Preteens in pantsuits: instructional feminism and the professionalization of girlhood fashion on the red carpet

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the impact of popular feminism on girlhood culture via tween celebrities’ red carpet fashion. Trends on the red carpet have taken a markedly mature turn for tween girls, namely via the popularity of the pantsuit, demonstrating a shift away from the hyperfeminine aesthetics attributed to postfeminist girl culture. I argue that this is indicative of a new iteration of feminism for girls that I term “instructional feminism,” which deconstructs and reconstructs new boundaries between childhood and adulthood through popular feminist rhetoric. Through an analysis of two case studies, I demonstrate that instructional feminism encourages girls to learn the values of and embody adult womanhood, especially via professionalism, in the present. Additionally, my case studies demonstrate the necessity of taking an intersectional approach, as young Black stars must counter narratives that negate their status as innocent children and therefore always at risk. Thus, embodying adult professionalism produces differing effects for the Black tween star.

KEYWORDS:

• Girlhood
• celebrity
• fashion
• popular feminism
• tween stars

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laura Schumacher

Laura Schumacher is a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the department of Media and Cultural Studies. Her research interests lie at the intersection of girlhood studies, celebrity studies, and television studies, with a particular interest in how feminist ideologies affect girlhood culture. E-mail: [email protected]