What makes a women feminine ?

[Netball01]

I was reading another thread and someone commented that feminine women are few and far between nowadays. It got me thinking, what would you class as a feminine women ?

For me, I think of women in the 50’s with their dresses & hair always done etc

When I think feminine I think elegant. So really anyone who’s elegant is feminine to me!

Jesus.

Being a woman makes you feminine

Yep.

Make-up (not trout pouts, massive eyebrows or thick foundation), flattering hairstyle, shoes with heels (not necessarily high), figure-flattering clothes.

Marilyn Monroe, Dita Von Teese, Catherine Zeta Jones when she was younger.

Someone at work said this to me the other day 😂 she said something about wanting to be more feminine like me! Apparently it's because at work I'm always in a dress / skirt, nails done, hair done, makeup (although minimal), jewellery and I always smell like nice perfume. I'm always smiling and polite to her (obviously she's not seen me on a grumpy day) haha. I did say to her I think she's confused me being a bit "girly pop" with feminine!

I'm a woman without hair or breasts or ovaries. I wear men's clothes. I never wear make up. I consider myself feminine because I have given birth, breast fed, suffered decades of periods, experienced the menopause, have a female voice, have a female range of strengths. have small hands and feet, have a female height, tall for a woman but short for a man.

And of course the cancer I have is a female cancer, and the genes I have are female genes, and the genetic abnormality I have also only affects females

O, and the number of people who call me "Mum" and "Aunty"

I would assume she means anything that fits the common stereotypes of being a woman.

If you think about the sort of things that people think are "unfeminine" then you get the idea of what fits when people say the opposite.

Goes without saying hopefully that it's just as bad to look down on something being "feminine" than it is to judge someone for being "unfeminine", and both feminine and unfeminine women (and feminine men) are fine just as they are.

Being born female. HTH.

Woman = singular
Women = plural

@notknowledgeable 💐❤️

Your first mistake was asking that question on this site...

Anyway, when I think of femininity, body type doesn't matter. Any shape, height, weight can be feminine. Even with clothing, both modern and classic can be feminine.

Being friendly and approachable is feminine to be, and being good company.

No, being a woman makes you female (and vice versa). Femininity is a gender construct that is about expressing or indicating femaleness, or a stereotype typically linked to femaleness, in a socially approved or defined way.

There are multiple femininities, in different societies and historical periods, but also within one society and time. So, for example, a woman who wears a feminine-coded outfit like a floral skirt, heels and blouse, make-up and long shiny blow-dried hair will typically be seen as more feminine than a woman with short hair, jeans, boots and a donkey jacket and no make up. But you could also express femininity in a less obvious way, like Annie Lennox in a trouser suit and shirt and short hair but with make-up and very female singing voice. You can use different things to play off each other and emphasis the feminine by breaking a stereotype.

You can be a feminine man in a variety of ways, by using feminine-coded things like colour, make-up, florals, shoes and so on. And being a feminine man or a less feminine woman could be a way to signal that you’re gay. Or just nonconformist.

I think there's a difference between being female and being feminine.

Female is a sex based descriptor so a woman ie adult human female would typically have a uterus, ovaries and produce large gametes (as opposed to a man - an adult human male who typically has a penis, testicles and produces small, mobile gametes).

Femininity and masculinity are based on gender stereotypes.

I would see a feminine woman or a feminine man as someone who has long hair; wears make up; either wears dresses and skirts if a woman or has a bit of a New Romantic style if a man; is softly spoken; enjoys baking and crafts; is interested in home decor. A bit of a Stepford Wife.

Being French with a fanny!

Honestly OP this is just a goody thread it's 2024.

You can be feminine in doc martins and a tatty pixie dress.

Fuck harking back to perfect pleats and "dressing for dinner"

Still want a man to sign so you can get a mortgage? That was the 50s reality. In fact let's go further, females can not inherit it has to be a male

Some people think to be feminine they have to be classically attractive to men or some sexist crap.

feminine to me means a graceful woman, men in tights don't count.
grace isn't about hair, make-up or clothing it's how a woman carries herself.

Yes.

And the ‘Jesus’ part.

Ok this post really wasn’t intended to offend anyone !

I just meant if you were to look at someone, what would make you think they are feminine.

Having a vagina at birth

Being female. Simple, innit?

Being a woman makes you female, not feminine imo. Feminine means embodying stereotypical traits associated with femaleness.

Well yes woman.

But if we're talking more colloquially

Elegant
Not particularly loud or foul mouthed
Nicely groomed...hair done
Kind and smiley
Dressed nicely

Bit of make up, perfume, nice clothes, bit of jewellery. Nothing OTT. 50's look is just do outdated and definitely OTT. Size, hair length, age etc makes not a jot of difference

Being friendly and approachable is feminine to be, and being good company.
Really @Goateen ? I know lots of friendly, approachable men who are good company. Are they feminine?

@cardibach i mean strictly speaking a man can be feminine. Feminine is just an adjective. In the same way a woman can be masculine if she chooses to be. Not sure why people are getting so worked up on this thread.