being “ladylike” is tedious, mundane, and suffocating. despite great political and social strides, contemporary women are still held to constricting standards of femininity. in this series of physically altered digital photographs, i aim to investigate what it means to be ladylike in the modern age and to push the envelope in hopes of shifting the paradigm of femininity.

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i began my investigation with the issue of grooming. images 1, 4, & 6 specifically address shaving. the woman in 1 & 6 abides by societal standards, while the one in 4 violates the societal definition of ladylike and redefines her femininity—both equally acceptable options. images 3 & 10 address other grooming activities associated with being considered ladylike: painting one’s nails and doing one’s makeup for example. images 2 & 8 address the parameters of femininity in regards to dietary habits. both food and dieting are symbolically and literally beautified through use of glitter. in images 5, 7, & 9, i moved into more characteristic confines of ladylike behavior: prudence, vanity, and politeness respectively. in 11 & 12, i considered definitions of ‘ ladylike’ unique to black women. after consulting friends who are subjected to these additional definitions, i learned about their own experiences either being quieted or being exploited—often at the hands of other women. prior to this year, i had mainly focused my art career on more traditional mediums such as drawing and painting. i decided to push myself by experimenting with digital photography. throughout my concentration, i incorporated my past experience with physical mediums by using gouache to create text that would reinforce the meaning of a given piece and glitter to symbolize the beautification of ways in which women are constricted into a single definition of femininity.