Everything Women Do Is A Statement, Whether We Like It Or Not

This morning, I spent 36 minutes redoing my hair. I blew it out, but was unsatisfied with how my excessive use of hair oil made it look a little too flat. I opted for a hair-up day, committing to the over-use of products and running more through my scalp. I used a regular brush, a bristle brush, and a round brush, though I’m honestly unsure of what each of them are actually designed to do. Over half an hour into my brushing and smoothing ritual, I had finally perfected the ideal slick back ponytail. But, would it not match my outfit? Does it look like I’m trying too hard to hide my dirty hair?

Being “Marked”

For my Anthropology class this quarter, I recently read the 1993 essay by linguist Deborah Tannen titled “There Is No Unmarked Woman.” In the piece, Tannen describes sitting in a conference room and analyzing the stylistic choices of the women around her. Starting with hair, she looks at how one woman dons a straight, dark brown style, softened by wavy bands and flippy ends. Another has wild, blonde hair that draws attention as it shifts from side to side during the lecture.

Aside from hair, Tannen explores makeup choices. While some women wear light makeup that mirrors their natural appearances, others paint bright blues on their eyes and reds on their lips to bolden their expressions. Finally, she considers the women’s outfits. Male-tailored suits vs solid colored blouses versus tight-fitting jumpsuits each say different things.

On the other hand, Tannen thinks about the men in attendance. Their narrower range of choices for haircut, face products, and attire remain neutral. 

Tannen applies the linguistic concept of “markedness” to explain her theory. In language, the “unmarked” term is the default. “Actor” is unmarked, while “actress” is marked. People are more willing to trust a “doctor” versus a “doctorette.” One option is assumed while the other requires adaptation. Tannen argues that men are the unmarked gender while women are always inherently marked.

In practice, it means that men are able to live without their choices being interpreted. Women don’t have that luxury. Read the article. It’s super interesting.

A day of Being “Unmarked”

After reading Tannen’s essay, I wanted to test her theory. For one day, I tried to make completely neutral choices. Decisions that no one would read into. Here’s how it went. 

getting dressed

I chose to go for jeans and a white t-shirt in hopes of curating the perfect basic outfit. I sifted through my jeans drawer, realizing that each pair brought something slightly different to the table. My dark wash jeans had a few stylish rips in the knees. Would the tears in the denim give off too much grunge for my shift at work later? My light wash jeans were pretty low-waisted, meaning they would leave a gap of skin before my t-shirt began. Did the cropped look undercut my “I’m not trying” message? I was eleven minutes late to class. 

Hair

Hoping to avoid the time that my usual slick-back required, I left my hair down and unstyled. Natural! But natural, for women, often reads as more “unprofessional” or “didn’t have time to get ready” than carefree. A tried a braid, accepting the time that each criss-crossed added to my lateness, but ended up feeling too childish for my college lecture hall. I left it down and raced out the door. 

Approach to work

I work as the News Director for my college radio station. A job built around avoiding bias and maintaining neutrality. On the docket for my responsibilities today was booking an interview with a professor for an update on a recent global conflict. As I drafted my email inquiry, I caught myself over-examining my approach to the request. First off, my email profile includes a headshot that I had taken for my LinkedIn profile. What was the inclusion of a photo of myself saying to the recipient?

I began the email off with “Dear Professor, So sorry for bothering you during finals week!” Too apologetic. Why am I sorry for doing my job? I held down the backspace. “Dear Professor, I hope this email finds you well.” Not including an exclamation mark hurt my soul. I already feel like he’s mad at me. I opted for the professional format, realizing it took me longer to write the email than the actual interview questions. 

Going Out

In proper Thursday fashion, I traded my jeans for a black mini skirt to go out with my girlfriends. The most unmarked night outfit I could come up with was a black skirt, black bodysuit, and black boots: the Isla Vista uniform. As I walked into my friend’s house for our pregame, I caught myself participating in the usual ritual: scan the room to gauge if my outfit matched the vibe of the other girls. Some wore skinny jeans, tapping into the trend of reliving the early 2000s — a much more stylish choice than mine. A couple opted for sneakers instead of my heels that were sure to leave me limping back home at the end of the night. My guy friends wore typical outfits of jeans and casual t-shirts, somehow looking much more laid back than my day time outfit had ever come across. 

There is no “Default”

In my attempts to survive a day of being unmarked, I had failed to find a neutral version of myself. I don’t think one even exists. 

Tannen must be right. It’s not that women are intentionally calculating decisions that will form people’s opinions. We simply live in a world that reads into each and every choice that women make. 

• anthropology
• college
• fashion
• feminism