We can all agree that Rihanna has never had a confidence problem (for proof, feel free to check out her sheerly-clad, celebratory twerk from last night’s CFDA awards or her styling of a denim thong). But during her acceptance speech for Fashion Icon, the pop star admitted she’s always used fashion as a defense mechanism:
Even as a child, I remember thinking, She can beat me, but she cannot beat my outfit.
For someone who, for all intents and purposes, showed up naked to an award ceremony, this is a pretty surprising confession. But it speaks to something that has always existed, yet is seldom ever talked about: women dressing for other women as a way to exert dominance.
We’ve all experienced it. You stand in front of the mirror, getting ready for a wedding or a high school reunion or hell, just an average night out, and instead of thinking, “What do I want to wear?” you think, “What should I wear?” Your choices are dictated not by what you will feel your best in, or what will be most comfortable, but “What will make me look better than [insert female competitor here]?” Perhaps it’s a high school adversary, a boyfriend’s ex or an old boss that always made you feel like crap.
Whomever it was, you’ve thought about how the way your clothes fit, how the brands you wear and how the money you spend compares to other women. We've all done it and it's totally normal. It's just that no one ever talks about it.
So thanks Rihanna, for being so blasé about an important topic that's often taboo to discuss. You’re on a roll.
Image: deviantart.com
