The Woman Warrior

by Gabrielle Hennessey

Beyonce as Sasha Fierce

The fact that even starlets like Beyoncé Knowles, regarded internationally for her rather standard sex appeal (hourglass figure, long hair, shapely legs), have begun adopting warrioress personas and asserting themselves as powerful women says much about the changing climate of gender relations. Notice that Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce personality, though “sexy” with its barelegged aggression, addresses a female power completely devoid of the need for male intervention. She is no typical femme fatale, then, because she can still win her own battles without resorting to selling off her sexuality. No man is necessary to give her what she wants.

This overt show of feminine power wholly independent of men brings us back to the legendry of girl warrior Jeanne d’Arc, whose strength of purpose led her to don men’s clothing and adopt androgyny to take her job seriously. After centuries of male-driven fashion, it seems the true fighting spirit has returned.

But don’t start firing up your whetstone just yet; although the tough-girl trend is still in full force, remember this runway season’s prevailing trend of hyperfemininity. Fashion has taken cues from the boudoir yet again, with this season’s crop of sexy underwear-as-outerwear being a new addition to our wardrobes in (seemingly) stark contrast to the woman warrior.

Or are they so different after all?

There is a difference between wearing lingerie to please a man, and wearing lingerie to assert one’s own power as Woman independent of anyone else. Perhaps this next step in the journey of the woman warrior, then, is to aggressively recognize her own femininity and acknowledge that, yes, she is strong enough to take on the world, but also that her power is linked inextricably with her inherent muliebrity.

Whether you chose to strap on studded leather harnesses or a cut-down-to-there lace corset, one thing is certain: the battle is on.

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October 28, 2009