Kara, “The Feminist and the Handbag” (via athenasaurus)

Oh lord, don’t get me started on this. This is a little thing that highlights a big equality problem between men and women. We need the same supplies as men to do the same job. When I stocked shelves it was impossible to find pants that would hold my wallet, my box knife, my badge, my keys, my gloves (I worked dairy/frozen) and my phone. I actually ended up not carrying my wallet or keys at all. Fuck if I’m carrying a purse *ever* but that certainly wouldn’t have helped on the job.

My husband? He holds all of that plus his insulin, packets of honey in case his blood sugar drops (or a vial of glucose tablets), glucometer, headphones, markers, and pencils. With plenty of room to spare. I’ve even seen him slip paperback books into empty pockets.

(via solluxisms)

I remember watching I think it was Project Runway and the contestants had to design a new uniform for female postal workers.  The one designer put utilitarian pockets on her design, and the judges yelled at her for it.  They said something about it not being flattering, because you know, the key part of any uniform is not that it works for the job, but that it shows off your body in the best light possible.

(via jetpuffedmarshmallowsandsunburns)

Watching my feminist boyfriend’s continual surprise at the lack of utility in my clothing is oddly satisfying. It’s legitimization -  ”Yes, I knew there was something bad! I wasn’t making that up.” 

There’s a great quote from Samuel Delaney somewhere where he talks about his wife putting on a pair of his jeans and being shocked at how big his pockets were. And that was Delaney’s lightbulb feminism moment. 

(via feministbatwoman)

i used to complain about this but then i just decided to buy guys’ cargo shorts. they don’t look great but they’re incredibly useful.

i don’t think this is really an issue of sexism as much as style. it’s not that all fashion designers are conspiring to make clothes without utility because they believe women shouldn’t need pockets. i think it’s probably just that there is such little demand for it compared to more flattering clothes. 

if you want practical clothes but can’t find what you want, you’re probably going to have to buy mens’ clothes and alter them or whatever, which is inconvenient, but not in my opinion an example of gender discrimination. you just want things that the majority of the consumer population doesn’t want.

i don’t really like talking about feminism with a lot of people [or at least i try not to use the word outright] because many have a pre-formed conception of what feminists are like - shrill, overbearing people who burn bras and complain about stuff that doesn’t matter. people don’t respect feminists and assume that the issues they raise are exaggerated or not worth caring about. the fact that feminism has that image is really harmful to the cause and i wish people were more aware of feminist issues, but declaring that false pockets are an example of top-down, oppressive sexism doesn’t seem like a worthy thing to complain about.

(Source: blonde-cyborg)