Here's a piece I wrote for my University Newspaper "Varsity" a couple of months ago. Thought it was about time I put it up on here! Enjoy :)
When I typed ‘define feminine’ into Google, the first answer it gave
me was “having qualities or an appearance traditionally associated with
women, especially delicacy and prettiness.” This is absurd. For me,
feminism, and indeed being feminine (with regard to fashion) is about
enjoying what I wear. It’s not about what other people will find most
sexy; it’s about what’s right for me. Forget what is trending or what’s
deemed ‘in’ this season: one designer simply cannot speak on behalf of
all women. It’s this individuality that we need to respect and
celebrate. With this in mind, it is time to acknowledge fashion’s nod to
feminism.
If you’ve been paying any attention to London Fashion Week (or even
to high-street shop windows), you’ll know one thing: the time has come
when heels, in the eyes of fashion royalty such as Chanel and J. JS Lee,
are no longer a woman’s staple shoe. With the rise of ‘normcore’ – that
is, the idea of one’s style being so normal and restrained that it
represents normal gone hard core – it’s no surprise that the way the
fashion world views femininity is evolving.
Even Victoria Beckham, the Queen of Heels herself, has ditched her
five-inch stilettos in favour of the flatform (flat platform shoes). Her
new Autumn/Winter collection boasted more practical, anti-injury
inducing footwear – and thank God for that.Regardless of the fact that wearing heels for at least eight hours
every working day (only to swap them for taller and more spindly ones on
a night out) can cause major long-term foot problems, the heel has also
perpetuated a rigid, one-sided and hyper-sexualised image of what
‘womanhood’ is about.
Don’t get me wrong – I love a good heel, it makes me feel empowered
and sophisticated. However, so does a brightly coloured trainer. And I
shouldn’t feel like any less of a strong, young woman if I’m not wearing
heels. From an early age girls are subjected to the idea that unless
they are teetering around in Cinderella-esque, ultra-dainty shoes, they
aren’t fulfilling their roles as beautiful, ‘proper’ women.But what is a Proper Woman? Twenty years ago, she may have been the
LBD-donning, stiletto-wearing siren, but now,things have changed.
Personally, I feel as womanly as ever wearing my deep blue and magenta
Nike trainers, high-waisted jeans and baggy T-shirt. I feel confident,
feminine and, most importantly, like myself. And that’s exactly what
feminism is about, right? The whole point is not being defined by
someone else’s definition of what being feminine means. And it’s about
time the fashion world stumbled off its high heels and onto a more
humble, all-embracing flatform.
For the original article check out: Varsity
And Varisty has a whole Fashion Section which I will be editing this term. So watch this space for more of the same!
