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What does a feminist look like?
No bra, hairy armpits, banner over her head, on her way to the next march for women’s rights. Could be. Why not.
You noticed, I am embracing a stereotype, very unsubtly. Haha.
But actually it’s not funny at all. First of all, what’s wrong with hairy armpits? Who told women to shave off all their body hair? We are so used to it that we don’t question it. We pass it on from one generation to the next. At least I did, unknowingly. When my daughters reached that age, they didn’t ask me if they should shave or not, they just did. I had silently handed an unwritten rule over to them.
Once I did let my underarm hair grow though, just to try it out, to remember what it feels like. I sort of liked it. After a while I shaved it off again. It made me slightly self concious, I always felt I had to explain.
Going braless is a different story. Bra makes sense to me, it helps to keep everything in place, so the boobs don’t develop their own life when you run or jump and they don’t end up colliding with your belly.
Is it really male domination and a man’s fantasy of a childlike soft and hairless body that makes women grab the razorblade (or laser)? And do you really have to do the exact opposite to prove your independance and equality? You can, sure. I do admire women who provoke to prove a point. Very brave. Vivienne Westwood did it when visiting the Queen. She didn’t wear panties. Or Katherine Hamnett when meeting Margaret Thatcher. No Nukes! Sometimes it’s just necessary.
But you can very well be a feminist without the expected insignia. You can have blond, shiny hair and wear an ecru coloured ruffeled silk blouse (vintage Escada, awesome!), shave your legs and armpits (and whatever parts you like) AND be a fiery feminist. Maybe that’s the next step. The future of feminism. We are not judged by appearance and body hair anymore. We don’t have to prove or provoke. And there is no special ‘female’ category for us anymore in film, art, music. Because everyone is treated equal.
No bra, hairy armpits, banner over her head, on her way to the next march for women’s rights. Could be. Why not.
You noticed, I am embracing a stereotype, very unsubtly. Haha.
But actually it’s not funny at all. First of all, what’s wrong with hairy armpits? Who told women to shave off all their body hair? We are so used to it that we don’t question it. We pass it on from one generation to the next. At least I did, unknowingly. When my daughters reached that age, they didn’t ask me if they should shave or not, they just did. I had silently handed an unwritten rule over to them.
Once I did let my underarm hair grow though, just to try it out, to remember what it feels like. I sort of liked it. After a while I shaved it off again. It made me slightly self concious, I always felt I had to explain.
Going braless is a different story. Bra makes sense to me, it helps to keep everything in place, so the boobs don’t develop their own life when you run or jump and they don’t end up colliding with your belly.
Is it really male domination and a man’s fantasy of a childlike soft and hairless body that makes women grab the razorblade (or laser)? And do you really have to do the exact opposite to prove your independance and equality? You can, sure. I do admire women who provoke to prove a point. Very brave. Vivienne Westwood did it when visiting the Queen. She didn’t wear panties. Or Katherine Hamnett when meeting Margaret Thatcher. No Nukes! Sometimes it’s just necessary.
But you can very well be a feminist without the expected insignia. You can have blond, shiny hair and wear an ecru coloured ruffeled silk blouse (vintage Escada, awesome!), shave your legs and armpits (and whatever parts you like) AND be a fiery feminist. Maybe that’s the next step. The future of feminism. We are not judged by appearance and body hair anymore. We don’t have to prove or provoke. And there is no special ‘female’ category for us anymore in film, art, music. Because everyone is treated equal.
Jovana wears vintage Escada Blazer, silk blouse and pants and shoes by Kavat.
