In Defense Of The Girly-Girl 

The first tough girl of my generation who I recall idolizing in her prime was Gwen Stefani, circa 1995. Tragic Kingdom had just been released parallel to the surge of girl power adrenaline, and none of my friends' closets were absent of crop tops, cargo pants, and enough ultra strength hairspray to hold a decent thunder bang. That was still considered to be the more feminine side of the angsty tough girl; over the years the image changed, and it continues to still. 

Whether it's Avril Lavigne in a striped tie smashing a guitar through a car window or Courtney Love screaming into a microphone through sweat soaked hair, we're conditioned to see the tough girl representation as one of rough exterior.

Consequently, we often tend to measure the strength of a woman by how strong she appears physically. We prescribe a specific brand of fashion to the 'tough girl' and that essentially  becomes who she is by our perception. Read: the girl who doesn't wear make up. The girl who wears sneakers. The girl with tattoos and piercings and who prefers hoodies to sun dresses.

This type of girl, by default, is bold and assertive and can stand up to anyone. She gets what she wants and lives by her own rules.

Here's the problem I've encountered with the Tough Girl Myth; it attaches an outfit to a personality that should not be restricted to clothing and, as a result, isolates women who may share the exact same traits but dress differently. 

In other words, girly-girls get bad press.

They wear lip gloss, colour their hair, walk to and from work in heels. They primp. And because of this, they're seen as high maintenance, self-involved, dumb, boring, and weak. Now, of course this is true in some cases. For  both the short skirt lovers and Chuck Taylor fans alike.

Yes, there are some bratty designer-obsessed princesses out there whose days are thrown off course when their caramel latte is prepared incorrectly. Just the same, there are girls in baggy jeans and bulky sweatshirts who cry when their boyfriend doesn't respond to their texts within five minutes. Does image have anything to do with it?

Some recent studies have shown that 'pretty girls' are smarter, and while that concept is debatable on its own, it's important to keep in mind that girls who are more feminine in style are not, by definition, weaker than the ones who are not. An example comes to mind from Ashton Kutcher's reality TV show Punk'd a few years ago, in which celebrity tough girl Avril Lavigne is set up for a prank in a parking garage which involves a car blowing up after she's told to push it away. I remember watching in awe as the loud-mouthed rocker chick who prides herself on her ability to hang with the boys and sustain a stone faced disposition, retreated into a turtle shell with instant panic in a crisis. On the verge of tears, she stood aside and listened with docile compliance as total strangers ordered her around and insulted her intelligence as my inner punk princess punched a mirror in rage over such betrayal.

Meanwhile, for every girl you see in a pair of vans and an air of bravado I can show you two in eyeliner and leggings with striking personality, an appreciation for microwave dinners, and a balled fist ready for anyone who gives them grief.

What you wear is not a testament to your character, it's a decorative homage to it. Tough or girly, casual or fancy, you are what you want to be in whatever capacity you desire. 

What kind of misconceptions come with your image?

Image from MorgueFile

Courtney Gilmour
		About the author:
		Courtney is a published writer, stand-up comic, and shameless Internet enthusiast. She holds a double bachelors degree in English Literature and Communication Media Studies, specializing in semiotic theory, however she doesn't get Shakespeare and has never won a game of Scrabble. Currently she lives in Toronto and works as a writer for WOMAN.CA.
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