Why do movies dealing with girly women have to make them seem dingy or carefree?

Almost every girl’s favorite classic movie is "Clueless," right? The best-dressed girl in high school who had everything going for her, except being able to drive. She also did not receive the highest grades she wanted to obtain so she debated with her teachers to get a good grade. This indicated that her looks and charming ways helped her get the grades she wanted without having to try hard enough.

As time evolves a newer movie that connects to "Clueless" is "Legally Blonde." This girl is always dressed in pink, not caring about her grades but excited to start fashion school. The great thing about this movie is that she fights the stereotype of being a girly girl by getting into the top law school and becoming a great lawyer. Our society tries so hard to relate girly women with being weak-minded, this motive needs to change.

Growing up I never had the urge to get dirty in the grass, climb trees, or to want to play basketball for fun. My enjoyment was playing with Barbie’s, collecting things that are the color pink, Hello Kitty, and Minnie Mouse. I loved to wear dresses with matching purses and ruffles on my socks, and if a camera was near I was always in the center of it with my pink bow in my hair. In elementary school, I always got in trouble for asking my teacher where they got their clothes or asking students where they got theirs. As I got older, middle school were the years that everyone would find themselves by trying new things, but not me. I still was into fashion, my looks, what outfit I was wearing tomorrow, or what not to wear if it wasn’t girly enough. At this stage, I was classified as a girly girl. By being categorized as a girly girl I was often perceived as being conceited, self-centered, or standoffish to my peers.

Being perceived this way made it harder for me to make friends, well to make true friends that accepted my overly feminine ways, but why? Due to our society if a woman is too into her looks, or dressing up all the time, they seem weak minded. However, most of the time, that is not true. People consider that women who are into girly items more than they should be are not as admirable as girls who play sports or are bookworms, which isn’t true either. The way one dresses should not imply the type of person they are and it is not fair. Due to making sure I look nice, or making sure I have on a pink top makes other people, mainly women feel like I’m not laudable of their friendship or commendable of getting a higher grade than them in a class, but I am.

I am writing about this because I know there are women who feel the same way I do and staying true to who you are will always pay off. I did not notice that other woman had the same experiences I have. Nevertheless, why do I have to disown wearing pink, or making sure my lipstick matches my purse to be an adult? I am still an independent woman with my girly ways.

I grew up with two older brothers that were star athletes, very independent, and into being very dominate in everything they did. However, I am the only girl, the youngest, and into fashion magazines more than sports illustrated. My brothers always tried to get me to play basketball and I cried every time because I wanted to style my Barbie or put makeup on my mother. When my brothers accepted that I was a girly girl they tried to get me to understand that as I grew up many wouldn’t understand why I am so interested in embracing my girlhood, and for me to not be ashamed of who I am; no matter who I come across or what I want to pursue my career in.

People associate girls that are interested in wearing lipstick and mascara as a weakness. Thus, these same lipstick-wearing individuals gave birth and are raising men into becoming independent and very successful in life. Women in history all embraced their femininity, as a great gesture into showing that looks can be deceiving. Rosa Parks wore a skirt when she fought civil rights and no one questioned her braveness to have fought for what she believed in.

I am not ashamed of being classified as a girly girl; it helped me become the woman I am today. Being obsessed with making sure my makeup is perfect assisted with me making sure my schoolwork is just as perfect as my face. As ridiculous as it sounds by me taking time into what I will wear in the morning or making sure anything I pick up is pink, made me a very organized person. This benefits me with getting important things done, because my personal life is well thought-out and that it carries on into my life as a whole. Nothing within the characteristic of being a girly girl should make women seem un-powered or even less than what they are. These characteristics actually help to embrace the importance of being a woman by showing that although we are into our looks we can still be just as successful as any man. By people trying to break down women who are girly defeats the purpose of womanhood and wanting to overpower men. If some women cannot accept every woman for who they are, how can men accept women as being equal?

Now, should women be ashamed of being a girly girl? My answer will always be

no. Your race, gender, sex, or even as simple as a characteristic, should not play a role into others feeling like they have the right to bring someone down for that. A woman wanting to embrace her feminine ways should not be looked down on in any circumstances.