1. Feminine fashion is a patriarchal invention, men invented and marketed the modern lipstick, the bikini and more. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy feminine fashion, I do, I just don’t wear anything that causes me inconvenience anymore.

2. If it has to make me feel uncomfortable to look pretty by design, then it was likely designed by someone who views me primarily as an ornament.

I treat feminine fashion as I do romance, marriage and other patriarchal things, I engage very mindfully.

3. This is why bell hooks called Beyoncé a terrorist. Beyoncé looks like she’ll put her body through hell to fit into the aesthetics required of the patriarchal ideal woman... even as iconic and talented as she is.

4. I personally don’t think this is a “choice”
It isn’t a choice if women who don’t fit into this mould can’t make it in the industry. It isn’t a choice if men don’t have to do such yet, they get to “compete” on “her level.” What kind of choice is this?

5. It isn’t owning your sexuality, if 9 out of 10 women will not be allowed success in that industry if they don’t “own their sexuality.”

Dressing nice makes humans feel good. Growing up as girls, many of us have learnt no other way to dress nice outside of feminine fashion,

6. so this thread is not me saying feminine fashion is bad. It isn’t, as a matter of fact, many women have designed and created amazing amazing work in this space, I love fashion.

I just think we have gotten to that tagging everything as “choice” phase,

7. where what we are actually doing is reinforcing patriarchal beauty culture. Even worse is when we frame some of these things as empowering for women, you can enjoy things without feeling the need to tag it empowering, because you “chose” it.

8. To put it in simple words: If *all* of your fashion choices are about how you can look the least “manly” even if it causes you pain... It’s worth investigating.

I’m very open to changing my mind on this with good counter arguments