I got a weird lecture today....

[Sannum]

I was discussing with someone how Women's rights are being trampled on in terms of reproductive rights.

The discussion was going well and then a bombshell dropped from the woman I was speaking with.

I was told - *ahem*

I was told that my feminist views were irrelevent because I wear skirts, dresses and heels. Apparently, I oppress myself by wearing what I want. I was told I dress to impress men. Uh, actually, I wear what I want to because I like it - this is proven by the fact that when I am all alone, I will most likely be wearing a dress and...heels! I own two pairs of pants - I don't wear them because they are fucking uncomfortable...I wear heels because I am short and shopping for them makes me happy.

Yeah, it pissed me off - now the question I should have asked is what the hell do I wear? Do I need a new wardrobe?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Obviously you need a new wardrobe.

Overalls, flannel shirt and hiking boots. Wearing these items, go back to this woman and ask her whether your clothes are now feminist enough.

[Sannum]

2. It was so bizarre...

Seriously, bizarre.

And i am too freaking tired.

People are too catty. I don't give a shit what anyone wears - as long as they are WEARING something!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. All clothes are symbols of masculine hegemony. You should be nekkid.

:eyes:

Some people do have strange notions.

[Sannum]

4. I will try that...

Do you have bail money?

[Chan790]

5. Reminds me of a quip once from a friend of mine.

My friend Dee:

"If I wanted to date unattractive hairy smelly people dressed like lumberjacks, I'd still date men."

[An American in Paris]

14. I like Dee! n/t

[madinmaryland]

6. Whoever told you that needs to shut rush limbaugh off RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!

:wow:

[nolabear]

7. "Don't let men tell you what to do! Let ME tell you what to do!"

People...you can't figure them.

[astral]

8. I heard 'the opposite' lecture years ago by a 'wise old man.'

I had never learned to wear dresses or to like feminine clothing and an awful lot of women from where I am are the same, and of course never grow up and grow out of it and learn to embrace their feminine side at all. It is like you'd feel out of place buying a feminine dress that you know would look really good on you because you'd then look 'out of place.'

So this guy told me, back in the early 80's, that women are dressing like men and bringing out their masculine side, and if you'd dress like a woman you'd feel like a woman, and men surely feel the difference in the kind of energy you put out, and, of course, find you much more attractive.

Women who reject femininity for feminism have their own thing going, and that's okay for them. We all may have days we want to wear grungy jeans and days we want to wear a dress, and it's so cool we have reached an age in history where any way you want to express who you are is pretty much okay now.

But people who have to put you down because you don't dress like them have a problem.

I like to think I can be strong and feminine at the same time. When I feel like it. But I still can't do the really girly-girl feminine thing, but only because I no longer feel it's me. So I wear skirts and dresses now but the real cute sexy looking skirts make me feel too self-conscious, even though they look great, I feel like it's not 'dressing my age,' or something. But then we only live til we die, so why not look nice if we feel like it, damn it! : )

We are becoming more androgynous as males and females, too, which might be allright for alot of us. I mean, the human race was never set up to be stagnant and stay the same, we are evolving.

[freshwest]

9. She sounds like a shallow, petty chauvinist to me! That coming from one who always wore jeans - me.

[kimi]

10. NO, you do not need a new wardrobe

and the moran you were speaking with should know this, and I'm sure that you know this. :)

Women dress the way that makes them feel good. Comments like that always end up with the implied assumption - probably not stated, but eh - that women who dress in a feminine manner are ASKING for male attention (or worse, male dominance, and we women all know what THAT means).

Dresses, skirts, jeans, flannel -- doesn't matter, I consider myself fortunate that I have the choice to make about what I can wear. I feel kinda sorry sometimes that MEN don't have that option - when was the last time you saw a man in public looking comfy wearing a nice cool rayon dress? :( (Not that that would attract ME, but it sorta highlights the disparity between the sexes vis-a-vis fashion choices.)

I'm short too - wear heels when I can. And yes, it IS fun to shop for them. Another thing that most men cannot aspire to.

[Angry Dragon]

12. Kilts ............. Boots with a lot of heel

:hi:

[kimi]

13. Ah, yes . . .

but rayon kilts that flutter in the wind? Mold nicely against the body and are slightly transparent in silhouette?

I hear ya about the boots, though, ya got me there! :hi:

[An American in Paris]

15. I soooo wish I could get away with that in Paris!

But I want the linen, summer version of the kilt! :7

[Ohio Joe]

11. WTF?

What kind of dumbass logic is that? Your views don't matter because of how you dress... I like to wear Hawaiian shirts, I wonder if that idiot thinks my views on the disaster in the gulf are invalid... Gah, the stupid really hurts sometimes.

[dawg]

16. Also, there's nothing wrong with dressing to impress men.

You say you don't, and that's cool too. But I would totally dress to impress women, if only I knew how. And I don't feel like I'm submitting to an oppressive matriarchy because of it.

[RedCloud]

17. Wherever you go, try to wear a smile.

You sound like a great person. That was a weird comment you received.

[AmyDeLune]

18. Heels as fashion were brought about by King Louis XIV...

He was a short man and started wearing high heels to boost his height. Unfortunately for him, it was the court fashion to dress as the King, so all his court started wearing high heels as well...poor guy. :)