Tuesday, September 11, 2012

woman child

side

Every so often Jezebel posts an article about how women who wear pink and glitter and mary-jane shoes trying to be children. Maybe you've seen thisarticle in the past couple days? Sound familiar? Oh, yeah, because this. Yawn.

full
hund
cardigan: gap outlet
skirt: thrifted
top: thrifted
tights: hue
flats: old navy
cameo pin: thrifted


The attitudes expressed in these articles really stick in my craw for a number of reasons. Firstly there's the whole "damned if you do, damned if you don't" mentality. Wanna get married and have kids in your early twenties? No! Not okay! Wanna spend your twenties having fun and only being responsible for yourself? Also... not... okay? Is there a sweet spot somewhere in the mid-late twenties where it's okay to start a family? Why is this all about when someone starts a family? Why is getting married and having kids always held up as the Last Milestone of Maturity? What's so great about maturity anyway? Perhaps the author of This One Article has all the answers!

cameo

And I am tired as HELL over the whole thing about how wearing peter-pan collars or anything vaguely school uniform-esque means I'm some fragile little girl trapped in my childhood. If I wanted to be a little girl again, I'd quit my job and move in with my parents and go to bed at 8 o'clock every night with a big glass of milk. Believe it or not (even though I might be wearing knee socks) I really LIKE being an adult. There are a number of reasons why but one stands out above the others: I am taken seriously now. It's true! One of the biggest criticisms about this so-called infantilization of women is that we're not letting ourselves be taken seriously, and in my experience that is straight-up Not True. (Rebecca wrote something similar, better than I ever could.) So what's the problem?

9 comments:

  1. Ugh, I totally agree! My style has always been very "little girl"--pleated skirts, colorful tights and socks, sparkles, cartoony imagery, bows on everything--and I don't even like kids! Haha. I'm used to getting teased about it, but I'm beyond giving 2 fucks. I'm a lady who works multiple jobs, lives independently, and enjoys my child-free life. If and when I chose to get married and soften my attitude about kids, that will be no one's business but my own.

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  2. I think there are ~woman child~ issues out there, but I think those are mainly rooted in women not wanting to grow up and thinking that's an appropriate way to live your life. But being a career woman, functioning/contributing member of society (like mentioned in that piece), whats the harm?

    At the end of the day I always just think about this episode of 30 Rock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEmKN6DT-VE

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  3. I have ALWAYS dressed cute, and little girl or whatever. I'm going to be a kinder teacher. The children love me!! What a joke, they both spoke about it as though these women are unintelligent. It's good to like cute things. Gag, driving me nuts. Thanks for posting :)

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  4. I think I have that EXACT skirt! also thrifted:) fun!

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  5. lovely outfit!kisses from Italy

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  6. I love this outfit and I love what you have to say about that article!

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  7. yes to what you said. and i just want to tell you that i'm a new reader, and i'm head over heels for everything you wear/own. i think the woman child thing, in regards to fashion, is very misguided.

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  8. Wow. That article made my furious. I might have to blog about it myself. I wrote something similar here: http://fashionorfiction.blogspot.com/2012/02/fiction-new-girl-addresses-deschanel.html

    I think you look killer here, and I would wear this outfit any day of the week.

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