This is a photo of my best friend and me at a bar over the weekend. This displays how my fashion and outfits are rather different than my wardrobe for my daily responsibilities, as, in this type of space, I feel as though I can embody a freer version of myself. However, I also tend to typically put my body on display more, as I am embodying a more sexualized feminine version of myself, as I feel as though that is expected of me, regardless if it is how I am most comfortable.This is a candid photo taken of a weekly event I have with my friends, where we watch the show, the Bachelor. Although I love reality TV, I hate the concept of the Bachelor as it is very misogynistic. However, watching it with my girlfriends seems like a right of passage in popular media, and getting involved in the drama of the show feels like embodying basic femininity.This week, my friends and I created this charcuterie board with crackers, cheese, and fruits and veggies. My friend who was making it stated the purpose of the healthy snack display was to “make us feel good about ourselves”, meaning that despite it not being our usual meal, we were embodying health and fitness. Regulating one’s food consumption is a typical experience for women, as our bodies and weight are criticized constantly, and this judgment is internalized, and we embody this body surveillance throughout our lives.
This picture is a part of my shoe collection in my room, but these are the shoes I leave out of my closet, as I wear them the most. The shoes have different purposes, as some are heeled or platformed, which I wear to embody fanciness and fashion. I have two pairs of sneakers with two different purposes, one is for fashion, and the other more tattered pair are my work shoes. Lastly, my pair of slippers I wear when I am not attempting to embody a certain type of being, but rather am focusing on my own comfort.This picture of pill bottles displays how the institutions of health, medicine, and psychiatry impact my daily life. Every morning, I have to take Zoloft to treat my depression, Adderall for my ADHD, and my birth control pill. Without these medications, I struggle to be a functioning member of society, but with the medication, although I am able to embody the traits of being a better student and employee, my emotions are dulled, my appetite is suppressed, and overall feel less capable of being my most authentic self.This is a picture of my makeup set up that is on display in my room, that I use in my everyday routine. I have a lot of makeup as I love the art of it, however, I typically use very basic and minimal makeup when going to work or classes, and then use my more dramatic makeup choices for when I feel freer to embody a more creative side of myself.This picture is of my bookshelf on display in my room, and I believe it displays representations of both my everyday and institutional embodiment. There are some books on display from my classes that were important to me, as well as a display of my hobbies in painting and tarot, in which I am able to embody my introspectiveness and creativity.
This is a picture of the newest tattoo I got with my best friend, and my other tattoos are on display as well. My volcano tattoo is a family tattoo and a symbol of love. With my tattoos, I embody my life experience, as they are a symbol of the people I love, and quotes from music, movies, and books that I feel as though describe my true values and personality.I embody typical femininity with the upkeep of my acrylic nails, which I have been getting for the past year. It is a long and expensive process, but I now feel weird without them, Although they are not my real nails, they feel as though they are a part of me.Similar to my nails, my earrings and multiple piercings embody my femininity, but similar to my tattoos, they provide a sense of edginess to my feminine expression, as well as display art on my body to embody creativeness and beauty.
This is a photo I took of myself in one of my WGS classes. When I go to class, I often try to dress like a typical student, in order to motivate myself with embody being studious. I wear glasses, my hair is tied back in a clip, and I wear more business-casual clothing, as seen here.This is another photo I took of myself to represent how I dress for my classes. Once again, I wear more professional seeming clothing to embody being a student, but I still try to incorporate my own style and be fashionable in a neutral way, so I still feel comfortable and like myself.This is a photo of what I wear to work every day. I am required to wear the hat, the shirt, and jeans, so all workers look uniform. However, I try to incorporate some of my own style where I can.
