For those who never took a women studies class, I'm sure there exists a lot confusion regarding feminism. How does a feminist look like? Are feminists anti-beauty man hating hairy women? Just the other day, I was at UCLA with my best friend and somehow the topic of feminism fell into our conversation. Having never studied third wave feminism, she said "there are some things I really don't agree with such as the mentality that women who want to be a housewife are disloyal to feminist principles." I don't blame her. She's not the only one.

Here at WAHINE, we know that there is no particular look attributed to feminist. We come in all shapes, sizes, styles and appearances. But others, like the friend I mentioned earlier, aren't so savvy on the idea that wearing make up or choosing to be a housewife still makes you a total feminist--you are no betrayer of feminist ideals. Right before Thanksgiving, a group of Cambridge undergraduates posed scantily clad in their student magazine. Their pictures brought immediate critiscism and people made comments that paralled the girls to "bluestockings" and "bimbos." Are these girls reinforcing sexual objectivity and the harmful attitudes women face? The question was answered by Jill Berry, the president of the Girls' association, as she said "Caring about physical appearance and fashion and wanting to feel good about how you look doesn't have to be a betrayal of some feminist ideal. I love new shoes but it doesn't make me shallow. Girls can have fun and be taken seriously at the same time." (View article here)

As for my take on the debate, I believe in a feminine feminist. I own a pink computer. Pink lipgloss. Obsess over fashion and love boys--yet I still consider myself a feminist. The stereotype of feminists being ugly men haters annoys me immensely. Just because I strut around in heels, wear "satin taupe" eyeshadow, & can careless whether or not I make as much dough as my husband doesn't mean I'm brainless. To me, wanting to be feminine is my means of self-confidence. I certainly believe in the "look good, feel good" cliche and I'm sure any woman would agree when they think back upon that day they had that big throbbing red zit on their face.

The meaning of "looking good" is unique to everyone and is defined differently by every individual. For example, if your best friend thinks the new leather jacket you bought looks like a trashbag but you feel gorgeous in it, to me, that's "looking good." I think the underlying problem is that people automatically equate being fashionable as being anti-feminist. Fashion, like sex, isn't about whether or not you participate, it's about WHY you chose to participate. Since the only person who can ascertain a woman's intention is herself, I think it is only fair that she gets the final say on whether she is scantily clad because it makes her feel empowered, or because she wants attention. Similarly, if a woman wants to be a stay at home mom and pick up kids from school, that's totally feminist so long as she chose to do so because that's what she wants.

Glamour isn't the immediate adjective that comes to mind when people think of feminism but in the third wave, things are beginning to change. From the Spice Girls to Sarah Jessica Parker in "Sex and the City," the women's movement is shifting towards a new feminity and I embrace it entirely with open arms. Covered up or totally out there, rock what you love and attach your own meaning to it.