To a lot of people, fashion and feminism are polar opposites. There is still this notion - even among some feminists - that believing in and fighting for women's rights means you have to denounce all things fashion related and dress as plainly as possible. What a lot of people forget is that fashion and positive changes in women's rights tend to go hand-in-hand. The flapper dress in the 20's, trousers in the 30's and 40's, mini-skirts, blue-jeans, hippie-style - all of it made a statement about the state of women's rights in each era. Sometimes it was called anti-fashion, but I doubt that there really is such a thing. Even those who choose to wear nothing but t-shirts they got for free at a convention and blue-jeans from Wal-Mart are making a fashion statement, even if it just says "I don't give a damn."

The Feminist Fashion Blogger project, started by Franca at Oranges and Apples, is a call to talk about the relationship between fashion and feminism. There is not only the stereotype of the "dowdy feminist" that needs to be smashed, but also a tendency toward judgment by other women about what constitutes "appropriate" fashion that needs to come to an end.

For me, growing up in the late 70's and 80's meant that the fashion choices were either preppy or punk - and anyone who's read this blog for long can guess which way I went. The punk women not only took charge of life with a big "get the fuck out of my way" attitude, but they dressed the part, too. Siouxsie Sioux was my personal icon back then.

Why she's a feminist fashion icon

Siouxsie grew up with a strong, working mother, and stated in an interview that "I never dreamed I would be some little fawning thing." Indeed she wasn't. After a serious illness, she was inspired to reinvent herself, and thanks in part to the rise of the punk movement, the dramatic and somewhat-scary-but-icily-beautiful style she's known for began to evolve.

When asked about her style in the documentary, Punk: Attitude, she said that punk was "...one of the first looks and attitudes to come along to empower women ... I felt so powerful and strong walking out on the street and nothing frightened me." With the social change that was happening during that time, it's no wonder that there was some sort of "body-armor" going on there. Her style wasn't only dramatic - it built her up physically to match the power she felt inside.

Siouxsie could go from bondage inspired wear to boxy man-suit inspired clothing and still convey a powerful feminine vibe. Even in her most androgynous clothing, she never seemed to be pretending to be something she wasn't. She proved that just as there isn't one kind of woman or one kind of feminism, there isn't one kind of feminine look - that changes depending on the woman conveying it.

Today, she still has a fabulously dramatic style going on - gorgeous, colorful, powerful, and feminine. She is still showing us that there isn't some invisible line between being a powerful woman and wearing flattering and beautiful clothing.

Read about Siouxie's contemporary and someone who designed for her - Vivienne Westwood - on Seamstress Stories.

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