Sorry Vogue, my cleavage is here to stay

According to Vogue, cleavage is dead. Women are choosing to opt for higher necklines due to the influx of online creeps harassing women over their seductive photos.

Last time I checked, cleavage is still alive and well, continuously used as a tool of sexual empowerment by women. Vogue needs to take a seat, and stop reading into the fashion choices of a few celebrities at an awards show.

This article displays women as weak, changing their style completely in order to protect themselves against online comments.

Stylist Elizabeth Saltzman told Vogue she now considers how models will be perceived on Instagram if they show too much up top, which is absolutely ridiculous. All that does is perpetuate the idea that women are objects, dictated by what the male eye chooses to focus on.

It’s also a pathetic turn for the fashion industry, as it puts style campaigns in the hands of anonymous online actors, who should have no say in how fashion should be produced.

This article also drags bras into the midst of this vague argument, saying that more comfortable bras are now in high demand, and the demand for push up bras is going down. Contrary to “popular” belief, women are allowed to own both “comfortable” bras and push up bras — it’s not one or the other, leave the bras out of this.

Vogue further goes on to say that women choosing not to show their cleavage is, “rejecting the stereotypes of gender.” Showing your cleavage isn’t necessary to display that you’re a woman, and the physical attributes of a person in no way define their gender no matter what.

The choice to flaunt our cleavage is a tool of empowerment. It’s a statement that we are proud — proud that we have overcome, and continue to overcome the daily challenges of sexism — sexism in the workplace, sexism in our social lives, even sexism in politics.

Every day women are flooded with images and information that tell us that our bodies aren’t good enough, aren’t attractive enough. Cleavage is a way to give a middle finger to that, because we are confident enough to not be defined by boundaries that the media presents to us.

If we choose to freely display our bodies then more power to us. It’s a statement that a woman’s intelligence is not defined by her looks.

The power of femininity is incredibly strong, and embracing that femininity makes a girl feel like a woman. It’s the sensation of desirability that can add to a woman’s confidence, and hey, who doesn’t love a little extra attention sometimes?

This article is a thinly veiled, sexist attempt to define women by their appearances, and control their sexuality.

Women can dress however we please, and we sure as hell don’t need a fashion magazine telling us that it’s time to adopt a “more demure look.”

The cleavage is here to stay.

@TheTab