Every morning all the employees at my work gather for a quick meeting. Today the work topics were in short supply, so things quickly drifted to chit chat. The boss thanked a colleague for an outfit she had purchased for the boss' granddaughter, and the woman responded graciously, noting she had followed all the rules the boss had laid out about infant attire. "No sparkles, and no tutus; she's going to be a strong woman."
If you've ever met me you know I basically took that as hate speech. Another female coworker and I simultaneously piped in, stating, "You can be sparkly and strong," while gesturing the pink, bejeweled headband I was hardcore rocking. There was no response.
I am all about raising strong women. I already daydream about instilling confidence in my daughter with constant compliments, and endless encouragement to dream big, while doing everything in my power to support her as she takes the world by storm. However, you can bet your ass that girl will be covered in glitter head to toe from the moment she starts crowning.
I am very well aware that women are still fighting daily to be taken seriously in the professional world, and to be given the respect they deserve. Hell, we have to fight to be taken seriously in general. I can't tell you how many times I've had to "prove myself" to some cocky, misogynistic male entity who thought he could outsmart, outwit, or out-anything me.
Sometimes it feels like every day is a battle to be deemed worthy and earn our place in the room, and if you're telling me I can't prove my worthiness unless I ditch my sparkles and obnoxiously bright wardrobe, I'm jumping off the roof right now.
Pardon my French, but what the hell kind of bullshit is this? The number of sparkly items on my person is in no way connected to my competence as a professional, or a human being. I am a hustler. I get shit done. I do my job, and given the opportunity to go above and beyond, I take it every time, and I can tell you from experience that glitter has never been an obstacle. Ignorance, however, sure has.
We women have enough hurdles and glass ceilings to overcome without feeling pressured to "tone it down" and keep as quiet in our wardrobe choices as they'd like us to be in the office. We are strong, smart, and utterly badass in every way. We are hustlers, hard workers, and we sure as hell have what it takes to get the job done, while looking utterly fabulous.
So ladies, while you're ignoring the haters and misogynists, ignore the glitter naysayers too. They may not like your crown of jewels, but they're going to be coming to you for help sooner or later, so tell them to kiss your sparkle, and KILL IT!
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