Fashion x Feminism

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Last month I met up with Jess, who runs feminist blog www.mumimafeminist.co.uk, to discuss something not many people think about when it comes to feminism: fashion.

People have a very set image when it comes to feminists, that they are angry, all stompy all the time, and uncaring of their appearance, and Jess agrees. "There is a massive stereotype," she tells me, "but it's not 'wrong', if you are hairy, shouty and a lesbian - because that's obviously the stereotype - then fine. You go do that, you get yours, be yourself. There's nothing wrong with that." However, there are a lot of people who are put off by this stereotype, which means that not only do a lot of girls not want to identify as feminists, but don't want to associate themselves with the movement all together. "It's been turned into something so negative. Like, 'oh, I don't want to be THAT feminist…' when, actually, there's nothing wrong with being that feminist, it's just the media want you to think it's a terrible thing and not be involved, because it's a threat to them."

We begin to talk about how feminism has changed the way she sees herself and how that reflects on the way she dresses. 

"When I was younger, I spent a lot of my time comparing myself to my friends. I've always preferred alternative music - rock music, metal - whereas my friends at school liked the Top 40 and things like that, so they all dressed to reflect it. I've always dressed how I wanted to, but when we went on nights out, I didn't really have my own fashion sense. I sort of did somewhere in the middle with disastrous results, it was horrible!" she laughs, "I didn't have the confidence to be entirely who I was." She recalls how it improved since she started at university, but feminism has made her more confident in what she wants to wear. "Now I'll pick something and be like, 'I like this, and yeah, so-and-so from down the road may not like it, but I don't really care what they think, as long as I look nice.'"

I ask her where some of her favourite places to shop. "This is very stereotypical answer, but I do like Topshop. I don't ever buy loads, but I'll go in there now and then and I'll buy one statement piece that adds to everything else in my wardrobe. ASOS, because they sell an absolute wide range of stuff and I can always find something for me. I get stretchy pencil skirts from H&M and Primark is always amazing for vest tops and little bits and bobs. I also shop in the vintage stores around Sheffield when I can, but they are quite expensive. I like them because I can find nice slouchy pieces and I can team them with other things. So, I shop in loads of different places, depending on my budget."

Jess & I channelling Rosie the Riveter

"I think I've got more body confidence. I do get upset and think I weigh more than I'd like to, and I still have really bad days, but who doesn't? But since becoming a feminist, I have more good days and better good days. Being fat is not, by a long stretch, the worst thing you can be, is it? It's not a negative thing, it's an adjective. I'm getting on with my life - I'm going out, I'm doing the blog, I'm doing my degree, I'm working. And I think, for God's sake, who cares if I have that extra slice of pizza? So I'll dress myself now, not thinking, 'Oh I wanna hide myself,' but instead think, 'Yeah, I am curvy, and I'll wear a crop top if I want to wear a crop top!' That's how I feel, you know? So that's nice, that's empowering."

It seems that feminism has had a very positive effect on how Jess, not only in how she approaches her feminism and other general issues, but how sees herself, and that's great to see. Being confident in ourselves and our bodies is one of the most important things we can achieve, and Jess seems to have it covered. And whereas appearance is not the most important concern in feminism, it is good to see a feminist who takes pride in it, and is not afraid to do so. "We don't want to BE men, we want to express ourselves however we want. We don't want to emulate masculinity, that's not how we want to be. Like, some people do want to be masculine, some people enjoy being androgynous, but I don't. I like wearing girly clothes and lipstick, I also like wearing my boyfriend's clothes and boys clothes. I like doing that. And if anyone said to me, 'Your lipstick makes you less of a feminist,' I'd just be like - get out," she laughs, "because it doesn't at all."

Here are some of Jess' favourite outfits:

"I absolutely LOVE this black ASOS dress because it plays to my curves. The shoes are a new addition - I love them because they're a bit trashy but fantastic at the same time and I like that. I usually wear this out on the town or to special occasions with friends."

"This is an outfit I would have never dared wear a couple of years ago but now I can't get enough of wearing it! Just shows you what a bit of confidence can do. The crop top is another ASOS gem and the shorts are upcycled Levis from a vintage store in Sheffield."

"This t-shirt is my boyfriend's but I'm pretty sure I wear it ten times more than he does these days. We actually swap and share our t-shirts a lot which is quite nice. The shorts are my go-to faves for many an occasion; I had a pair before but they tore across the bum (whoops) which I had to give up and find a suitable replacement. I'd love to wear this at a festival this year so here's hoping we get the nice weather for it!"

"I love wearing these jeans with a black top - it's really simple and easy (which a lot of my wardrobe is all about!) I add a baggy shirt on the days I'm feeling self-conscious about my arms or to give it a little something extra. The top's a H&M basic, the jeans are from Primark a good few years ago and my shirt's another secondhand purchase (men's section of course!)"

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Plastic Surgery: How far is too far?

Pushy & Proud is a reality show on Sky Living where we follow the lives of various families who each take on different parenting extremes, from parents ignoring health warnings and plying their kids with junk food, to mothers who encourage and condone their children to have cosmetic surgery. What I want to focus on in particular is the final episode, Botox Mum, in which we follow Sarah Burge (aka the Half a Million Pound Girl or The Human Barbie) and her family, and why she thinks that it is a good idea to give her seven year old child vouchers for a boob job.

Burge's youngest daughter, Poppy, presenting her voucher

Burge appeared on That Sunday Night Show to explain herself as to her reasoning behind giving a voucher for cosmetic surgery as a birthday present for her seven year old daughter. Burge's intent was for her daughter to cash it when she turns eighteen in order to get implants in her breasts. She defended that, "it's an investment. She doesn't have to spend it on breast implants, she can use it towards her education or whatever else she want to do with it." What I have a problem with this statement, though, is that the voucher clearly states that it is a coupon for PLASTIC SURGERY. Burge can defend it all she wants, acknowledge that it can be used for educational purposes instead, but she is setting it in her daughter's mind it's original message: when you are old enough, you should have implants in your breasts. Never mind that her daughter is only seven, that she hasn't gone through puberty or even started developing breasts yet. If a child grows up hearing one message, they are likely to grow up believing in it. What Burge is doing is not allowing her child to grow up with her own views and opinions on whether or not she actually wants plastic surgery, and instead, making it an inevitability like her own mother and sisters.

It didn't surprise me when I heard that Burge once again spent money on more vouchers for her daughter, only this time for liposuction. She claims that her daughter "asks for plastic surgery all the time. She wants to look good and lipo is one of those procedures that will always come in handy." The way I see it, Burge is setting her youngest daughter up for a lifetime of insecurity about her looks, constantly thinking she is not good enough the way she is, which could lead to conditions such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or even Anorexia. I understand that those are two extremes, but if as a child she is encouraged to modify herself, how is she ever going to be happy with what she sees in the mirror, with Mummy standing behind her telling her what could be improved?

Burge was "thrilled" when she found that her teenage daughter, Hannah, also wanted Botox

Funnily enough, I am not completely against cosmetic surgery. I understand that sometimes when you look in the mirror, you're not always happy with what you see. A lot of our discomfort towards our appearance has to do with how people have reacted towards us in the past. Whether you were teased at school for having ears that stuck out or a large nose, or a simple phrase from a relative such as, "guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses", it always comes from somewhere. I myself have always disliked my nose, as once when I was twelve was told by my mother's friend, "Oh, I used to have a little piggy nose like you when I was younger." Now, I understand that she did not mean it with malicious intent (at least I hope not!), and I know that my nose is far from pig-like, but it's always made me feel insecure about it and wonder whether people think the same as she did. Luckily, I managed to get over it, and though I am still not crazy about my nose, I wouldn't change it for the world, because it makes me who I am. For others though, no amount of positive thinking or counselling will help them with how they feel about the way they look. Sometimes, a little bit of cosmetic surgery to correct a lifelong insecurity will help on the road to a better life.

However, this can be dangerous, as we have seen in cases such as Pete Burns, the Dead Or Alive singer who modified his face beyond recognition, and has even had implants swell and lip fillers explode. I guess there is a thin line to tread on what is acceptable and what is borderline obsessive and extreme. At the end of the day, people can do as they wish with their own bodies, whether you want to nip, tuck, lift or plump... it's all up to you. But what I will never condone is parents encouraging their children on getting plastic surgery, constantly enforcing the message "you are not good enough." Let children be children, and let them decide what they want to do with their own future without any outside influence.