Having Your Lifestyle and Eating the Consequences Too

In an effort not to drag out these fashion and feminism articles for those of you who do not enjoy this, I announce that this is the last article summary of the type I will be posting for awhile.  The next installment in the series will be my abstract. 

Groeneveld, E. (2010). Be a feminist or just dress like one: BUST, fashion, and feminism as lifestyle. Journal of Gender Studies, 31, 179-190.

Groeneveld critiques the third wave feminist magazine BUST’s reclaiming of feminist stance towards fashion.  The magazine endorses the idea that feminism should not dictate what women wear; dress is a personal choice and an expression of self. Groeneveld acknowledges that the second wave feminist stance being pushed against does not allow for the creative and fun side of fashion. Groeneveld also examines the implications of the third wave views advanced by BUST, noting the magazine’s desire to serve as an entry point to the women’s movement and create a more accessible brand of feminism. Her thesis is that BUST’s position validates stereotypes of second wave feminists rather than recognizing the complexity of their position, which serves to undermine feminism.  The second part of the thesis is that “lifestyle feminism” might draw women in, but it also limits examination of systems of institutionalized discrimination.  Groeneveld shows how the second wave feminists had legitimate concerns about capitalist consumerism, and that choice exists on levels other than individual consumption.

Groeneveld’s discussion is interesting to me because she explores the intersection of fashion and feminism and second and third wave views.   She illustrates that there is more to consider in fashion choices than creativity and self-expression. Groeneveld argues that while there is value in the assertion that fashion and feminism are not exclusive of one another and also in inviting a larger audience of women to join the feminist conversation, but that this cannot be done to the exclusion of ignoring injustice and politics. Women cannot separate themselves from the political implication of their actions, no matter what the intention of their actions.