Preteens in pantsuits

Instructional feminism and the professionalization of girlhood fashion on the red carpet

Bibliographic Data

ID12690167
AuthorsLaura Schumacher (University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume23
Issue1
Pages101-120
Publication date2021-06-28
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueFeminist Media Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-0777 • E-ISSN: 1471-5902
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14680777.2021.1943487
OpenAlexW3173447540
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited27

This article analyzes the impact of popular feminism on girlhood culture via tween celebrities’ red carpet fashion. Trends on the red carpet have taken a markedly mature turn for tween girls, namely via the popularity of the pantsuit, demonstrating a shift away from the hyperfeminine aesthetics attributed to postfeminist girl culture. I argue that this is indicative of a new iteration of feminism for girls that I term “instructional feminism,” which deconstructs and reconstructs new boundaries between childhood and adulthood through popular feminist rhetoric. Through an analysis of two case studies, I demonstrate that instructional feminism encourages girls to learn the values of and embody adult womanhood, especially via professionalism, in the present. Additionally, my case studies demonstrate the necessity of taking an intersectional approach, as young Black stars must counter narratives that negate their status as innocent children and therefore always at risk. Thus, embodying adult professionalism produces differing effects for the Black tween star

Aesthetics · Art · Black feminism · Feminism · Girl · Literature · Media studies · Narrative · Popular culture · Popularity · Professionalization · Rhetoric · Social science · Sociology · Digital Games and Media · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

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