The Girly Feminist

I can't count the amount of times I've tried to replicate this very outfit.

A few years ago, my mom gave me this comic strip. It showed a picture of a little girl dressed like a fairy princess, much like the one pictured above. The little fairy princess looks up at her mom and goes "Don't worry Mom, I'm still a feminist. Just a pretty pink one!"

I don't think anything could capture me and my attitudes so perfectly. I absolutely adore being a girl. At 28 years old, pink remains my favorite color; I have the same affinity for things that sparkle as that of a baby bird; I love dresses and new shoes; I frequently change the color of my nails; I drive a Volkwagen Beetle, with a giant fake pink gerbera daisy in its precious dashboard vase; I prefer a rom-com to a football game; I have read Nora Robert's Bride Quartet books more times than would ever be necessary. I'm a girly girl! Proud of it!

However, that doesn't mean that all of my girlfriends are girly girls or that I look down on anyone that isn't super girly or that I'll throw a fit if the group wants to watch March Madness instead of Footloose (although the reasoning may allude me.). I'm down with all variations of girldom and I enjoy it when I get to be exposed to things outside my pink sparkly bubble. That's what I love most about being a girl; there are lots of ways to be one, each as awesome as the next.


Loving all that is considered uber-feminine doesn't mean I'm not a feminist. I am all about sisters doin' it for themselves and I am proud to be a female professional who can rock her job just as effectively as the man next to her. Of course I believe in equality, but I also believe that should mean having the freedom to be exactly who you want to be. I think the true feminist should want a woman to be respected for her awesome brain, no matter if she's wearing a pantsuit (love you Hillary!) or a pink Chanel sheath (OMG, if only.). It should be about whatever makes that woman feel happy and powerful and confident.

For me, that would be this dress, without the belt and if I could ever afford it:

J. Crew's Starlee dress

It's amahzing isn't it? Again, if only. Anyway, my point is, feminism is about celebrating and accepting all types of women as equal to their male counterparts. I don't think someone who chooses ultra-femininity should be criticized for succumbing to our patriarchal society's traditional roles, I think they should be celebrated because they are being who they are, and being fabulous in the process. We don't all have to dress like Diane Keaton in Baby Boom, but if you want to, go girl! Do you!

Seriously. Those shoulder pads.

Feminism is about choice and when given the choice, I'll take pink and sparkly every day of the week.

Images courtesy of: glogster.com, thepreppyprincess.wordpress.com and Wikipedia