Feminine and Whimsical

When I was in the middle of my project (#thetulleproject) I went to a fashion designer luncheon. The designer was giving statistics about women in power and they were bad. We know we need more women in leadership roles. “In order for you to look powerful and be taken seriously you can’t wear anything too feminine or too whimsical,” said the speaker.
I thought to myself, “what am I going to do now?”
I was dressed in one of my own tulle skirts, looking very feminine and whimsical. When she was taking questions I decided to approach her. I said, “I sell tulle skirts. This is my business, and it’s very feminine. What do you think about this?”
Her response was very similar to the answer she gave during her presentation. “You can wear it to a party, but you can’t wear it in a boardroom”, she said.

I completely disagree. I should be able to walk into a room wearing a tulle skirt, embracing my femininity and still be taken seriously. When I wear tulle skirts, I feel powerful. Telling me to change my image, so I am perceived as more masculine, is the wrong message to send.
If you feel confident in a power suit, then you should wear it! #PantsuitNation. But, if you feel powerful in a tulle skirt or a dress, you should also wear it! Femininity is a power within women, and it can be translated in so many ways. We need to start discussions about what femininity means to women and how they can nourish and protect that.

I could easily be dressed in pant suits all the time, talking about feminine power, but it would not be me. It would not be real. Honestly, I don’t want to just relate to girly girls. I want to relate to women that don’t want to wear tulle skirts but still feel feminine. I want to relate to women that haven’t tapped into their femininity yet, because all of our voices are important.

Femininity is not just about being “girly”. It is different for every women and it is very nuanced. I would love to hear about your experiences with femininity and embracing your womanhood! Please share your stories with me.
Watch the video below:
