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jessara40k_lj) wrote2010-05-10 08:39 pm
jessara40k_lj) wrote2010-05-10 08:39 pm
Performing Femininity
I saw a meta post about women performing femininity in fiction, so I decided to write a little about how that applies to some of the women in my original fiction.
First, none of the women I'm going to discuss think of it as performing femininity - to them it's performing a consort's role - even Rafiyah, who grew up with consort always meaning a woman, and Jasmine who never expected more than the decorative and sexual aspects of a consort's role. However it's interesting to consider just how they present themselves, especially considering what I realised when I thought about it.
I'm using five points of performing a consort's role - there's probably more, but these five are the most quantifiable, the others I can think of right now are all behavioural.
1. Long hair
2. High heels
3. Skirts
4. Make-up
5. Bright/light colours
Starting with Antoinette: she'd never wear high heels or a skirt, because you just can't fight in them, or not as well as you can without them, but the other three points all apply to her at some points. Having her hair long started as a childish whim, when she was seven or so, but she had to argue for it, and so it became a symbol of her first victory against her parents, the first time she managed to assert her independence. When she started having sex she found that she loves the feeling of a lover grabbing at it, trying to use it as a handhold or even to hurt her. She normally keeps it either braided or put up close to her scalp when she leaves her home, except for parties and other formal occasions. Between the ages of 16 and 19 she also wore it tight against her scalp at parties and other formal occasions, with a flat hair decoration to set it off. She also wore black jeans, black cowboy boots, a dark coloured silk shirt, a heavy black leather belt and black vambraces, all very aggressive and dominant. But stories got out about her main eighteenth birthday present - which for a Terenev is one night with a paid professional of the opposite sex, as their first time outside the Family. Normally the professional is a courtesan, or a geisha equivalent, but Antoinette wanted a gladiator (gladiators are somtimes hired for sex, and they're more often hired to spar with wealthy patrons) and that tended to scare people, which her choice of clothing reinforced. So she was told to stop dressing so agressively on formal occasions, and she started leaving her hair free to fall over her shoulders and wearing looser trousers and tunics in jewel toned velvets and silks. For business purposes she wears black or grey trouser suits, with white shirts, simple cufflinks and plain, dark ties. And for more casual wear she has dark jeans of varying quality, which she wears with dark coloured tops. She started wearing make-up to parties at Jasmine's suggestion, partly because she has very dry lips, and if she doesn't wear lip balm they crack and bleed, and partly as a political move, as a subtle reminder that she isn't interested in becoming Family Head.
The only point of performing a consort's role that Sarah ever demonstrates before meeting Rafiyah is wearing make-up, and even that's only at parties. She only does that because both Antoinette and Jasmine wear make-up, and she didn't want to be the only one of the three who didn't wear make-up. Her hair is cut short, and she never wears skirts or high heels - and almost all of her clothes are black, dark grey, or dark blue, with the exception of her white work shirts. After she's started to settle in Rafiyah persuades Sarah to wear some brighter shirts, at least on formal occasions.
Rafiyah doesn't wear high heels, because she doesn't want to risk the extra balance issues they could cause, but she performs the other four points at various times, especially now that she's Antoinette's consort. Before Antoinette started courting her she heeded her parents' desires for her to dress modestly above everything, and didn't wear skirts, but once the courtship started she made a dress to see how well she could handle it with her cane. She limits her skirts mostly to parties and other formal occasions, but she does wear them without a special reason sometimes when she's having a good day with her hip, and almost all her clothes are in jewel tones. Her hair is long, and she wears make-up so routinely that she doesn't even consciously consider it, although it's usually minimal, and pretty subtle except at parties. And since she was injured she's never used make-up to even try to disguise her facial scar.
Jasmine performs all five points, just about all the time. The only time she doesn't wear skirts and at least one inch heels is when she's exercising. Except when she's just woken up she always wears make-up, even if it's just tinted moisturiser, lipstick and eyeshadow. She wears colours chosen to emphasise how attractive she is, mostly jewel tones, and she has long hair that she wears either loose, or in styles that she has to be careful with.
First, none of the women I'm going to discuss think of it as performing femininity - to them it's performing a consort's role - even Rafiyah, who grew up with consort always meaning a woman, and Jasmine who never expected more than the decorative and sexual aspects of a consort's role. However it's interesting to consider just how they present themselves, especially considering what I realised when I thought about it.
I'm using five points of performing a consort's role - there's probably more, but these five are the most quantifiable, the others I can think of right now are all behavioural.
1. Long hair
2. High heels
3. Skirts
4. Make-up
5. Bright/light colours
Starting with Antoinette: she'd never wear high heels or a skirt, because you just can't fight in them, or not as well as you can without them, but the other three points all apply to her at some points. Having her hair long started as a childish whim, when she was seven or so, but she had to argue for it, and so it became a symbol of her first victory against her parents, the first time she managed to assert her independence. When she started having sex she found that she loves the feeling of a lover grabbing at it, trying to use it as a handhold or even to hurt her. She normally keeps it either braided or put up close to her scalp when she leaves her home, except for parties and other formal occasions. Between the ages of 16 and 19 she also wore it tight against her scalp at parties and other formal occasions, with a flat hair decoration to set it off. She also wore black jeans, black cowboy boots, a dark coloured silk shirt, a heavy black leather belt and black vambraces, all very aggressive and dominant. But stories got out about her main eighteenth birthday present - which for a Terenev is one night with a paid professional of the opposite sex, as their first time outside the Family. Normally the professional is a courtesan, or a geisha equivalent, but Antoinette wanted a gladiator (gladiators are somtimes hired for sex, and they're more often hired to spar with wealthy patrons) and that tended to scare people, which her choice of clothing reinforced. So she was told to stop dressing so agressively on formal occasions, and she started leaving her hair free to fall over her shoulders and wearing looser trousers and tunics in jewel toned velvets and silks. For business purposes she wears black or grey trouser suits, with white shirts, simple cufflinks and plain, dark ties. And for more casual wear she has dark jeans of varying quality, which she wears with dark coloured tops. She started wearing make-up to parties at Jasmine's suggestion, partly because she has very dry lips, and if she doesn't wear lip balm they crack and bleed, and partly as a political move, as a subtle reminder that she isn't interested in becoming Family Head.
The only point of performing a consort's role that Sarah ever demonstrates before meeting Rafiyah is wearing make-up, and even that's only at parties. She only does that because both Antoinette and Jasmine wear make-up, and she didn't want to be the only one of the three who didn't wear make-up. Her hair is cut short, and she never wears skirts or high heels - and almost all of her clothes are black, dark grey, or dark blue, with the exception of her white work shirts. After she's started to settle in Rafiyah persuades Sarah to wear some brighter shirts, at least on formal occasions.
Rafiyah doesn't wear high heels, because she doesn't want to risk the extra balance issues they could cause, but she performs the other four points at various times, especially now that she's Antoinette's consort. Before Antoinette started courting her she heeded her parents' desires for her to dress modestly above everything, and didn't wear skirts, but once the courtship started she made a dress to see how well she could handle it with her cane. She limits her skirts mostly to parties and other formal occasions, but she does wear them without a special reason sometimes when she's having a good day with her hip, and almost all her clothes are in jewel tones. Her hair is long, and she wears make-up so routinely that she doesn't even consciously consider it, although it's usually minimal, and pretty subtle except at parties. And since she was injured she's never used make-up to even try to disguise her facial scar.
Jasmine performs all five points, just about all the time. The only time she doesn't wear skirts and at least one inch heels is when she's exercising. Except when she's just woken up she always wears make-up, even if it's just tinted moisturiser, lipstick and eyeshadow. She wears colours chosen to emphasise how attractive she is, mostly jewel tones, and she has long hair that she wears either loose, or in styles that she has to be careful with.