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

OK, I don't want to get involved with the arguments. I always kind of felt that to be feminine you had to be quite dainty or have a small physique (I realise how ridiculous this sounds!) and I thought therefore I couldn't be feminine because I'm 5ft 8. I'm not fat but I'm not waif like either. Then I met this group of Chinese women and they all kept talking about how feminine I was. I didn't understand because they were so much more ladylike than me. I asked what they meant and they said I was very softly spoken and gentle. So that was interesting to me and made me realise that feminity can relate to many different characteristics.

Femininity isn’t exclusive to women, just as masculinity isn’t exclusive to men. We all have certain amounts of both and traits from both as a result.

What she said ^

It’s not hard.

man/men
woman/women

See the pattern?

Traits like being intuitive, expressive, compassionate, patient, creative, nurturing, supportive, responsive, and so on. Nothing to do with how they present themselves in terms of clothing or similar. Someone can be dressed up like a barbie doll and come across with masculine traits.

What about masculine women? butch women? women who don't WANT to be feminine?

Someone once described my cat as “so feminine”. Therefore, looking like a smallish and somewhat confused looking tortoiseshell cat with a lot of white (female, of course).

All women are feminine, it doesn't mean any specific thing because it's what each woman wants it to be.

I agree with those Chinese women. It's about how you come across to others, not being dainty or dressed a certain way.

Good posture, well spoken, moves gracefully, well groomed and hygienic eg smells lovely. Always perfect manner. Kind and nurturing. Knows her worth and sets boundaries.

Most women have feminine traits but also some masculine traits. Some women have mostly masculine traits. I have quite a mix myself.

Feminine does not mean the same as female.

Female is sex
Feminine is gender

I get called feminine a lot.
However I don't dress in pink, wear heels or get lip fillers, so it's not that.
I think it's because I'm petite, slim, small boned, delicate features ('doll like'), I have slender fingers and small feet. I wear very minimal make up, just enough to bring out my features but never caked on, no foundation. I'm light on my feet, I eat very little. I've been told that even when I dress in a boyish way I still look very feminine.

If I was to think of what I classed as feminine it would be: A good haircut, a nice perfume, good skin, reddish lipstick and clothes that accentuate only one part of the body ie waist, shoulders etc. Everything a bit underdone, edging towards plain rather than over the top. Also, doesn't swear like a navvy. Intelligent.
That's my definition, others will be different.

Pretty face, curves and long hair!

Femininity /masculinity has nothing to do with the biological states of being male or female.

Things I associate with femininity are:

Nail varnish
Make up
Styled hair
Hair removal/smooth skin
Fitted clothes
Pastel colours
Certain shoes eg heels, ballet pumps, Mary-Jane's
Rewarding chick lit
Watching chick flicks
Hobbies like baking, sewing, flower arranging

Femininity /masculinity has nothing to do with the biological states of being male or female.

I agree with this but I don't associate any particular clothes or make up or hairstyle with femininity. It's how someone comes across to me, personality traits and things like that. A person can be all dolled up but behave towards others in a completely unfeminine manner.

What about butch women?

Being a woman does not make you feminine. As others have mentioned some women are masculine presenting and may not wish to be called feminine. They are still women and still female of course but without typical feminine traits.

I really don’t know exactly ‘what’ makes a woman ‘feminine’. I think too often ‘femininity’ consists of matching outdated stereotypes, like being non-assertive, dainty, and dressing and acting in a way that is considered characteristically female, to please men. Personally, i hate heels, skirts, and dresses. But i love makeup and perfume and nail varnish and scarves and skincare and hair care, etc. So does that make me 50% ‘feminine’? 😁

100% this

Femininity (or masculinity) is based on stereotypes that we intrinsically link to the sexes.

As well as the aesthetic, we also usually define whether someone is masculine or feminine by their behaviour and mannerisms too.

Not saying whether it's right or fair btw!

Definitely not tattoos, and swearing.

Femininity is definitely about gender rather than sex, and it doesn’t mean the same as female. The fact that what counts as feminine or not changes across time and place doesn’t alter that.

Eschewing politics and loving fluffy kittens?