In case you missed the latest internet tomfoolery initiated by our Commander in Chief, the #dresslikeawoman campaign has taken over the social media scene, utterly destroying the patriarchy once again and starting the conversation on just what it means to be a woman.
So how did this all get started? On February 2, Mike Allen (former Politico reporter) wrote for axios.com on the obsessive, attention-detail precision in which President Trump conducted his campaign and his cabinet. The article included innocuous think from particular preferences in ties and suits for men to how the President Elect was all about visual representation. Now while the article didn’t give much information on the dress codes he had for his female employees, it did quote a source who worked on the Trump campaign that it was preferred that they, “…dress like women.” To the general public, this may seem like a rather vague statement, considering it IS the year 2017. However, the article does provide more insight by saying, “…women who worked in Trump’s campaign field offices- folks who spend more time knocking on doors than attending glitzy event- felt pressure to wear dresses to impress Trump.”
So how does a world in 2017 respond to such a vague, and rather archaic, statement such as “dress like women.”? Answer: by sharing the hell out of pictures of women in all fields of work, and dressing like absolute bosses in every work uniform and dress they don.
Now of course, these are only a fraction of the thousands of Tweets circulating the internet of strong and powerful women wearing whatever they please. We praise these women, and look up to them for their strength and their unapologetically feminine power. However, there is still the issue of President Trump and his obsession with the female form. Ladies, this is not the first time that Trump has made, let’s be honest, ignorant comments on women and the way that they present themselves.
- In his 1991 interview with Esquire, President Trump was recorded saying, “It doesn’t matter what (the media) write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.”
- In 2004 President Trump wrote in his book ‘How To Get Rich’, the following statement, “…the early victories by women on ‘The Apprentice’, to a very large extent, based on their sex appeal.”
- On October 28th, 2012, President Trump tweeted,”…@BetteMiddler is an extremely unattractive woman.”
This is simply a fraction of the comments made by the highest executive power. And what we realize is that, unfortunately, this is now an example of how men should view and treat women. The fight for gender equality has been a hard fought war between decent human beings and sexists, and the President elect has time and time again tried to push down the voices of the progressive public and amplify the voices of archaic man, who still contest that true femininity is housed in a skirt and stilettos.
Now, this is not an article saying that wearing skirts doesn’t make you a feminist. I am not saying that wearing your eye liner and heels is supporting this type of viewpoint whatsoever. What I am saying is that being a woman is so much more than what you’re putting on your body. A woman is someone who looks hardship in the eyes and says, ”Is that all you got?” A woman is someone who pounds on every single door, until one opens up for her. A woman is someone who walks into a room and immediately lets everyone know that she means business and nothing will keep her from pursuing her dreams. A woman is someone who holds hands in solidarity with her sisters, because she knows that for one to succeed, we all need to succeed. A woman is someone who dresses empowered in who she is, and speaks with grace and eloquence, and a ferociousness to those who dare question her ability. That is what a woman is! Did you notice that the only mention of dress mattering in this list is only so that she may be empowered? So, what does dressing like a woman look like?
This is it. This is what it means to dress like a woman. To be empowered. To show bravery in the face of hardship. To push through every barrier. To give a voice to those who cannot have one. To create and to love. To be unashamed of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we want to go. To my sisters out there, I encourage you all to fight the power. Fight the patriarchal views of feminine power. This is femininity in its truest form. This is womanhood. This is dressing like a woman.
Photo Credits:
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