To be a feminist, do you have to deny and ignore all female stereotypes and feminine characteristics? I identify as a feminist but I also like to dress up, do my hair and wear make-up. Does this make me a hypocritical feminist? Am I going against feminist ideals by wanting to be feminine?
This is a question that may have a lot of different answers based upon the people you talk to. I believe an older generation of feminists would say playing too much into gender stereotypes would be bad and indeed against feminism as a whole. However, I do believe that there exists a lot of feminist of our generation who would say that it is okay to be stereotypically feminine as long as you understand that you are playing into a feminine stereotype. They – and myself – would argue that self-awareness is most important.
Feminists of the 1960’s and 1970’s protested patriarchy by publically burning bras, because they believed they were items of restriction given to them by men. In these burnings they also included girdles and high heels, as well as other items of exploitation. They did not want to wear anything they deemed to be put on them by men. They wanted to be free from the tyranny of men and no longer wanted to be restricted by them. So they rejected feminine dress and become more masculine.
However feminist women now-a-days do not agree with these older beliefs. Women have the right to be feminine if they so choose to be that way. We as the newer generation of feminist do need to realize that certain ideas of beauty and femininity come from a place of restriction and exploitation. This does not mean we cannot take pride in wearing high heels and lipstick, but we do need to recognize where these feminine stereotypes came from in the first place, as their history is very important.
I am a woman who definitely defines myself as both a feminist and feminine. I enjoy dressing up in dresses as well as wearing high heels. I wear make-up every day and prefer not to be seen without it. But I do not think that any of these things make me less of a feminist. I realize that by wearing high heels and make-up I am fitting into a female stereotype, but this can also be an empowering fact. I am taking pride in the way I decide to dress and the way I decide to present myself to the larger society.
In this day and age women need to dress up and look nice otherwise they are not taken seriously. If a man were to show up to a job interview in jeans he would be laughed at immediately. This is no different than a woman wearing a suit skirt with their hair and makeup done. Whether good or not, these are things that are important for women to be taken seriously and must then also be used for our advantage. We can know these things and then present ourselves as smart useful women.
Femininity shouldn’t be looked down at as though it is a bad thing. Women have the right to express their gender identity in any way they see fit, whether that be in a butch way or a feminine way. As feminist women, shouldn’t we have a right to choose our ways of gender expression? I do not think that there is any problem, nor should there be any problem with being both feminine and a feminist.
Feminist Quote of the Week: “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” – Madonna
Photo Credit: Feminie Feminist Shirt