Girly girl, alternatively spelled girlie girl, is a slang term for a girl or woman who chooses to dress and behave in a traditionally feminine style, such as wearing floral dresses, blouses and skirts, and talking about relationships and other activities which are associated with the traditional gender role of a girl.
It is an informal term and has also been adopted within the lesbian community by very feminine lesbians.[1]
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History
The term is sometimes seen as a term of disdain or abuse, particularly among tomboys and some feminists, since the "second wave" of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s, after which gender-blind clothing and/or behavior started to become more prevalent among females. Whether "traditionally feminine" traits are inherently repressive or harmful to women is a matter of some debate. Some women may be offended by this term.
More recently, a resurgence of the use in a more positive light has occurred. Women have embraced a softer, more feminine, view of womanhood and have embraced the term "girly". Examples of this can be seen in the artwork of popular publications such as Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and Redbook which have all recently made use of "girly" type characters. Examples of a younger movement embracing the term can be seen in the rising popularity of girly layouts used on popular sites like MySpace.
Lesbian usage
The term "girly girl" has also been adopted by femmes or lipstick lesbians as a synonymous description of themselves.
References
See also
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Look up girly girl in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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