Being ‘perfect’ just got a lot harder
Your guide to being the Perfect Woman Thanks to a certain duchess, it just got even harder
If you are striving to be the Perfect Woman, these must be challenging times. At the start of the year, it was relatively simple – copy Gwyneth. There it was, the complete perfection package: beauty, success, connectedness, children, marriage to someone high profile or, in her case, two marriages (even better, that speaks of personal growth), plus a perfect 10 body and domestic skills. In case you’d forgotten, Gywneth is a published writer – which you probably won’t have, if you know anything about Perfect Womanhood.
Which brings us to the Duchess of Sussex, currently the ultimate PW front-runner, increasing her lead by the day. In fact, in the wake of the Australia tour (notably the banana bread incident when Meghan arrived and asked to be shown the kitchen where she set about baking a cake to take to a local family) she has raised the bar so high that even Gwyneth is lagging behind.
Meghan, having entered the competition with the necessary qualifications (bar the children, now in progress) has set about steadily adding to the PW package. And, let’s not forget, she is married to the sixth in line to the throne, who also happens to be our favourite royal. So. We’ve got work to do. For anyone thinking of giving it a go, here are the latest additions to the Perfect Womanhood checklist (correct at the time of going to press).
Being homespun
Making jam, loving baking, cultivating elderflower for cordial – sorry, but this doesn’t cut it any more. Being homespun now is a lifestyle choice: it’s not being able to “visit” without taking a homemade gift. It’s barefoot in the kitchen, hands on in the nursery, your mum being your best friend, and having no E numbers in your body.
Being a 99 per cent hands-on mother
The latest news is that MM will be employing the services of Supernanny Connie as recommended by Amal Clooney (also climbing the PW chart). This particular nanny is less a baby minder than a parenting coach, the new PW rule being to distance yourself from those high achieving “Thank God For The Nanny” mummies. Instead, Meghan will be present, and when she is not because she’s off doing something for charity, she’ll be leaning on Doria, her mother.
Expert level yoga
You saw the pictures before the engagement, and even your yoga teacher has been in the deep doldrums ever since. How to compete with that wheel, in white clinging yoga togs? Unbelievable.
Look like a babe in the wood/defenceless faun
This is the new PW requirement. To be fair Gwyneth has had a go – it’s her Daddy’s Girl, frecklefaced, denim shorts on the farm look, which she uses during new cookery book season – but now Cute Conservative is the all-year-round goal. The most important aspect is groomed, lustrous hair, and brunette beats blonde.
Social conscience
I’m not saying the Gwyneth aspirers never had one of these, but the new PW is vocal about her causes and has, at the very least, a talk under her belt or a foundation for refugees of war. It’s part of the deal.
As we said, being perfect just got even harder.
Meghan has raised the bar so high that even Gwyneth is lagging behind