Girls will be girls.

Dress, Kimono & Sandals - Topshop
Bag - Vintage
Necklace, Ring & Bracelet - Swarovski

I could write another post about the dying of summer, the way the grey skies remind me more of October than of August, or waving goodbye to the holidays and getting ready to head into uni again, but I feel like getting on my feminist high horse for a bit. I can't claim to understand what some women go through since I'm hardly part of a minority, but it feels like I am constantly bombarded with instances of misogyny and women being given the short end of the stick. From needing to have "a man" on to work in bars to girls being sent home from school for showing their shoulders, from sexual assault being blamed on clothing to an obvious wage gap, there's always something to raise about the clear inequality between men and women (and it gets increasingly evident if you look into the treatment of minorities, especially trans women). I could probably write a dissertation on how frustrating I find the result of this natural lottery - being born a woman places you at an immediate disadvantage. 

"For most of history, anonymous was a woman." - Virginia Woolf

As well as being an incredible writer, Virginia Woolf produced one of my favourite quotes because it's true that it has always been safer to be anonymous than to be a woman. Or at least up until her time it was. I like to think we have come a long way: in the last hundred years we have won the vote (and eventually started to use it), we've got out of the kitchen, we've burned our bras and started to speak for ourselves, we've become powerful in many ways, and we now boast some of the most influential people on the planet. But there's still a long road to traverse before we become equal. And that's what I'm here for - equality. I don't hate men, I just want to feel equal. I want to be equally safe walking home at night, I want to be paid the same for the same work, I want to be judged upon my abilities rather than my appearance, and I want us to share the same rules and restrictions because there are far too many double standards. 

I'll try to stop myself from descending into "angry feminist" territory (a description which annoys me because it belittles feminism) because I'm sure I'm just another girl complaining on the internet. But most of us don't have the power to change the world individually, so maybe if we all keep complaining we can make a difference together. The wheels are in motion, and it feels like a new wave of feminism is building, and it's exciting.

Finally, a postscript, that I imagine this will be one of my last summery outfits.. and I'm sad because it feels like I barely got to break out my warm-weather wardrobe! I love this kimono and I've worn it a handful of times. I've even gone back to black already. But I enjoyed floating around in this to go out to lunch, and if there's even another peek of sun I'll be back in my summery ensembles - but I won't hold my breath.

Tara India xo