Real Not a "Fun" Feminist
April 29, 2012 at 1:21 PM

Women don't dress for men, Nedahl? Oh silly me, I forgot about all my lesbian friends (the group least likely to want to appeal to men) who dash around in dresses, heels and hose on a daily basis to impress each other. Sigh. At the very least, women dress to *compete* with each other for male attention. Accordingly, male attention is still very much the motivation and there is no doubt that fashion has its genesis in the theory that women are considered objects of male desire and are thus to be judged solely on appearance, otherwise, men would don these crazy get-ups too. Feminism is about choices, Zoe? Okay, let's see.... I choose to accept less pay for equal work. I choose to strip or perform burlesque or become a pole dancer for a living. I choose to take my husband's name when I marry. I choose to parade my toned calves in Louboutins even though my brother is never expected to dress similarly uncomfortably or impractically in his life. These (so called) choices are certainly going to make it easier for me to get along in this patriarchal society but do you see where I'm going here? None of these options further women's advancement toward equality, ergo, "choice" isn't feminism's be all and end all. And slavery to fashion gods certainly isn't either.

Zoe
April 16, 2012 at 11:59 AM

I've only just caught up with these comments and I've got to say, all this black and white, categorical talk has me feeling a bit, err, trapped. Fashion-lovers can't be feminists? Feminists can't love fashion? Pigeon? Meet hole, indeed. I walk around wearing whatever I want: that's feminism to little old me! And I enjoy being able to tailor my 'brand' of feminism to suit, well my 'brand'. Whether it's for men or women, it's always my choice. And that my friends, is the beauty of freedom in the modern age! ZC PS. But a massive part of this for me (and it's more related to this Ashley post) is not criticising the choices (and body-parts) of other people. And as I said, that's something I personally need (and want) to work on, both in my writing and my everyday life.

Lisa
April 15, 2012 at 10:10 PM

Wow, just discovered this conversation. Fashion is about design. 'Men' don't want Louboutin shoes (my husband would say they were a complete waste of money) ...but some women just LOVE good design, and visual playfulness, visual interest. It's more an 'arty' thing at the end of the day. I can see how a university graduate could make a thesis on it, but really fashion is mostly about beauty and visual creativity, not politics.

Bridget
April 12, 2012 at 5:41 PM

It's not so much whether a celebrity has had work done that bugs me - but the fact that they blatantly lie about it, or most of them do! It's my BS radar going off when I hear them say that there's no special reason why they look so amazing, it's all just diet and exercise and oh, Pilates. Yeah, right! You haven't spent shedloads of $$$ on plastic surgery, personal chefs and trainers and expensive cosmetic treatments overseas at all. Oh no. LOL Don't expect me NOT to call BS on that. And the other thing is that when we see some of these women taking their plastic surgery obsessions too far, all the while denying they've ever had anything done, but looking more and more like wax figures everyday - it's a joke! If not horrifying and disturbing... On the other hand, we women do like to keep our beauty secrets. That's as old as time itself. Maybe we should all just respect each other's right to do what we think is best to make ourselves look good. But on the other hand, we shouldn't lie about it so much if asked!

Nedahl
April 12, 2012 at 9:55 AM

Women don't wear high heels for MEN! Women don't dress for men! Most guys I know hate the fashiony way I dress, it's not slutty enough for them! Women dress for themselves and for other women, truth be told. Women who love wearing heels are not doing it because we live in a patriarchal society. It might have started out that way, oh, 300 years ago, but we've moved on since then. Wearing heels is not a signal that you're bowing down to a man unless you make it one. You CAN be a fashionable feminist. I am.

Real Not a "Fun" Feminist
April 11, 2012 at 9:09 PM

Oh dear Nedahl. There is nothing feminist about giving men exactly what they want. Louboutins? A woman in heels is a woman adhering to strict gender rules set by men. Talk to me when men are made to hobble around in those ridiculous chambers of torture masquerading as footwear. And choice you say? When women are forced to accept lifelong subjugation under a patriarchally structured society, there's no such thing.

Alexis
April 11, 2012 at 7:07 PM

Well said Nedahl!

Nedahl
April 11, 2012 at 9:52 AM

Fashion does not advocate an anti-feminist view. You can be a feminist and wear your Louboutins too, it's not an either/or situation. Feminism is about having the freedom to choose to be what we want to be, not being pigeon-holed one way OR the other. There's no point in labeling women who love fashion as anti-feminist - that's misguided. Just because women like to look good does not mean they don't believe in the freedom to choose.

Real Not a "Fun" Feminist
April 10, 2012 at 10:17 PM

Don't make me laugh. This is a fashion blog centred around an entire industry that, at its very core, is anti-feminist. This blog is part of the problem. Fashion focuses on women's appearance and thus is nothing _but_ objectifying. Pot? Meet kettle.

Jac
April 10, 2012 at 3:56 PM

Well done CocoLee for advocating this type of thought in your own blogs on celebrity style, and for being honest enough to say it made you (ZC) rethink the way you report. Changing the toxic rhetoric in the media & in culture regarding the external can totally start with blogs such as this. Thank you.

Nedahl
April 10, 2012 at 1:14 PM

Hear hear!