By: Phil Cassell
Copyright ©2005

Well, that is according to internet today.  In two different places, I’ve read two different articles that have basically said, it is fine to call yourself a tomboy but for god sake wear some feminine clothes and make-up.  My response to that – fuck off.

The first article was a letter sent in to Slate’s Dear Prudence which I read cause I love a good juicy advice column.  The reader, a self-described tomboy, was asking Prudence’s advice on what she should do after her boyfriend told her that she should make an effort to wear some make-up and buy some more feminine clothes.  What did Prudence do, but agree with the loser boyfriend.  Apparently according to Prudence for a young woman to get anywhere professionally she must wear make-up and dress professionally.  I agree with dressing professionally if your job demands it and a tomboy (or any female) can certainly do that by investing in a good suit, the clothes do not have to be feminine, but make-up? Really?  You are going to get nowhere in your job if you don’t make up your face?  What utter bullshit!

The next article I stumbled across was The Tomboy’s Guide To Make Up.  Now if this was an article about how girls who don’t wear make up should apply it when the situation dictates they must, I would have no problem.  But the whole crux of the article was ‘you can go and do your boy things, but you have to look fabulous whilst doing so’.  Again, fuck off. Who said that smearing cosmetics across your face makes you look fabulous??  I mean I think we’ve all seen those girls who think orange is a natural skin colour.  They certainly do not look fabulous.

If you want to wear make-up and feminine clothes, then go for it, but I hate this crap saying that you should if you want to succeed professionally or look good then you must be wearing ‘nice’ feminine clothes and at least some mascara and lipstick. No you don’t. Wear the clothes that suit you, what you feel comfortable in and what the situation requires.  As for make-up, besides being in a wedding party, no one is required to wear the stuff.  Wear it if it makes you feel good, but if it makes you feel like clown, then don’t. You will look a thousand times better if you are happy with what you are wearing and how you look, then if you are deeply uncomfortable trying to conform to what society thinks a girl, even a tomboy, should wear.