Itâs no secret that society has certain expectations about the way women are supposed to dress. Heels, makeup, tight dresses, low cut topsâ these items are seemingly created to please men.
Well⊠not necessarily. Women have begun to reclaim certain trends. The clothing and styles they decide to wear have nothing to do with men, or anyone else for that matter. They wear them because they want to, because it makes them feel sexy, comfortable, beautiful, happy or whatever the reason may be.
I love to wear red lipstick. For a while the trend intimidated me; I didnât think I was the kind of person who could pull it off. But then I tried it. Now, I love the way I look in red lipstick. I feel confident and powerful. My boyfriend hates lipstick, and that makes it even better. This is something I wear just for me; no one else.
So Iâve asked some of my fellow bloggers what they wear thatâs just for them. Check it out:
âHeels! Ugh the number of times people have told me they arenât âpracticalâ or âno man pays attention to shoesâ is so frustrating. I love heels. They make me feel taller, more in control. I feel like such a strong and winning woman in them.
Also wearing dresses. Society has begun to tell women they can dress in jeans and shirts and be femininem and while I agree they canâ I feel like a queen when Iâm in skirts or dresses. I want to own that look!â
-Lauren Jane Bellows of Bellows In The Berkshires
âI am that mom who wears make up each day and will often have an âoutfitâ on. I donât get dolled up, but I do spend an extra 15 minutes on myself each morning before I feel swept up in taking care of everyone else. I wasnât always like this though. It took a lot of âpracticeâ and reminding myself that I am allowed to invest in my appearance without it being vain, or showy, or expensive.â
-Shawna Scafe of Simple On Purpose
âI absolutely love skirts and dresses. I like to wear nice clothes and dress feminine because it makes me feel good. I wear them to work almost every day even though itâs not required, and IÂ always dress up for church even though everyone else wears jeans. In the past I felt out of place, but now I own and donât worry about whether I look like everyone else or not.â
-Brittany Putman of Grace Love Life
âI love wearing tea length skirts and dresses because I think theyâre pretty. Some people may judge my girly style, but I can still kick some ass in my pretty dresses. I donât wear them for anyone else. I wear them for myself. One of my favorite quotes is from Zooey Deschanel:  âI want to be a fucking feminist and wear a fucking Peter Pan collar. So fucking what?ââ
-Cassie Lopez of Cassie Wears What
âI absolutely love heels. Maybe itâs because Iâve worn them since high school, maybe itâs just because I love the click-clack sound. They also give me a few extra inches I so desperately need. After breaking both my legs last year, I had to take a break from wearing them which made me sadâŠlike I miss my shoes. Heels are something for meâŠdoesnât matter what other people think (except maybe the doctorâŠsometimes).
I also love wearing skirts/dresses. A lot of the time itâs just way more practical for me. Theyâre cooler, perfect for play, work, or class, and easy to move around and get from building to building (I live in a city so a lot of working). In my mind, I think saying whether or not a woman should or shouldnât wear something because of feminism defeats the purpose of feminism itself. However (within moral guidelines) a woman feels she needs to express herself, or dress, or act is up to her, not the consensus of people deciding what she should wear or do.âÂ
-Brianna Wronko of Living Life As A Young Adult
âI think saying whether or not a woman should or shouldnât wear something because of feminism defeats the purpose of feminism itself.â I like this Brianna Wronko. True, so true. The great thing about our society today is that getting dressed is a form of self-expression in so many ways. Some days I feel like a baseball hat, some days I feel like primping. Some days I feel creative in how I dress, other days I want sheer comfort and simplicity. Mostly I feel good when I make an effort with and for myself, and for each of us, that translates into something different. Feminist movement- check.”
-Carolyn McAfee of CC Mcafee Perspective
âSometimes I wear my hair up, sometimes down, sometimes straight, sometimes curly and other times in braids. I am not my hair, my hair is simply a form of self expression. It is not a form of expression of societal standards. I will not limit myself to what others deem as beautiful because âthatâs how women should lookâ. I do my hair, dress myself and put make up on for myself and not for the pleasure of men who objectify women.â
-Cherice âReesyâ Landers of Glam Hipster Diaries