look pretty, well-groomed, elegant (choose your adjective) while wearing more … and costing less.

It’s a cultural tradition and it’s not going to end. That doesn’t make it less annoying.

Coconut Macaroons

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 1 14-oz bag sweetened flaked coconut, such as Baker's Angel Flake. … it’s a reliable kind.

• ⅞ cup sweetened condensed milk, just short of a cup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs whites

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, chopped, if you would like to melt it and roll the macaroons in it.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set two oven racks near the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

4. Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back, until the tops and edges are golden. Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. If you’re using chocolate, melt it in a microwave or a double boiler. Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, and return to the lined baking sheets. Let set for ten minutes.