Staying Audrey in a Kardashian World

Ever since I can remember, I have been in awe of Audrey Hepburn; her movies, the way she carried herself, her work with UNICEF. To me, she has always been the epitome of class, elegance and glamour. I even have a large portrait of her in my den, to remind me that class always takes you farther.

In the way I talk and especially in the way I dress, I tend to be a bit more pared down. The influence of the Kardashian family in popular culture, to me anyways, is just sad. Look, I'm not about to tear another woman down for expressing herself in the way that she sees fit, or for the life that she chooses to lead, but I will express my discomfort. The only skin I tend to show is some shoulder, when the sweater I'm wearing is off the shoulder, or some leg when I wear a dress or skirt. I'm not really into the whole "look at me, my tits are enormous!" way of dressing that seems to have permeated society. 

The Kardashians are EVERYWHERE, and I understand that it's hard to get away from. However, I've always been under the impression that tact and class is what's going to take you farther in life, not looking like a walking billboard for "I Took Scissors To All My Clothes, Inc." (Ok, sorry. That was a little rude). 

The point I'm really trying to make here, is that young girls especially have so many options as to role models. They are lucky enough to be growing up in the age of Malala, of M'one, of Emma, of Amy, Tina and Beyonce. Women who work hard, women who fight tirelessly on behalf of women everywhere, women who know the hard work and struggles it takes to defy sexist attitudes. Women, who I think, have stayed Audrey in a Kardashian world. They let their ideas, their words, speak for themselves. It's not just about dressing like Audrey, it's carrying yourself like a lady. Like a woman. Look, I'm all about chugging the wine and letting the f -bombs fly because something has angered me, but I'm also about carrying yourself to the level of respect that you want to be shown to you. 

Standing up for causes and fights that you believe in, is such an integral part of society and us, as humans. I just want to convey that our voices can be heard, our ideas known, without turning into some fantasy of what real women look like. Again, I don't want to tear any woman down, because that defeats the purpose of what I, myself, believe in. We, as women, need to stand together. The Kardashians clearly have a formula that works for them. It just doesn't happen to work for me, personally. 

So yes, I'll continue to throw on a sweater and skirt when I run errands, because sometimes it's little things like that, that make me feel better. That make me identify with my femininity and allow me to carry on the Hepburnian tradition.