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The beauty suit : how my year of religious modesty made me a better feminist / Lauren Shields.

by Shields, Lauren, 1981-

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Beacon Press, 2018.

Modesty -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Feminism -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Women -- Identity.

Feminine beauty (Aesthetics)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 175-184).

Introduction -- Katy Perry in a leopard bustier : the problem with "sexy feminism" -- "Is this really any better?" : Islam and the couch epiphany -- Still not a nun : how to be a Christian feminist -- Less G-string, more Gucci : Christianity and consumerism -- Tech and Tzniut : the digital suit vs. Jewish modesty -- Worldwide beauty : the "social skin" -- Conclusion: Now what?

"Looking good feels good. But in a society where looking good is posited as being strong, while negotiating for better pay is statistically proven to damage women's careers, is it fair to say that wicked eyeliner, weekly blowouts, and a polished Instagram feed are the keys to our liberation? If so--if 'hot' really is a good enough synonym for 'empowered' -- why do so many of us feel, deep in our bones, that the sexy-as-strong model is a distraction? Is 'pretty' still the closest to power women can get? Why is looking fierce an acceptable substitute for living in a world where women are safe? Inspired in seminary by American Muslimahs who wear the hijab for feminist reasons, Lauren Shields took off what she calls the Beauty Suit -- the 'done' hair, the tasteful and carefully applied makeup, the tight clothes and foot-binding shoes -- for nine months. She'd really only wanted to do an experiment. Instead, her life -- especially her views on what constitutes 'liberation' -- changed forever. Rooted in feminist theory and religious history, and guided by a snappy personal narrative, The Beauty Suit unpacks modern American womanhood: a landscape where the female body is still so often the battleground for male ideals, and where we struggle with our rights as human beings to define and exercise our freedom"--Back cover.

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