Resisting femininity experiment - who's in?

[sethstarkaddersmackerel]

I was thought-provoked by the 'I'm a feminist but....' thread, particularly Dittany's posts, in which she talked about women who choose not to 'perform femininity'.

I posted on the other thread that I hugely object to all that bikini-line business but do still shave my legs. Am not sure why I do this, so I think I'm going to stop and see how it feels. It felt like a major issue when I was 20 or so but I actually suspect not shaving them now would make me feel more, rather than less, confident.

So I wondered if anyone else was thinking about giving up any beauty practices or other elements of compulsory femininity and would like to do it together and see how it feels.

this is not a competition - if you decide after a day you hate it and can't live without it, fine, but it would be really interesting to hear about, and I think it could advance our understanding of how this all works.

anyone else in?

btw, I am in a vile mood today so if anyone wants to come along to the thread and tell us we are just falling into the trap of thinking all feminists have to have hairy legs, or that actually they wax everything and are a still better feminist than meeeee, I will tell them to fuck off because if you don't 'get' this I can't be bothered explaining, either you get it or you don't

As I have just spent the last few hours of my life thinking about my pubes vs. my non hairy legs, and have still failed to reach any really sound conclusions, I will join you. I can't think of any other practices to drop with out falling into the 'unwashed' catergory.

It is a good time of year for this experiment - as the summer is on its way [hopeful emoticon] - I will be bearing my legs soon in public which will be the litmus test.

When/how do we report back on how things are going?

OMG, Seth! We're coming up to bare leg season as well! Couldn't you have proposed this experiment a few months ago!

Ok...I'll go for it. Will see how long I can last!

Actually, I don't think I can do it! Sorry!

Feminism FAIL!

I have a nipple hair

just one

but it's very black and thick

it is staying

am actually rather curious as to how long it will actually get

if it starts poking out of my clothes though, or stabbing people in the eye, I shall have to trim it

I am joining yas, wish me luck

Prolesworth. Your post has made my face go like this:

I hadn't even thought about shaving the hair off my head - and I wouldn't either. But I am slightly ashamed amazed that it didn't even cross my mind.

I never shave my legs anyway, so this should make me a little less unusual! Just be prepared to answer silly questions and comments about your choice.

I would love to join but need ideas please as I already do't bother shaving, hardly ever wear make-up, often don't get round to brushing my hair and hardly ever wear dresses.

(This is due to pure laziness and bad grooming - not out of any feminist ideology)

What do you suggest I do?

I always get one or two long hairs on my nipples. They are most odd. When I was pregnant they all dropped out and I haven't had any more which I put down to breastfeeding. I got one the other week though and DS (being old enough to notice although still feeding) is most perturbed.

I'm getting my hair cut short next week because I'm totally fed up of either the constant maintenance or walking around with a bird's nest on the back of my head. I don't shave anything because I forgot to buy a new razor... I wear make up so infrequently it makes me feel uncomfortably like a painted doll I would like to start shaving my armpits again though because I find that having hair there requires more vigorous washing which takes longer in the mornings.

This is all just accidental feminism though really, I just can't be arsed and forget that people might judge me for it Have been swimming with hair everywhere though. Mostly nobody notices anyway.

MBJ glad to hear I'm not the only one...

I pluck my chin because I am too young to have a full beard. And it would be a full beard. I remove no other hair. But I will shave below the knee in the Summer because people stare and I don't like it.

I have two friends, a female couple, who don't shave their legs and I admire them, but they are an object of fascination and I like to go unnoticed.

Prolesworth I didn't see that before I posted but don't think I could do that. (Also I think maintaining the baldness would be more effort than I currently put into my hair )

Oh I totally love you ladeeez. I hate the pressure we women face regarding hair removal and maintenace. I have real trouble battling against body and head hair - removing one lot, taming the other. It pisses me off TBH. What pisses me off more though is the way in that people today RECOIL at the sight of women's body hair. Like it's totally DISGUSTING. I'm such a sucker though, I just can't bear to make a stand. I therefore work extensively at bikini removal and am due a leg wax this week. My hair is v dark and thick though and I just could NOT go swimming with it on show as I'd be mitaken for a little hobbit or something (due to hairy feet).

Interesting thread. I can't remember where I was, but I saw a women with unshaven armpits recently, and my only thought was 'cool', so perhaps I could do that. My problem area would be eyebrows, I've plucked them forever and would feel very strange not doing so. They're so, I dunno, there, right on your face when you're talking to people, I'd feel very exposed.

Prolesworth, I've been tempted with the clippers before now. I've gone short before and found it even more of a hassle than long hair when you can tie it all back, but shaved would be dead easy. However, I don't think I'd like it if DH shaved his head so perhaps that's not entirely about femininity.

I had my hair clippered in a two and four for years, and spent the whole time saying, no, I am not a boy, with great hauteur.

wow, amazing response - a lot of people get it

am roffling at all these very specific chin and nipple hairs that are now going to be cultivated.

Important point: there is no point in judging yourself (any more than there is judging anyone else) over what you can and can't do. For one thing all these things will be different for different women - eg light versus dark leg hair.... And some people will be under more pressure to look good for work, or live with blokes that make a big deal out of it.

Proles - I have a friend who does her hair with clippers. And another one who shaved hers off to raise money for a local women's refuge (she was at MWR, some of you probably met her).
you are making me think now, I hate haircuts too, we have clippers....

Lenin - I got annoyed because they assumed I was male based on my appearance (hardline gender politics at 15 cup holder)