However, doesn't our society teach us different? I find it so strange that everything marketed with women in mind seems to have some addition of pink. Looking at the latest line of cell phones, work out wear, diet drinks, etc, you see a wash of pink and often sparkles. The Cupcake Diary did a post on this and mentioned this artist who did some work called The Pink Project. Quiet frankly it's all very frightening and goes back to the extreme gender specific roles we put on people in our society.
All that said, I am wearing an awful lot of pink and girly floral in this outfit, hopefully my caustic attitude will act as a contrast...
Outfit details: cardigan thing- some secondhand shop in Japan, dress- vintage via eBay, belt- secondhand, shoes- H&M (just my basic black ballet flats)
P.S. I really appreciate and feel very honored by everyone who gave me an award. But I think I'm just feeling contrary or something at the moment, so it seems I will be a bit of a thread killer with this one...
68 comments:
i love this post and your thoughts on the subject. i think we are often forced in specific gender roles and sexism is unfortunatelly still an issue. :(
Beautiful pictures
Ahhh I love florals & pink. Especially the flower on your belt!
Ohyeah, there was a tom boy phase that I went though too! I wore oversized t-shirts & all :/
oh, interesting thoughts... a couple of years ago, it was the same with me. i wouldn't have worn pink for anything in the world... not to mention any other girly-girly items. still, i'm not so much into skirts or dresses even now... i did however develop a style which incorporates all sorts of feminine things&colors, and it feels like me. that's what it's important, right? anyway, style is forever changing.
I was definitely not a girly girl when I was growing up. And those middle school years were crazy, I was into the whole punk look but I didn't go to the extremes.
I dislike how pink is marketed as the color for females, but yeah, that's just a thought...
I've always been a mix - never too girl, but never really very tomboy-ish.
Love your dress and the cardigan is cute!
Your dress is so adorable, and I love the shift dress from the post before, its amazing :]
Japan was incredible by the way, totally worth the long plane ride
I LOVE that dress and the photographs are soooo pretty! It's true colour does seem to denote gender still, I know how you feel. Pink as a colour is slowly being broadened in the sense that it is more 'acceptable' for men to wear. But it's true, it will still be a long time for those rather old fashioned views to be eroded.
red is lovely on you, it bring out reddish tones in your hair and is amazing with all the green in the background, again such lovely photos!
Cute outfit, lovely photos, that flower is gorgeous!
I really don't have much to say in the way of color preferences, my color tastes change frequently. Since blue is "for boys", and pink is "for girls", a lot of couples who don't announce the gender of their baby get a lot of yellow things.. Is that another weird anti-gender thing? Idk!
i love your dress! i adore dresses. i have over thirty of them. this one is adorable.
come check our blog out
www.loserswholovefashion.blogspot.com
I love your girly outfit. Fashion is about choices and it's great to be able to choose how you want to world to see you every single day.
lovely dress. I know what you mean, my mother always made me or bought me these uber-feminine dresses when I was little, that I rebelled and went tomboy for a long time. Curiously, I'm rather drawn to the pretty now, but I always feel like I have to cut the sugar by wearing it with something say, black or grey and modern or masculine.
On the gender specific stuff, whenever a friend has a baby, my boyfriend and I buy them presents in gender-neutral colors (green, yellow, etc). It's our way of not contributing to the training.
lovely dress. I know what you mean, my mother always made me or bought me these uber-feminine dresses when I was little, that I rebelled and went tomboy for a long time. Curiously, I'm rather drawn to the pretty now, but I always feel like I have to cut the sugar by wearing it with something say, black or grey and modern or masculine.
On the gender specific stuff, whenever a friend has a baby, my boyfriend and I buy them presents in gender-neutral colors (green, yellow, etc). It's our way of not contributing to the training.
Oh you just look so pretty. That dress reminds me of a dress I had when I was wee. The floral belt is a nice addition.
This like many other feminist issues is a complicated one: do we girls love the color because it's somehow intrinsic to femininity, or is because it's showed down our throats since we're old enough to observe our surroundings. And if so is that the reason why it's viewed as a feminine color?
To thine own self be true, is the answer, I suppose. As per usual. And you do look so very lovely.
Charlie (the hubby) got me the Narwhal vs. it's natural enemies set. The natural enemies being a baby seal a baby penguin and a baby koala! Slanderous!
Oh and whereabouts in WA are you heading? We live (well, will live hopefully soon) on an Island just above Seattle.
My husband & I were talking about this once; how when someone is having a baby, they'll usually begin to buy all pink if it's a girl & all blue if it's a boy. My husband asked me if it's possible for all blue to be bought if you're having a baby girl...
I just think it's funny how society molds the minds of people. I've been trying to voice my opinions on this in my blog, but I've been so tongue-tied. I think this is a hard subject to tackle. But you did it so effortlessly.
I always love coming here & reading your blog. :]
Hi ! Beautiful dress, beautiful colour, beautiful poppy !
Great dress, love the cardigan combo too!
The dress is soo beautiful! You look awesome :).
How interesting. It reminds me of Juno, when Vanessa wants to paint the baby's room yellow until they know its sex, when they can add a "more decisive palette." And Mark's like, "Why does everything think yellow is gender neutral? I don't know any guy with a yellow bedroom."
That dress is gorgeous, especially with the red flower detail on the belt!
Hmm your thoughts on pink prompted me to think about my own relationship with the colour. My mom used to dress me up in it a lot, and when I was about 10 I rebelled against it by declaring my fave colours to be blue or turquoise. I still love blues and greens and I incorporate a touch of either colour into my outfits often, but lately I've "rediscovered" hot pink and I really love it. To me, it's a colour associated with sassiness and cheekiness. It also doesn't hurt that I look good in it. ;)
You're blending in nicely with your environment!
i love the photos and the dress
i definitely went through an anti-pink & all plaid & flannel & doc marten grunge stage once middle school came.
When I was little I wouldn't wear trousers. I loved dresses, I even told my Mum to name my younger brother Dress when he was born.
Luckily she didn't.
I personally wear a fair bit of pink, but I had a decidedly anti-dress stance from about 4 or 5 until high school. When my mom would finally manage to force me into a dress for a wedding or something, I'd always wear shorts underneath.
I think it's strange how colours can be tied to gender, but I don't know if it's something that will ever go away.
The more I read your post, I realized how my childhood was practically identical. My mom is a seamstress and really influenced everything I wore. It was nice to finally be able to discover my personal style and add little flairs to the "typical girly-girl outfit" and it looks as if you have too. I like that the cardigan has a pattern to it and the belt paired with the dress
yes yes. and it falls both ways, too. my boyfriend's son would rather paint pictures and make crafts or write movies than push around a tonka dump truck. he also likes to walk around in the purple suede heels i bought for my etsy shop and has mini fashion photo sessions because he's seen me do it so many times and has become interested in what kind of "style" he has (he's always asking me questions about my "fashion thing"). he's just a kid having fun, and we don't say anything about it though it's outside the realm of what society considers normal boy play. of course all this could also be due to the fact that when he's not with us (no tv at our house) he watches entirely too much disney (or tv, in general) and absorbs everything hannah montana and jonas brothers to the point he often seems to be mimicking them ... which is another societal issue all together.
Hm...something to ponder. Colors are definitely influential, in terms of gender roles and such. I've never seen a baby boy wearing a pink bib. Or, at that stage is color simply used to let you know that the baby, is in fact, a boy or a girl?
Screw that. If I ever have a son, I'm painting his room pink.
You and your blog are magical.
♥ANGST
I guess you grow up and became a real woman!!!
I used to be like you, with rocker larger pants and back t´shirts and sneakers...heheh
a kiss!!
I guess you grow up and became a real woman!!!
I used to be like you, with rocker larger pants and back t´shirts and sneakers...heheh
a kiss!!
I guess the lack of pink in my wardrobe is a kind of opposite reaction to the way pink is commonly associated with girls. I do wear the odd bit of pink, but only in a more "masculine" outfit. e.g. a pink top with a tailored jacket. I'm just a bullish teenager really!
It's interesting to ponder the extent to which these colour preferences are socially enforced and the extent to which they are a product of evolution. For example, scientists have suggested that pink may be associated with women as rosy cheeks would indicate youth and fertility - making them a desirable mate. As a result, women like pink as somewhere deep in our history as a species pink was a status symbol.
Oooh, don't you just love a bit of the ol' nature versus nurture, eh?
That dress is just perfect! and the poppy is such a nice touch (one of my favourite flowers). P.s. there's nothing bad about celebrating your femininity ;)
lovely floral dress!
i used to detest pink, up until there as this really cute paul frank t-shirt I wanted in 7th grade and then the loathe of the color died haha. but yes it is annoying that despite how we're progressive we still only associate the same colors from the 1950s with genders. and now if a kid would like to try something diffrent and not stereotypically male or female, they're instantly labeled as transgendered! which is equally as bad and overly sympathetic, I know a family whose 3 year old son liked to wear his sisters clothes, so they immediatly put him in counseling and changed his name from Nathan to Natalie, no kidding, the kid is only 3! man! kids explore things at all ages and frankly playing with gender ideals shouldn't be controversial or indicative of something, because gender ideals shouldn't exist anymore!
Such a pretty dress and you top the whole floral theme with such a lovely belt, great!
You just dress the way you feel and don't let society dictate your style. Pink has moved a bit over to the male side of fahsion as well, and I like to think that the world is more open-minded. But then I experience days when people give me strange looks for not dressing properly "male", hah, so ridiculous!
Point being: dress the way that makes you happy!
I really liked The Pink Project, and I do totally agree with what you are saying.
I also find it utterly stupid that all washing machine powders and washing up liquid adverts are ONLY aimed at women. I think the only one that I can remember that had a man in it was when his wife called from upstairs saying she had a "favour" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) for him because he had done the washing up.
So we are supposed to do the washing up all the time, but when our husband does it we have to give out sexual favours?!!!
....now I sound like a raving feminist!! oops!
I love your outfit!
I honestly never thought of that.
I don't pay much attention to that sort of thing.
But i have to admit,
i love the idea of unisex clothing,
and grungy things.
At least in the fall.
But in the spring and summer,
pink and florals dont bother me at all.
random, sorry.
lol
Totally. I've always been a very girly girl but I think that it's by default. I'm very tall (and used to be very large) so when I dressed in anything boyish I looked really butch. I still feel like I do. So rather than conforming to a stereotype I guess I was trying to avoid one. The girly thing just stuck!
lovely red cardigan and floral dress.
i understand wat ur saying.
ive taken notice that my wardrobe lacks many feminine pieces like girly dresses and skirts.
i need to stop wearing jeans alot, theyre so plain and everyone has them!
rtf
Nice post. I don't think I've ever been a super girly dresser, but I went through the "pink is the most amazing color!" phase. Nice way to wear pink. I actually have a dark pink cell phone, so I guess the marketing works haha.
You don't have a caustic attitude!
I've never been into pink, in fact I don't own anything pink but I'm still not affraid to embrace the feminine. I think you can be girly without pink, it is scary that we put people into boxes with using colours as labels.
LM
x
Your shoots are always so beautiful. The florals are beautiful. I know what you mean..in Vancouver they came up with pink hockey jerseys! Seriously..it's ridiculous. Thanks for your comments would you like to link exchange?
Seems like I had a similar style journey to you. My childhood was filled with lace, florals, pink, hair clips, white socks and shiny shoes. High school was a cacophany of band shirts, jeans, converse and vintage jackets. Now I'm somewhere in between.
I don't have a problem with traditional gender roles as long as people make their own choices and for the right reasons. What I don't agree with is advertising brainwashing adolescent girls into thinking that they have to be something that they aren't.
I was extremely boyish when I was growing up. I would make my mom buy me boy clothes. haha!
I love this whole outfit, every little thing compliments each other.
i really like femininity, and the dress looks gorgeous!
love the cardigan!
This dress makes a great feminine statement without any pink.
I love it.
I love the poppies. Poppies, by the way, are one of my favorite flowers.
I've never really though of your style as girly before. Quirky and feminine, yes...but you don't look like a girly-girl. I think girly girls are girls who follow trends, dumb themselves down, and act shallow. You're definitely not that.
You know what's funny, I used to be completely obsessed with pink too. Everything I owned had to be pink... now that I think about it, it seems kind of strange. How all girls are obsessed with the color. Hmmmmmm... creepy.
i think im mostly anti-girly and pink pink's.. :):)
u looked wonderful here! :) ilove the belt and the dress..
That is such a wonderful dress, i was the exact same as a little girl and when i was about ten i tryed to avoid girly. now i must admit i am pretty girly but i do sometimes mix in wild things!
i never wear pink anymore! i'm actually trying to incorporate it more into my wardrobe... i dont know what happened!
you are so beautiful! girly is good. i really admire how you carry your style so well and the fact that you're consistent with it <3
you've been tagged with the premio award btw!
The pictures and outfit is beautiful♥
beautiful pictures and words as always.
I love the dress, its a fantastic summer dress. Just looking at it puts me in a good mood! The orange details are lovely and you kind of remind me of a 50s housewife with a modern thouch.
you look so pretty! that dress is stunning! love the flower belt. how do you choose your photo locations? and who takes your photos? I have only just started taking photos of myself... and i kind of find it difficult.. but then it was the first time we took photos for my blog. you should check it out :)
like your post. it is so true, there is so much gender stereotyping around us. its nuts. even certain alcohol brands target some of their advertising at women only (well here in the uk anyways). i guess having your sisters influence you was a major thing when you grew up which is totally understandable. i have always liked pink and all girly things, but i think that is down to the fact that my family has a very strong female background and my sister and cousins are all girly girls.
kx
www.fashionistadiary.co.uk
I love the pictures! You look great and that dress is so pretty!
I'm a bit like you! I loved cute dresses when I was little, then for a while I hated everything girlie, but now I love it again!
Yeah, I noticed how techie stuff just gets pink all over it and what do you know, it's for a girl! I've never been a pink girl at all, not even red really, but I think having little pink things in my selection is nice because it balances out the tomboyness of my outfits and with those pieces it doesn't scream girly, its more of an ironic thing I guess.
Ohhhhhhhhhh beautiful dress !!!
Oh, that dress looks almost like the one from the film Love me if you dare, which btw, is a superamazing french film. Recomend it with all my heart if you haven't seen it yet.
Oh and on the pink subject, I despise everything that is pink, mainly because the girliness it stands for. I am really really allergic to it, once i bought a pink cardigan because it was really beautiful but everytime I put it on I had to take it off again, I just couldn't see myself wear it with pride. It's silly but yeah, i hate how everything is labelled pink just to show it's feminine.
I often buck at things that are ultra feminine, but sometimes putting them on can be an act of subversion in and of themselves, for example, floral combat boots. I've read that pink is supposedly symbolic of the punana, as are heart-shapes (another ultra feminine motif). PS-- at risk of being the ten-thousandth person to give this to you, I have left you an award on my blog! Keep up the great posts!
The flower addition on your belt is absolutely classic. Kudos.
I consider myself a good vintage shopper as I have an good eye for picking out the good from the chaff.
You on the other hand are a vintage Queen.
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