Could You Go a Year Without a Mirror? When Kjerstin Gruys got engaged, the former fashion merchandiser turned sociologist feared she would relapse into an eating disorder. She was fiercely committed to researching her sociology Ph.D. on beauty and inequality, but was overwhelmed by the pressure of having a picturesque wedding. Instead of becoming engulfed in a vanity obsession, she committed to a year without mirrors six months before her wedding date.