Feminist Fashion Manifesto: The Power of Second-Hand Sourced Personal Style – Cassia

Essential Question: How can I explain the importance of personal style in an eco-friendly manner while simultaneously experimenting with my own? 

Gallery Statement:

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.
– Audre Lorde

I have always loved clothes. I like expressing who I am and how I’m feeling by the clothing I choose to wear. I’m also an intersectional feminist. This research project addresses those competing passions. I review the harms associated with the patriarchal, capitalist fashion world including its influences on the environment, human rights violations, and unattainable standards of beauty built from the male gaze. I then give examples of how women have used fashion as a political statement as well as critiqued how the film and television industry sell patriarchal ideals and products to young women which impacts their style and shopping habits. Nonetheless, I still love clothes and always have. After examining the above issues, I’ve come to believe personal style through repurposing clothing is an effective political strategy to combat systematic oppression. Lastly, I also include photos of my personal style with an analysis of the garments I chose.

THE PROBLEMS WITH THE FASHION INDUSTRY

A few months ago my sister ordered a dress from ASOS in the mail. Although when it arrived it was too tiny. Her loss was my gain; she handed over the floral dress. I tried it on and in the moment — it felt perfect; something new for my snapchat story. Plus, it would’ve taken time and effort to mail it back which didn’t seem worth the twelve dollars she’d paid so… I kept it. 

I haven’t worn the dress since. After wearing it for a few hours, a hole appeared in the middle of the stomach and the love I had for it’s freshness faded. Plus, I realized I hated the print. But here’s the thing: that floral dress wasn’t made to last a long time. CNBC explains that “planned obsolescence,” is a business model that fashion companies like ASOS use. 1 Basically, they create products “designed to go out of style quickly, often falling apart after just a few washes.”2 Similar to ASOS, Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Forever 21, Topshop, Urban outfitters, Fashion Nova, Victoria’s Secret, and Hot Topic are all fast fashion brands.3

In 2019 the comedic journalist Hasan Minhaj, did an in depth analysis on fast fashion titled: The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion. “Fast fashion is about making trendy clothes quick, cheap, and disposable” says Minaj. The industry “is popular because it’s democratized high fashion, and they do that by knocking off designer brands at scale.”4 Not only do they copy designer brands, but they also copy celebrities, like Kim Karadashain. 5 This is done by modifying cheaply made garments to resemble (rather than copy) high fashions originality. It creates a“feeling of luxury without paying full price.”6 And, it has destroyed high fashion’s business model. Elizabeth Cline explains in her book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, that “fast fashion retailers have more than twice the average profit margin of their more traditional [high fashion] competitors.”7

The accessibility of cheap fashion allows for a see-it buy-it mentality, resulting in the ability to always have a new outfit. In fact, in 2019 the non-profit organization against the fashion industry, Fashion Revolution, used social media to broadcast their message, posting on Instagram, “this summer, brits are expected to purchase over 50 million summer outfits that will only be worn once.” These outfits are for holidays, festivals, BBQs, and weddings.8  

This wastefulness isn’t just a summer problem; people now shop twenty-four seven. Fast fashion has created 52 seasons a year, constantly spitting out new trends for buyers to crave.9 According to Cline, “Americans buy an average of 64 items of clothing a year, a little more than one piece of clothing per week.” 10 In fact, “more than two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the United Kingdom.” 11 

Extreme shopping results in extreme waste. In his show, Minhaj states that “the average American now throws away 80 lbs of clothes a year.”12 Sadly, “greenspace reports that the average person buys 60% more clothes and keeps them for half as long as they did 15 years ago.” 13

PROBLEM NUMBER ONE: THE ENVIRONMENT

Toxic for The Planet

The fashion industry’s impact on the environment is enormous.  According to Minhaj, “of all the fabric used for clothing, 87% ends up incinerated or in a landfill.”14 The extreme waste of textiles combined with harmful chemicals used to produce these fabrics creates an industry, according to the Berlin Non-For-Profit organization Sustain Your Style, that “is the second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry.”15 Creating garments alone is extremely harmful to the planet; “in 2015, textile production created more greenhouse gases than international flights and maritime shipping combined.”16 While manufacturers are to blame for their wasteful textile production, shoppers are far from pure; in fact, “buying one new white cotton shirt produces the same emissions as driving a car for 35 miles, on average.”17

Sadly, air pollution isn’t the only way the fashion industry is harming our planet. Clothes are often made of toxic chemicals, including oil. Minhaj states “polyester, nylon, spandex use almost 342 million barrels of oil a year”.18 In fact, the majority of garments are made of oil; in 2016, 60% of the garments made were polyester, double the amount in 2000.19 Oil and other toxic chemicals are used during the production of garments (manufacturing, processing, dyeing and finishing) and are often “dumped in rivers near villages.”20 For example, H&M and Zara have both used factories that have poisoned the Citarum River, resulting in Indonesian children being diagnosed with liver problems.21 Furthermore, in 2018, it was reported that “Viscose is the third most commonly used textile fiber in the world.”22 Viscose is incredibly harmful. Textile Today, an online publication that has comprehensive data on the fashion industry, reports that  “33% of the viscose in clothes comes from ancient or threatened forests.” It has been reported that Viscose factories in India, China and Indonesia are also “dumping untreated wastewater in lakes and rivers… destroying subsistence agriculture and exposing local populations to cancer-causing substances.”23

Solutions That Don't Work

There is consensus in the scientific community that climate change is dangerous. According to Vox, on September 20th, 2019, 4 million people worldwide took to the streets on that exact matter.24 While environmentalism is currently popular, companies placate consumers by greenwashing, that is advertising products as better for the environment than they actually are by using terms like green, eco-friendly, ethical, responsibly-made, and sustainable that sound good, however, legally, have no real definition for helping the environment.25 Zara says they make clothes that “‘reduce water consumption in the dying process,” however according to Minahaj the dying step “only uses 1% of all the water used to make those pants.”26 

While donating clothes seems like the perfect option, it’s not. So many people donate clothing that new problems are caused.  “Just one Salvation Army Center in New York creates 18 tons of unwanted clothes every three days.”27 According to Newsweek, “Charities overall sell only 20 percent of the clothing donated to them at their retail outlets.” 28 Meaning, “if donated clothes aren’t sold in a month, most of them end up” in East and West African countries as well as Central America, where they are bought by the ton.29 In addition, according to CBC, critics including Kate Bahen of Charity Intelligence

“say the problem with moving second-hand clothing to the developing world in that it suppresses the struggling textile industries in those countries and dumps our waste into their landfills”30 

Furthermore, sometimes Africans will unknowingly buy unwearable old clothes in which the buyers may burn them (many of which are made of toxic chemicals).31 If they aren’t burned, they just end up in landfills. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states that in 2012, 84 percent of America’s unwanted clothes ended up in landfills or incinerators.32

PROBLEM NUMBER TWO: HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 

According to Hasan Minhaj, “Zara is the biggest retail clothing company in the world.”33 According to Forbes, as of May 6, 2020, Zara’s founder, Amancio Ortega, is the sixth richest man in the world.34 While the owner is incredibly wealthy, his employees aren’t. In fact, Fashion Revolution states that “on average, it takes four days for a major fashion CEO to earn what a female garment worker in Bangladesh earns in her whole lifetime.”35 This is possible because companies actively seek out vulnerable people whose governments do not have labor protections. In fact, “in a survey of leading UK retailers, 77% believed there was a likelihood of modern slavery somewhere in their supply chains.”36 Sadly, “garments are the second highest at-risk product category for modern slavery.”37 While this includes more than just Zara’s factories, this vast difference is inhumane. And if employees do get paid, it’s not enough; “17% of garment workers in Bangladesh cut down their meals during the week before payday because of salary shortfalls.38  This is because “over 90% of workers in the global garment industry have no possibility to negotiate their wages or conditions.”39 In addition to wages, the environments in these factories are dangerous, especially for women; “80% of female garment workers in Bangladesh have experienced some kind of violence or harassment while on the job.”40 (The photo was from Fashion Revolution’s — Fash_Rev –Instagram)

PROBLEM NUMBER THREE: THE MALE GAZE

Garment factory workers aren’t the only ones who experience sexism in the fashion industry. While the fashion industry is supported by women, it is run by men. According to the New York Times, the Fashion Institute of Technology’s 2018 graduating class was eighty-five percent female.41 Although there are more women, the few men will eventually take over more powerful jobs.42 According to Business of Fashion, “women make up more than 70 percent of the total workforce, yet hold less than 25 percent of leadership positions in top fashion companies.”43 This ultimately means women’s “point of view is not reflected in business decisions.”44 Instead, men get to decide what is sexy, appropriate, and fashionable for women– literally the male gaze. 

Not only are the designers mostly male, but so are fashion photographers.45 In 2017, Racked published that 55.2 percent of photographers are men.46 Although 5.2% isn’t a drastic difference, this world, according to Racked, was created for men, as “female photographers say the discrimination they face working in the mostly male profession is, at times, blatant.”47 More than one famous male fashion photographer has also been accused of “sexual misconduct,” stated Flare.48 The opening scenes of a 1998 film about the supermodel Gia Carangi states: “Fashion isn’t art. It’s not even culture. Fashion is advertising. And for every dollar you earn, someone pays the price.”49 In other words, fashion photographers are extremely powerful. They sell not only the model and design, but a lifestyle that is nearly impossible to match.50 The male gaze is not only created in fashion but also distributed through the male photographer’s lens in order to exploit and create insecurities in women so that ultimately, their pocketbooks are emptied.

Feminist History: Political Clothing

Goerge Simmel, a 19th-century German sociologist, said that the clothes we choose to wear help define our individuality while simultaneously showing your tribe.51 Fashion combines our most personal aspects — our body– with our social circles and societies. Given the link between clothing and identity, fashion can be used to protest.

When political and economic changes come, subcultural groups resort to creativity combined with the body to express their point of view. 52 Feminist groups have a history of creatively using their bodies to communicate their views. Women’s bodies are talked about, looked at, and debated, making clothing a powerful tool.

Flapper
During the Roaring Twenties, feminists wore flapper dresses which were, according to the online publication LoveToKnow “straight and loose, with a waistline at the hips and a hem anywhere from the calf to the knee”.53 According to Medium, Flapper style was commonly known as the “little boy look,”  because they ditched their corsets. Interestingly, they rejected the constraining garments in order to comfortably dance to“Devils’ Music”, also known as jazz.54 Flappers loved jazz, as it “promoted individual freedom with improvising.”55 Their hair was also styled as a political statement. Traditionally, long hair was a sign of a “respectable lady,” while wearing makeup was “associated with prostitutes.”56 However, Flappers cut their hair short and wore blush and dark lipstick.57 They redefined modern womanhood.
The Pantsuit

According to Material Magazine, 1920s designer Coco Chanel wore pants and used mens wear as inspiration for her line.58 Nonetheless, pants were far from accepted for women. In 1938, a Los Angeles woman was arrested for wearing pants in a courtroom.59 However, as more women entered the workforce, women wearing pants became more common.  It wasn’t until 1966 when fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent made headlines for designing a woman’s sexy, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing outfit.60 By the 1980s, it became a fashionable staple, as Vice explained “From 1980 to 1987, annual sales of women’s suits rose by almost 6 million units.”61 By making pants fashionable for women, designers validated women in the workforce. Now, politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wear pink pantsuits, suggesting that the “iconic statement for empowerment” is still alive. 62

Mini Skirt

According to the University of Leicester, the miniskirt embodies “the shifting image of a woman from that of a wife and mother to a young, single female confident in her sexuality.”63 This is because miniskirts’ sex appeal gave

women the option to own their sexuality. The garments’ popularity accompanied with access to birth control “paved the way for the ‘sexual revolution’” of the 1960s. 64 In fact, a group of young British women revolted after Dior failed to show mini skirts in their 1966 fashion show.65 The young women held signs saying “mini skirts forever” and proclaimed themselves as the “British Society for the Protection of Mini Skirts.”66

Bra Burning

In 1969, there was a protest against the Miss America Beauty Pageant in New Jersey. Young New York women who were part of Civil Rights and Anti-Vietnam War demonstrations gathered for the first time to protest against the male gaze. One organizer, Robin Morgan, told BBC that “‘we thought the male left were our brothers [but] discovered that was not really the case when we talked about our own rights.’”67 At the protest, women threw symbolic items that were linked to their oppression into a “Freedom Trash Can”.68 One of those items was the bra. The bra was created in 1914, by Mary Phelps Jacob.69 At first, the bra was a feminist creation that gave women more mobility than the traditional corset. However, corsets were not the norm in 1969. By this time, the bra acted as another type of corset, not allowing women’s bodies to move freely. In addition, throwing the bra “was a gesture that made headlines around the world, securing the protesters a place in history.”70  However, the headlines got it wrong: there was no burning.71

Butch Style

 Over the past decades, butch style has become more visible. The queer publication Called Them explains that from Ellen Degeneres’s sitcom and talk show, to characters in Orange Is the New Black, to 2015’s Broadway show, Fun Home, butch style has been portrayed in the media.72 In fact, the word and style has a long history. According to the New York Times, “by the early 1940s, the word was used as a pejorative to describe ‘aggressive’ or ‘macho’ women, but lesbians reclaimed it almost immediately, using it with pride at 1950s-era bars.”73 While tomboy style was an aesthetic based on wearing mens clothes, American philosopher Judith Butler explains butch style “as female masculinity, subvert[ing] the notion that masculinity is the natural and exclusive purview of the male body.”74 Butch lesbians often cut their hair short.75 One possible butch outfit includes “denim and white tees, leather jackets and work boots, wallet chains and gold necklaces.”76 That being said, butchness “embodies a certain swagger, a 1950s-inspired ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ confidence” 77. This style, as the groundbreaking 2020 photo and video essay for The New Times says, is “defiant repudiation of the male gaze,” protesting “the confines of a sexualized and commodified femininity.”78  According to Bustle, the androgynous look, which is interpreted differently for every butch women and non-binary folk, allows for marginalized woman to seek “affirmation, self-confidence, and community.”79

Hoop Earings

In March of 2017, three students at Pitzer College spoke against cultural appropriation.80 According to the online publication LatinasRebel, Alegria Martinez, Jacquelyn Aguilera and Estefania Gallo-Gonzalez wrote on the campus free speech wall, “White Girls, take OFF your hoops.”81 This act of protest “was not meant to police white women but serve as a form of education” on where hoop earrings originated: working class Latinx and black communities of the 1980s and 90s.82 Michelle Mardones, a LREI senior (soon to be a freshman at Barnard) explains that wearing hoop earrings, for her, as a Latina, has been “incredibly liberating and powerful.” Likewise, reporter Frances Solá-Santiago explains that her hoop earrings were a symbol of Latinx heritage and “unapologetic femininity.”83 Interestingly, as Latin music becomes more popular globally, so do hoop earrings.84 That being said, Latina.com proclaims that “just about every bamboo earring-wearing Latina has heard: ‘the bigger the hoop, the bigger the hoe.’”85 This reflects how hoop earrings are stigmatized when black and brown women wear them, yet when “white upper-class elite women are able to appropriate fashion created by marginalized groups with no consequences to their well-being, social acceptance, and academic success.”86 This stigma associated with Black and Brown Women is why it was a revolutionary act of protest when US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D), a Bronx-Born Puerto Rican, wore hoop earrings when she was sworn into congress.87 She later tweeted, “next time someone tells Bronx girls to take off their hoops, they can just say they’re dressing like a Congresswoman.”88

The Media’s Brainwashing of Young Women

Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Individuality as a Commodity

More recently, the media has created the new gender ideal of hyper-individuality.  This new ideal has been around for a long time, but current teen romance movies and novels now also influence teen spending. It benefits fast fashion companies because it encourages the need for constant shopping which leads to increased profits. While this ideal seems to promote individuality, it actually reinforces misogynistic norms and commodifies individuality as something that requires the purchase of new clothing. 

In 2007, Nathan Rabin referred to this trope as the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG).89 The characters Rabin grouped under this category differ in many ways, but they all embody the “I’m not like other girls” prototype. 90 Unlike blatantly sexist tropes, such as the “prom queen,” the MPDG seems to promote women’s individuality. Instead, it “creates female characters who appear empowered, but continue to operate within the socially acceptable limits of femininity.”91 Typically, these women are conventionally attractive, young, and white. Some examples are Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Margo Roth Spiegelman in Papertowns by John Green and Sam in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.92 Interestingly, these books are required novels for many middle and high school students.

In middle school, I was required to read Jerry Spinelli’s New York Times best seller, Stargirl, which was later turned into a Disney movie. In the teen Romance, the new girl, named Stargirl, is unlike everyone else at school because, for example, she “wears colorful oddball clothes.”93 Leo, the protagonist, falls in love with Stargirl because she is unique. While the story may seem like it’s about an empowered girl who rejects social norms, we actually know little about her or her perspective. In an Harvard Crimson op-ed, this unformed character is problematic, as “she is never meant to be understood as a fully dimensional human being.”94 

 This trope instills the idea that a girl has to be different than other women in order to be liked, ultimately creating internalized misogyny.95 Alessia Hu, a senior at NYC Lab High School for Collaborative Studies clearly points out the power of this trope in this text message: 

Some negative thoughts that came out of believing in the Manic Pixie dream girl were that I had to be different from other girls in order for guys to like me, but I also couldn’t be too different because then they’d think I was weird or odd. I’d have to be unique in a way that guys found attractive. My biggest goal in life was to find a guy. I did everything so that guys would like me. I dressed for guys, I exercised for guys, I acted like someone I wasn’t, for guys.96

Hu touches on feelings that many Generation Z women have confessed. The Stanford Daily explains many Gen Zers fear being called “basic,” as it’s a way to put down young, usually white, women for being “unoriginal trend-followers.” 97 Basic girls are shamed for “wearing, consuming, or even just liking perfectly nice things that lots of other people like.”98 As a result, these women feel the need to visually “differentiate themselves from other women in order to gain approval from the (male) world at large.”99 

This helps explain why, according to the online trend database WGSN, “uniqueness is a priority for Gen Z.”100 In fact, according to the PRNewswire survey, Gen Zers are “7.2% more likely than previous generations to say that having a unique style is ‘very important’ to them.”101 Essentially, being unique is a new form of conformity. 

GenZers take their desire for being unique online. Driven by the pressure to cultivate a compelling virtual persona, the ideal of female nonconformity fuels the constant need for new looks. The pressure is not only about standing out from other people, but constantly reinventing oneself through clothing in order to stay relevant and interesting. In a New York Times article on teen shopping habits, teenager Mia Grantham, describes the logic behind this,“People might think I didn’t have style if I wore the same thing over and over.”102 Rather than rewearing outfits one loves, according to Refinery29, “there’s an unwritten rule of not being seen in the same dress over and over again, especially once it’s been immortalized online.”103 This rule creates a constant demand for the new, inexpensive clothing sold exclusively by fast fashion companies: “With the staggeringly low cost of items from certain outlets, it’s increasingly viable to purchase a new outfit for every event, should you desire.”104 Ultimately, fast fashion profits from internalized misogyny that was instilled into young girls by the media (which is often supported by schools).

Personal Style As Resistance

One way to satisfy the desire for individuality while not participating in fast fashion is by creating personal style by repurposing clothes. In a world where fashion decisions are made mostly by male CEOs, designers, and photographers, it is a women’s act of defiance to decide what is displayed on her body. Personal style provokes confidence, self expression, and personal healing. It’s not about looking good or standing out. It’s about the emotion you feel when you put on clothes that just, simply, work. By buying used clothes you like, you not only defy labels and disregard conformity, but you are also more likely to keep items for longer and decrease capitalist waste. In fact, repurposing old clothes is not only  sustainable, it also uplifts  a woman controlled industry. Although the fashion industry is run by men, the rising sustainable fashion movement is run by women. 105 Further, mending and sewing has been women’s work that has been looked down upon for centuries, however, actually can help save the planet.

Strategic style for the planet

While fast fashion harms the planet, personal style can save it. As Hasan Minaj says, “this is an issue where you can make a big difference”. 106 Instead of buying clothes that are cheap and trendy, buy them because you actually like the garment, extending its time in your wardrobe. According to BBC, “In the UK, continuing to actively wear a garment for just nine months longer could diminish its environmental impacts by 20–30%”.107 If half of UK clothing was extended by the same time period, it would save “8% carbon, 10% water, 4% waste per metric ton of clothing, according to the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production’s (WRAP) ‘Valuing Our Clothes’ report.”108 Minaj goes on to say that “if everyone bought one used item this year, instead of new, it could save nearly six pounds of CO2 emissions — That’s equivalent to removing half a million cars off the road for a year.”109 In other words, by thrifting rather than buying new clothes, we detach from the fashion industry. Not to mention, it’s fun and accessible — and they never run out of options! 

Personal style can also be found in your closet. Fashion Revolution stated on instagram,“the most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe”.110 Further, old garments can be transformed into new ones through mending and sewing–meaning, shopping isn’t the only way to get a new garment. Ultimately, we should just buy less, and when we do buy, we should be strategic. (Click on photos below to see GIF)

Creativity and Self-Expression

According to Smart Recovery, “if the creative energy in our mind sits untouched, it can turn on itself and we feel all sorts of anxiety and restlessness. To maintain our emotional well-being, we need to exercise our creativity.”111 Style is a creative outlet. It uses color, texture, design, and text to create an overall look. According to Observer, “Fashion is a manifestation of human art and communication. It helps us artistically communicate who we are, who we want to be, where we are going, and where we have been.”112 

The act of putting an outfit together, utilizing one’s style, taps into the healing components of creativity and art. Elizabeth Land, an art therapist, knows that art can heal people. She explains that art can be used to help people relax and open up. The creative process can be used to “reframe one’s identity” as it “redefines how you see yourself.”113 Iris Apfel, a personal style icon, says “great personal style is an extreme curiosity about yourself.”114 As Land 

says, any creative act “becomes less about what others say about you and more about your own story”115. Alessia Hu, a senior at Lab NYC agrees. She says she uses “style in order to help express myself and I don’t care what others think because it’s for myself. [I see my body] as my canvas rather than someone who lives for others.”116

Confidence

Not only can your style tap into the healing powers of art, but what we wear affects our sense of self. Our culture dictates impossible beauty standards for women resulting in women criticizing themselves even when there isn’t anything to criticize. It’s hard to feel confident when bombarded with constant ads. Neuroscientist Stacie Grossman Bloom (and an executive leader at NYU Lagone Health) believes “instilling confidence is one important key to fostering female leadership and advancing women’s rights.”117

 Harvard Business School found that focusing on how you feel in clothes rather than appearance instills confidence.118 This starts with rejecting the standard beauty size, and practicing self love. Eighteen year old Alessia Hu explains that obsessing over trying to be a “certain size” stopped her from having personal style. Rather, she tried to copy others’ styles in order to fit in. However, Lillian Fallon confesses in her article “I Stopped Obsessing Over Wearing Flattering Clothes and Discovered Self-Confidence: How one pair of unflattering pants changed my approach to dressing” that she felt true contentment a when she stops over analyzing how she looks, and simply puts on an outfit that feels good.119 That being said, this shift in thinking doesn’t happen overnight. Feeling comfortable in one’s own skin is a process of self acceptance and self expression. According to The Muse, one can build confidence by simply putting on their favorite accessory, stating it could “make all the difference.”120

My Personal Style

Dress to please yourself. Listen to your inner muse and take a chance.
Wear something that says ‘Here I am!’ today. 
– Iris Apfel 

The following are four outfits that represent my current personal style. This is specific to this time in my life as a 17-year-old woman about to graduate high school in New York City. Before this project, I had not worn any of these outfits. I used things found in my closet, mixing staple items with garments that haven’t seen the light of day in years. Each outfit has a unique name, as each creation was an artistic endeavor.

Retro Red

This outfit has retro vibes, although I am unsure which decade it would be considered from. I made the comfy red top! I upcycled basketball shorts by cutting the crotch area for the head and then hand sewing for hours. I feel this top works well with the thrifted skirt, bought at the 2019 Unifier Festival in 2019 (Quite the experience, my mom took  my sister and I). The kneehigh socks are from Urban Outfitters, which I’ve worn countless times. The sock/boot combo makes me feel powerful, which combined with the classy skirt-top “set,” creates a perfect vibe to be comfortably worn at any occasion.

Strong&Girly

This outfit plays with gender norms. Wearing ties as necklaces feels like smashing the patriarchy. I paired thrifted men’s shorts with a ribbon-belt my Mom gave me. In addition, this shirt is from a fast fashion store. I initially didn’t like it and intended to mail it back, but never did. I no longer shop at this store because they steal from small businesses.121 However, that doesn’t mean I can’t wear the garments I already purchased. Lastly, these are my everyday boots. They are my favorite shoes of all time. Ultimately, this outfit makes me feel strong while still staying true to my girly side.

Magical Violet

While this outfit is a tad uncomfortable, I’m still including it. . Personally, I am okay feeling a tad uncomfortable as long as the outfit makes me feel like, as my friend says, a “bad bitch.” The skirt was bought on a trip to Israel when I was ten. It now fits as a miniskirt (I declare myself an honorary member of the “British Society for the Protection of Mini Skirts”). In addition, I made the shirt by cutting the crotch out of an old pair of denim jeggings — turning it into an off the shoulder crop top. Although it isn’t the most convenient outfit, I would wear it on a night out.

Blue Revival

The shirt is a tankini (yes, a swimsuit) from my childhood. The shorts were a gift my mom got me in middle school that still fit. The jacket was thrifted at a NYC curated vintage store that I went to with my brother before he left for college. The shoes were bought for my bat mitzvah, and the socks were from the Strand Bookstore..Each item encapsulates my New York City childhood. When I wear this outfit, I feel like myself. I feel proud.

Works Cited

Alessia Hu, Interviewed by the author: Cassia Soodak, Text Message April 25, 2020, 6:28 P.M.

 

Chantalou, Candice. “A Brief History Of The Hoop And It’s Complex Implications.” NBGA MAG – No Basic Girls Allowed, May 1, 2019. https://nobasicgirlsallowed.com/a-brief-history-of-the-hoop-and-its-complex-implications/.

 

“Self-Expression and Creativity: Managing Feelings.” SMART Recovery, January 23, 2018. https://www.smartrecovery.org/self-expression-and-creativity-managing-feelings/.

 

“100 Women: The Truth behind the ‘Bra-Burning’ Feminists.” BBC News. BBC, September 7, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45303069.

 

“A QUICK RUN-THROUGH OF THE PANTSUIT HISTORY.” Material Magazine, April 26, 2017. http://material-magazine.com/pantsuit-history/.

 

“Amancio Ortega.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Accessed May 6, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/profile/amancio-ortega/#1d762d32116c. 

 

Barclay, Eliza, and Brian Resnick. “How Big Was the Global Climate Strike? 4 Million People, Activists Estimate.” Vox. Vox, September 20, 2019. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/9/20/20876143/climate-strike-2019-september-20-crowd-estimateYouth.

 

Berges, Georges. “In Defense of Fashion as a True Art Form.” Observer. Observer, June 20, 2017. https://observer.com/2017/06/fashion-true-art-form/. 

 

BOF TEAM. “The BoF Podcast: Women Are at the Forefront of the Sustainable Fashion Revolution.” The Business of Fashion, January 17, 2020. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/podcasts/the-bof-podcast-women-are-at-the-forefront-of-the-sustainable-fashion-revolution.

 

Bédat, Maxine. “Fast Fashion Has a Dirty Little Secret.” CNBC. CNBC, July 3, 2015. https://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/03/fast-fashions-dirty-secret-and-a-solution-made-in-america-commentary.html. 

 

“China Viscose Sector Sets a Three-Year Plan on Cleaning up Viscose Production.” Textile News, Apparel News, RMG News, Fashion Trends, September 2, 2018. https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/china-viscose-sector-sets-three-year-plan-cleaning-viscose-production/.

 

Christian, Kayti. “Rewriting The Narratives: How Women Can Reclaim Body Autonomy.” The Good Trade. The Good Trade, March 8, 2019. https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/reclaiming-body-autonomy-for-women. Cline, Elizabeth L. Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 20132012. Print. 

 

Contributor, Guest. “A Message From the Latinas Who Made the ‘White Girl, Take OFF Your Hoops’ Mural.” Latino Rebels, March 15, 2017. https://www.latinorebels.com/2017/03/14/a-message-from-the-latinas-who-made-the-white-girl-take-off-your-hoops-mural/.

 

Cook, Grace. “Why Hoop Earrings Are Powerful, Provocative and Political.” Financial Times. Financial Times, August 8, 2018. https://www.ft.com/content/ce3b2e14-8904-11e8-affd-da9960227309. 

 

Cruz, Caitlin, Mary Emily O’Hara, and Sarah Fonseca. “The REAL Meaning of the Word ‘Butch.’” them., August 21, 2018. https://www.them.us/story/inqueery-butch.

 

“Does Dolls Kill Steal Designs? (Dolls Kill Controversies).” Toreador, March 6, 2020. http://blackwhitevanity.com/model/does-dolls-kill-steal-designs/. 

 

Dr. Gunby , Clare. “The Short Skirt: a Symbol of Victim Blaming Culture?” University of Leicester, March 26, 2014. https://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/social-worlds/all-articles/criminology/short-skirt.

 

Elizabeth Land, Interviewed by the author: Cassia Soodak, Text Message, May 5, 2020, 1:15 P.M.  “Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry.” SustainYourStyle. Accessed May 25, 2020. https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/old-environmental-impacts.  

 

Euse, Erica. “The Revolutionary History of the Pantsuit.” Vice, March 21, 2016. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wd7vey/the-history-of-the-pantsuit-456.

 

Fallon, Lillian. “I Stopped Obsessing Over Wearing Flattering Clothes and Discovered Self-Confidence.” Verily, October 19, 2017. https://verilymag.com/2017/10/confidence-self-esteem-building-confidence-flattering-clothes-why-i-stopped-obsessing-over-wearing-flattering-clothes. 

 

Friedman, Vanessa. “Fashion’s Woman Problem.” The New York Times. The New York Times, May 20, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/fashion/glass-runway-no-female-ceos.html.

 

Hale, James. “5 Queer Millennials On Embracing Butch Fashion.” Bustle. Bustle, June 25, 2017. https://www.bustle.com/p/5-queer-millennials-on-how-embracing-butch-fashion-changed-their-lives-65263. 

 

“How Can Fashion Develop More Women Leaders?” The Business of Fashion, May 3, 2015. https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/voices/discussions/how-can-fashion-develop-more-women-leaders.

 

“Iris Apfel Quotes.” BrainyQuote. Xplore. Accessed May 26, 2020. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/iris_apfel_723289. 

 

Jay, Paul. “Here’s Where Your Donated Clothing Really Ends up | CBC News.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, May 29, 2018. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/donated-clothing-where-it-ends-up-1.4662023.

 

Kalish, Alyse. “A Scientific Reason Why Dressing for Success Works.” The Muse. The Muse, May 12, 2020. https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-scientific-reason-why-dressing-for-success-works-with-a-twist-of-course.

Paton, Elizabeth, Taylor Lorenz, and Isabella Kwai. “What Do Gen Z Shoppers Want? A Cute, Cheap Outfit That Looks Great on Instagram.” The New York Times. The New York Times, December 17, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/style/fast-fashion-gen-z.html.

 

Milton, Carolyn Centeno. “Your Brain On Confidence.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, May 4, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolyncenteno/2018/04/18/your-brain-on-confidence/#2b9cf95560cb.

 

Milton, Carolyn Centeno. “Your Brain On Confidence.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, May 4, 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolyncenteno/2018/04/18/your-brain-on-confidence/#2b9cf95560cb. 

 

Nazir, Farhana. “‘Fashion Isn’t Art. It’s Not Even Culture. Fashion Is Advertising. And for Every Dollar You Earn, Someone Pays the Price….’” my fashion life , November 18, 2013. https://www.myfashionlife.com/archives/2013/11/18/fashion-isnt-art-its-not-even-culture-fashion-is-advertising-and-for-every-dollar-you-earn-someone-pays-the-price/.

 

Nieves, Bianca. “This Trend Has Been Around Since 2500 BC.” REFINERY29, August 24, 2017. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/08/169562/hoop-earrings-trend-history. 

 

Nittle, Nadra. “Sexism Is Rampant for Female Fashion Photographers.” Racked. Racked, November 30, 2017. https://www.racked.com/2017/11/30/16720374/photography-sexism-fashion.

 

Oram, Sonny. “Tomboy Style Vs. Butch Style .” Qwear: Queer Fashion Platform, June 21, 2013. https://www.qwearfashion.com/home/tomboy-style-vs-butch-style. 

 

Petrarca, Emilia. “Miniskirts Forever: How One Piece of Clothing Came to Symbolize Women’.” W Magazine, July 7, 2017. https://www.wmagazine.com/story/miniskirts-womens-liberation-trend/?itm_source=parsely-api.

 

Reichard, Raquel. “This Ode to Latinas Who Rock Big Hoop Earrings Will Give You All the Feels.” LATINA, November 4, 2016. http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/our-issues/ode-latinas-rock-big-hoop-earrings. 

 

Ro, Christin. “Can Fashion Ever Be Sustainable?” BBC Future. BBC, March 11, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200310-sustainable-fashion-how-to-buy-clothes-good-for-the-climate.

 

Rodriguez, Alyssa. “She Contains Multitudes: Debunking the Myth of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl in Paper Towns (2017 Undergraduate Walden Award Winner).” Response The Journal of Popular and American Culture, June 2018. https://responsejournal.net/issue/2018-06/feature/she-contains-multitudes-debunking-myth-manic-pixie-dream-girl-paper-towns-2017. 

 

Segran, Elizabeth. “The Outrageous, Deeply Sexist History of the Pantsuit.” Fast Company. Fast Company, October 15, 2019. https://www.fastcompany.com/90393935/the-outrageous-deeply-sexist-history-of-the-pantsuit.

 

Shopping, Ranker. “The Best Fast Fashion Brands.” Ranker, January 30, 2020. https://www.ranker.com/list/best-fast-fashion-brands/ranker-shopping. 

 

Singh, Katherine. “The Fashion Industry Has a Creepy Photographer Problem.” Flare, July 25, 2019. https://www.flare.com/fashion/kim-kardashian-photographer-marcus-hyde/.

 

“Sociology of Fashion.” sociologyguide.com. Accessed May 7, 2020. https://www.sociologyguide.com/sociology_of_fashion/index.php. 

 

Solá-Santiago, Frances. “What Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Hoop Earrings Mean to Latina Women Like Me.” Glamour. Glamour, January 11, 2019. https://www.glamour.com/story/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-hoop-earrings.

 

Stampler, Laura. “Bra History: The 100-Year Anniversary of the Modern Brassiere.” Time. Time, November 3, 2014. https://time.com/3553997/modern-bra-history-1914/. 

 

Stratford, Sarah Jane. “Flapper Dresses.” LoveToKnow. LoveToKnow Corp. Accessed May 25, 2020. https://womens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/Flapper_Dresses.

 

Sulaiman, Allysia. “The History of Flapper Fashion.” Medium. Medium, April 16, 2017. https://medium.com/@allysia98/the-history-of-flapper-fashion-d69e5e9b56d8. 

 

“The Butches and Studs Who’ve Defied the Male Gaze and Redefined Culture.” The New York Times. The New York Times, April 13, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/13/t-magazine/butch-stud-lesbian.html?auth=login-google.

 

“The Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Opinion: The Harvard Crimson.” The Harvard Crimson, October 12, 2017. https://www.thecrimson.com/column/femme-fatale/article/2017/10/12/hu-pixie-dream-girl/. 

 

Wicker, Alden. “Fast Fashion Is Creating an Environmental Crisis.” Newsweek, January 9, 2016. https://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/09/old-clothes-fashion-waste-crisis-494824.html. 

 
  1. 1. Maxine Bédat, “Fast Fashion Has a Dirty Little Secret,” CNBC (CNBC, July 3, 2015), https://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/03/fast-fashions-dirty-secret-and-a-solution-made-in-america-commentary.html) ↩
  2. 2. ibid ↩
  3. 3. Ranker Shopping, “The Best Fast Fashion Brands,” Ranker, January 30, 2020, https://www.ranker.com/list/best-fast-fashion-brands/ranker-shopping) ↩
  4. 4. The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion, Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293) ↩
  5. 5. ibid ↩
  6. 6. ibid ↩
  7. 7. Cline, Elizabeth L. Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 20132012. Print. ↩
  8. 8. Fash_Rev, Instagram, July 11, 2019, https://www.instagram.com/p/BzxRtF4BaMl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) ↩
  9. 9. The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  10. 10.  Cline, Elizabeth L. Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion.New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 20132012. Page 5. ↩
  11. 11. Fash_Rev, Instagram, November 12, 2019, https://www.instagram.com/p/B4w-ZPThAwW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) ↩
  12. 12.  The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  13. 13. Fash_Rev, Instagram, October 3, 2018, https://www.instagram.com/p/BoeBbRhhNy-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) ↩
  14. 14.  The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  15. 15. “Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry,” SustainYourStyle, accessed May 25, 2020, https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/old-environmental-impacts) ↩
  16. 16. The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  17. 17. Fash_Rev, Instagram, September 11, 2019, https://www.instagram.com/p/B2RiW4OB8an/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) ↩
  18. 18.  The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  19. 19. Fash_Rev, Instagram, April 22, 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/B_SD1wYJ9tQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) ↩
  20. 20.  The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  21. 21. Ibid ↩
  22. 22. “China Viscose Sector Sets a Three-Year Plan on Cleaning up Viscose Production,” Textile News, Apparel News, RMG News, Fashion Trends, September 2, 2018, https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/china-viscose-sector-sets-three-year-plan-cleaning-viscose-production/) ↩
  23. 23. Ibid ↩
  24. 24. Eliza Barclay and Brian Resnick, “How Big Was the Global Climate Strike? 4 Million People, Activists Estimate.,” Vox (Vox, September 20, 2019), https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/9/20/20876143/climate-strike-2019-september-20-crowd-estimateYouth) ↩
  25. 25. The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  26. 26. Ibid ↩
  27. 27. Ibid ↩
  28. 28. Alden Wicker, “Fast Fashion Is Creating an Environmental Crisis,” Newsweek, January 9, 2016, https://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/09/old-clothes-fashion-waste-crisis-494824.html) ↩
  29. 29. The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,);  Paul Jay, “Here’s Where Your Donated Clothing Really Ends up | CBC News,” CBCnews (CBC/Radio Canada, May 29, 2018), https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/donated-clothing-where-it-ends-up-1.4662023) ↩
  30. 30. Ibid ↩
  31. 31 The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  32. 32. Alden Wicker, “Fast Fashion Is Creating an Environmental Crisis,” Newsweek, January 9, 2016, https://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/09/old-clothes-fashion-waste-crisis-494824.html) ↩
  33. 33. The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion , Patriot Act (Netflix, 2019), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80991192?trackId=13752289&tctx=0,4,5a1ec328-c0d3-40dc-8e96-4e2a8afdede4-115140293,) ↩
  34. 34.  “Amancio Ortega,” Forbes (Forbes Magazine), accessed May 6, 2020, https://www.forbes.com/profile/amancio-ortega/#1d762d32116c) ↩
  35. 35.  Fash_Rev, Instagram, May 28, 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/CAu7hPvJuMc/) ↩
  36. 36. Fash_Rev, Instagram, October 18, 2019, https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wa6TqBBRB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) ↩
  37. 37. Fash_Rev, Instagram, August 1, 2019, https://www.instagram.com/p/B0nvH02h-yk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) ↩
  38. 38. Fash_Rev. Instagram, October 14, 2019. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3mrHt2B_0p/ ↩
  39. 39. Fash_Rev. Instagram, April 25, 202AD. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aTlUTJj5g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. ↩
  40. 40. Fash_Rev. Instagram, November 25, 2019. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5SVwVphwdz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. ↩
  41. 41. Vanessa Friedman, “Fashion’s Woman Problem,” The New York Times (The New York Times, May 20, 2018), https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/fashion/glass-runway-no-female-ceos.html) ↩
  42. 42. Ibid ↩
  43. 43. “How Can Fashion Develop More Women Leaders?,” The Business of Fashion, May 3, 2015, https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/voices/discussions/how-can-fashion-develop-more-women-leaders) ↩
  44. 44. Ibid ↩
  45. 45. Ibid ↩
  46. 46.  Nadra Nittle, “Sexism Is Rampant for Female Fashion Photographers,” Racked (Racked, November 30, 2017), https://www.racked.com/2017/11/30/16720374/photography-sexism-fashion) ↩
  47. 47. Ibid ↩
  48. 48. Katherine Singh, “The Fashion Industry Has a Creepy Photographer Problem,” Flare, July 25, 2019, https://www.flare.com/fashion/kim-kardashian-photographer-marcus-hyde/) ↩
  49. 49. Farhana Nazir, “‘Fashion Isn’t Art. It’s Not Even Culture. Fashion Is Advertising. And for Every Dollar You Earn, Someone Pays the Price…,’” my fashion life , November 18, 2013, https://www.myfashionlife.com/archives/2013/11/18/fashion-isnt-art-its-not-even-culture-fashion-is-advertising-and-for-every-dollar-you-earn-someone-pays-the-price/) ↩
  50. 50. Ibid ↩
  51. 50. “Sociology of Fashion,” sociologyguide.com, accessed May 7, 2020, https://www.sociologyguide.com/sociology_of_fashion/index.php) ↩
  52. 51. ibid ↩
  53. 52. Sarah Jane Stratford, “Flapper Dresses,” LoveToKnow (LoveToKnow Corp), accessed May 25, 2020, https://womens-fashion.lovetoknow.com/Flapper_Dresses) ↩
  54. 53. Allysia Sulaiman, “The History of Flapper Fashion,” Medium (Medium, April 16, 2017), https://medium.com/@allysia98/the-history-of-flapper-fashion-d69e5e9b56d8) ↩
  55. 54. Ibid ↩
  56. 55. Ibid ↩
  57. 56. Ibid ↩
  58. 57. “A QUICK RUN-THROUGH OF THE PANTSUIT HISTORY,” Material Magazine, April 26, 2017, http://material-magazine.com/pantsuit-history/) ↩
  59. 58. Ibid ↩
  60. 59. Ibid ↩
  61. 60. Erica Euse, “The Revolutionary History of the Pantsuit,” Vice, March 21, 2016, https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wd7vey/the-history-of-the-pantsuit-456) ↩
  62. 61. “A QUICK RUN-THROUGH OF THE PANTSUIT HISTORY,” Material Magazine, April 26, 2017, http://material-magazine.com/pantsuit-history/); Elizabeth Segran, “The Outrageous, Deeply Sexist History of the Pantsuit,” Fast Company (Fast Company, October 15, 2019), https://www.fastcompany.com/90393935/the-outrageous-deeply-sexist-history-of-the-pantsuit) ↩
  63. 62. Dr. Clare Gunby , “The Short Skirt: a Symbol of Victim Blaming Culture?,” University of Leicester, March 26, 2014, https://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/social-worlds/all-articles/criminology/short-skirt) ↩
  64. 63. Ibid ↩
  65. 64. Emilia Petrarca, “Miniskirts Forever: How One Piece of Clothing Came to Symbolize Women’,” W Magazine, July 7, 2017, https://www.wmagazine.com/story/miniskirts-womens-liberation-trend/?itm_source=parsely-api) ↩
  66. 65. Ibid ↩
  67. 66. “100 Women: The Truth behind the ‘Bra-Burning’ Feminists,” BBC News (BBC, September 7, 2018), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45303069) ↩
  68. 67. Ibid ↩
  69. 68. Laura Stampler, “Bra History: The 100-Year Anniversary of the Modern Brassiere,” Time (Time, November 3, 2014), https://time.com/3553997/modern-bra-history-1914/) ↩
  70. 69. “100 Women: The Truth behind the ‘Bra-Burning’ Feminists,” BBC News (BBC, September 7, 2018), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45303069) ↩
  71. 70. Ibid ↩
  72. 71. Caitlin Cruz, Mary Emily O’Hara, and Sarah Fonseca, “The REAL Meaning of the Word ‘Butch,’” them., August 21, 2018, https://www.them.us/story/inqueery-butch) ↩
  73. 72. Ibid ↩
  74. 73. “The Butches and Studs Who’ve Defied the Male Gaze and Redefined Culture,” The New York Times (The New York Times, April 13, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/13/t-magazine/butch-stud-lesbian.html?auth=login-google) ↩
  75. 74. Sonny Oram, “Tomboy Style Vs. Butch Style ,” Qwear: Queer Fashion Platform, June 21, 2013, https://www.qwearfashion.com/home/tomboy-style-vs-butch-style) ↩
  76. 75. “The Butches and Studs Who’ve Defied the Male Gaze and Redefined Culture,” The New York Times (The New York Times, April 13, 2020), https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/13/t-magazine/butch-stud-lesbian.html?auth=login-google) ↩
  77. 76. Ibid ↩
  78. 77. Ibid ↩
  79. 78. James Hale, “5 Queer Millennials On Embracing Butch Fashion,” Bustle (Bustle, June 25, 2017), https://www.bustle.com/p/5-queer-millennials-on-how-embracing-butch-fashion-changed-their-lives-65263) ↩
  80. 79. Grace Cook, “Why Hoop Earrings Are Powerful, Provocative and Political,” Financial Times (Financial Times, August 8, 2018), https://www.ft.com/content/ce3b2e14-8904-11e8-affd-da9960227309) ↩
  81. 80. Guest Contributor, “A Message From the Latinas Who Made the ‘White Girl, Take OFF Your Hoops’ Mural,” Latino Rebels, March 15, 2017, https://www.latinorebels.com/2017/03/14/a-message-from-the-latinas-who-made-the-white-girl-take-off-your-hoops-mural/) ↩
  82. 81. Ibid;  ; Bianca Nieves, “This Trend Has Been Around Since 2500 BC,” REFINERY29, August 24, 2017, https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/08/169562/hoop-earrings-trend-history) ↩
  83. 82. Frances Solá-Santiago, “What Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Hoop Earrings Mean to Latina Women Like Me,” Glamour (Glamour, January 11, 2019), https://www.glamour.com/story/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-hoop-earrings) ↩
  84. 83. Ibid ↩
  85. 84. Raquel Reichard, “This Ode to Latinas Who Rock Big Hoop Earrings Will Give You All the Feels,” LATINA, November 4, 2016, http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/our-issues/ode-latinas-rock-big-hoop-earrings) ↩
  86. 85. Grace Cook, “Why Hoop Earrings Are Powerful, Provocative and Political,” Financial Times (Financial Times, August 8, 2018), https://www.ft.com/content/ce3b2e14-8904-11e8-affd-da9960227309) ↩
  87. 86. Frances Solá-Santiago, “What Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Hoop Earrings Mean to Latina Women Like Me,” Glamour (Glamour, January 11, 2019), https://www.glamour.com/story/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-hoop-earrings) ↩
  88. 87. Ibid ↩
  89. 89. Rodriguez, Alyssa. “She Contains Multitudes: Debunking the Myth of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl in Paper Towns (2017 Undergraduate Walden Award Winner).” Response: The Journal of Popular and American Culture, Volume 3, Issue 1, June 2018, responsejournal.net/issue/2018-06/feature/she-contains-multitudes-debunking-myth-manic-pixie-dream-girl-paper-towns-2017. ↩
  90. 90.  “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Opinion: The Harvard Crimson,” The Harvard Crimson, October 12, 2017, https://www.thecrimson.com/column/femme-fatale/article/2017/10/12/hu-pixie-dream-girl/) ↩
  91. 91. Ibid;  Rodriguez, Alyssa. “She Contains Multitudes: Debunking the Myth of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl in Paper Towns (2017 Undergraduate Walden Award Winner).” Response: The Journal of Popular and American Culture, Volume 3, Issue 1, June 2018, responsejournal.net/issue/2018-06/feature/she-contains-multitudes-debunking-myth-manic-pixie-dream-girl-paper-towns-2017. ↩
  92. 92. VERVE Team, “Everything Wrong with the Manic Pixie Dream Girl,” Medium (VERVE: She Said, December 30, 2017), https://medium.com/verve-up/everything-wrong-with-the-manic-pixie-dream-girl-50aea4d427e0) ↩
  93. 93. Richard Lawson, “Stargirl Is a Case Study in Quirk,” Vanity Fair (Vanity Fair, March 13, 2020), https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/03/stargirl-disney-plus-review) ↩
  94. 94.  “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Opinion: The Harvard Crimson,” The Harvard Crimson, October 12, 2017, https://www.thecrimson.com/column/femme-fatale/article/2017/10/12/hu-pixie-dream-girl/) ↩
  95. 95. Harriet Williamson, “Manic Pixies and Cool Girls: on Female Solidarity and the Male Gaze,” openDemocracy, August 28, 2015, https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/manic-pixies-and-cool-girls-on-female-solidarity-and-male-gaze/) ↩
  96. 96.  Alessia Hu, Interviewed by the author: Cassia Soodak, Text Message April 25, 2020, 6:28 P.M. ↩
  97. 97. Claire Francis Francis, “On Being Basic,” The Stanford Daily, December 14, 2018, https://stanforddaily.com/2018/03/07/on-being-basic/) ↩
  98. 98. Ibid ↩
  99. 99. Ibid ↩
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