Wednesday 28 September 2011

Previously, in the life of me...

GENDER STEREOTYPES - NB this is an old post from an old blog, but thought I would post it here :)


I read an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about the way girls are presented and how they learn that pink is the right colour for girls. It interested me, because it is right that the media very much aims pink to girls and advertisements aimed at girls are usually referencing the fact that they are ‘princesses’. 

It made me think, I really wasn’t the stereotypical girl when I was younger. Mum never dressed me in pink, overly girly clothes because they didn’t suit me. I wasn’t one for playing with dolls. I tried, though. I would buy barbies and stuffed animals and the Animal Hospital play sets, my grandparents even bought me a proper, posh dolls house. I tried to play with them, I honestly did, but I just think I felt it was silly to play with these inanimate objects. The most I did was cut and wash the dolls hair, change their clothes and take their heads off and have a ‘fashion show’ …. I never gave them personalities and such. And I always wondered why the black Barbies had pubic hair but the white ones didn’t….not that I knew what that was, but you know. Of course, I kept buying them though. 

What I liked to do was write stories, paint/draw, read, act and bake. Those aren’t stereotypically girly. In all honesty, they are mostly gender neutral activities that both me and my brother would undertake. I much preferred creative activities, I got bored of the other things. I was very creative as a child, so much so that mum says I didn’t do that well in Year 2 SATS because I focussed on the story as opposed to the grammar or whatever! I also wasn’t one for wearing skirts, I wasn’t girly in that sense, and as soon as I was allowed I would wear trousers to school. Part of it was due to bullying for being fat and such, part of it was because I didn’t like girly things.

Anyway, back to point…it seems odd to me, like the article pointed out, that everything for girls is pink. 60 years ago, pink was a masculine colour that was associated with red! Blue was a girls colour. Not long ago, boys would wear dresses until they were 7. Things have only really changed in the past few decades, and it seems that ‘pink’ is not a natural attraction for girls, but has been forced upon them. The woman who wrote the article said that she always tried to allow her young daughter make decisions and play however she wanted. For her first few years, she played with trains and cars and loved wearing dungarees/overalls. The trigger was a boy in the playground saying “Girls don’t play with trains!” that led to this toddlers lust for all things pink, for Barbie dolls, to be dressed as a princess. People who talk to young girls call them ‘princess’ and always make everything that the girls do about princesses; “Here’s your special princess meal”…”Come and sit in the princess throne” etcetera.

Girls should be allowed to do what they want, play with what they want, dress how they like without feeling pressured to be the same as everyone else. They should be able to feel OK to be different, rather than succumb to gender stereotypes. I mean, as we get older we develop our own personalities and styles and do what we want, but there are some young girls (notably those girls who take part in Beauty Pageants etc) who don’t learn, because they are indoctrinated and forced to believe in an ‘ideal’ for girls and if they don’t act like ‘girls’ then they aren’t treated well. The example of Scout from ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ comes to mind. When I first read the book, for half the time I thought she was a boy because the focus was on her take on the events and because she dressed and acted like a boy. However, she was very much a girl but preferred to be a tomboy. She hated wearing dresses, but was at times forced to because she is a girl and had to act and dress like one. Of course, she didn’t succumb to the stereotype and remained her own person, like her father suggested. Girls like that are hard to come by these days, but they need to know that it is ok to want to play with trains, run around outside, get mucky and so on. It doesn’t make you any less of a girl, in my opinion it makes you stronger and a more rounded person!! 

Friday 23 September 2011

And the rest, they say, is history....

I am sat here, writing from my desk in my university accommodation - my home for the next year. I am listening to Colbie Caillat and feeling strangely romantic/loving and I am just in the mood to snuggle. Odd, huh?

Fresher's week, thus far, has been an all out success. Well...nearly. I am lucky enough to live with the loveliest people that one could ask for as friends/roommates etc. We all get on like a house on fire, like we have been friends for years and it just makes me so happy and glad that I have got to this stage in my life. I have eaten more food this week than I have done all summer, and whilst the concerns over my weight remain, I know that my roomies accept me as I am, in all my paranoid, unconfident, slightly bi-polar self. It's all I could ask for really. Plus I can go to the gym whenever I want, so I plan to go A LOT and get fit and feel attractive for once in my life.

I have done the whole 'getting drunk in Fresher's' thing. Last night, actually, was the worst night because I got so terribly off my face and made a complete fool of myself (some evidence below). I hope that people do not think less of me for this. I don't intend on drinking much for the rest of term, just every so often and only a little. I want to keep my wits about me!

My course seems really good, and whilst I am sad that I am not undertaking a drama aspect, I can join the drama club and all will be well. Generally, though, university is wonderful :)






Thursday 8 September 2011

Holiday Fashions

Ok, so whilst on holiday in a boiling hot country, it is hard to be completely fashion conscious. It is too hot to dress in certain ways and I would often opt for  loose fitting dress or short-shorts. However, I always tried to take care over my appearance if we were going out, and it only backfired once when I chose a gorgeous floaty, short Jack Wills dress on a windy day in Bodrum. Awkward times....

My general bikini choice was a rather beautiful yet skimpy Accessorize number from last year (below)


It cost me about £25 overall due to it being in the sale at the time, perfect. I always feel that one should make a good effort in terms of swimwear (I also had a gorgeous leopard print costume for the fat days) as it is the clothing that exposes your body to the greatest extent. A badly chosen bathing suit on holiday will, no doubt, lead to awkward moments (such as your bottoms falling down whilst entering/leaving the pool, sagging etc) that need to be avoided at all costs! The good thing about a 'string' (or tie up) bikini was that I was able to tighten the top or bottoms if and when I needed to whilst avoiding sagging. Perfect. The men seemed to enjoy my bikini too ;)

My favourite outfit, for holiday and in general, is my Topshop leopard print playsuit (below) which is loose fitting with a cute tie at the centre to emphasise the waist. I wore this on a number of occasions, especially on nights out as the shorts somewhat protected me from the advances of unwanted Turkish men! Although when you are drunk, it is a BITCH to go to the toilet haha.


Finally, thought I would show you this dress as everyone always compliments me on it and I have no idea why they all love it so much! It is a couple years old but I do enjoy wearing it, even if it is too big. It's New Look as well, which makes it even better!


I think that my summer fashion is generally practical, loose fitting, comfortable yet on-trend (mostly). I really miss Turkey, so, so much!