Nicole: I know Disney princesses are horrible examples of stereotypical gender rolls for young girls.  I know that Princess Jasmine’s waist is as big around as her neck.  But there is still a small amount of child-hood Disney brainwashing that I am unable to get rid of.  So when I discovered that wearing my circle scarf as a hood made me feel like Princess Jasmine, I had to use it as fashion inspiration.

All gifs found at All About Princess Jasmine. Amazing site.

Kelly: Sometimes, I hate going back and watching a favorite film from childhood, because I’m inevitably shocked shitless at how blatant the sexist messages are. At the beginning of Aladdin, we learn about Jasmine’s uber-sheltered life as a princess.

K: Her only friend is her tiger. Watching that as a girl, I didn’t wonder why the princess I was supposed to identify with was completely dis-empowered, essentially a prisoner in her own home and a slave to a future arranged marriage. All I thought about was how much I wanted a tiger! Awwww…..

K: And how much I love her turquoise harem pants and crop top! (I have harem pants. You just wait!)  My perforated turquoise swim suit cover-up reminds me of Jasmin’s signature shade. Here, I am wearing it tucked in as a top. In an earlier post, I layered it over a silk shell and pencil skirt.

N: Plus you have zebras.  They may not be tigers, but they still qualify as an exotic pet.

N: Sometimes the best fashion inspiration can come from a time that was highly oppressive to women.  Think 50’s gartered-hourglass shapes, or victorian high-necked-skin-covering dresses.   Society has always been telling us how our bodies should look.  What we should cover up, and what we should expose.  But I gotta fight the system.  Having awareness of what society expects from you helps you to break the cycle.  Thats why I like blend eras and and textures and colors like it ain’t nobody’s business. Keeps everyone wondering, and keeps you always slightly out of place.

“Fuck the patriarchy!”

N: You say it, Sister.  I turn my brightly colored back to them.

K: It almost (but not quite) ruins Aladdin for me now, seeing how creepily sexualized Princess Jasmine is for a children’s heroine.

K: The only time she seems able to exert any power against her abuser and would-be husband, Jafar, and it is to manipulate him with the promise of her submission to his wishes. Ew…

N: Double ew.  This is not an example of “subtly slutty.”

K: Like practically every female protagonist from my childhood, Jasmine is teaching young women to make a dangerous bargain. Lisa Wade at Sociological Images describes it, “A patriarchal bargain is a decision to accept gender rules that disadvantage women in exchange for whatever power one can wrest from the system. It is an individual strategy designed to manipulate the system to one’s best advantage, but one that leaves the system itself intact. ”

K: Basically, Jasmin maybe controlling men with her hot body, but so doing she reinforces a system that only values her for her body. This is why we love subtly-slutty outfits. I only give the sex appeal if I do something to take it away or make it unexpected. This top is actually quite see-through, but a mid-calf skirt and the stiffness of the turquoise polyester tone the sluttiness down.

N: I love your muted color palate here.  I, however, am going the complete opposite with my color-gasam silk ensemble.  Silk stained-glass skirt and silk shell, both thrifted. Yellow tank is quite sheer, exposing my subtly-slutty stripey bra.

K: Thank you, Anna D. for my pictures. My whole outfit is thrifted, and cost less than fifteen dollars. As usual, I’m wearing no make-up and put no effort into my hair. You’re welcome.

N: Hey, me too…

….but we still love Princess Jasmine forever and ever. Amen.