Lesbians, Levis, and Lipstick: The Meaning of Beauty in Our Lives Hardcover - 1999

From the publisher

What is lesbian beauty?Lesbians, Levis, and Lipstick: The Meaning of Beauty in Our Lives explores the many definitions of beauty among lesbians by discussing the norms they create and follow. In addition, it questions how these standards are influenced by heterosexual concepts of beauty. Here you'll find essays, poems, and research papers from women who describe some of the freeing and restrictive aspects of lesbian beauty.Lesbians, Levis, and Lipstick: The Meaning of Beauty in Our Lives examines the way lesbians define and explore the notion of beauty. Through moving, personal stories and well-represented research, this book leads the reader on a path of exploration about beauty norms and the way they liberate and confine lesbians.This sometimes humorous book is an in-depth and insightful examination of beauty practices and how lesbians use them as an expression of style and image and as a means of identifying one another. Compelling topics include:

• lesbians'diverse expressions and understandings of beauty
the gender of a bisexual woman's partner and how it impacts her beauty routines and self-image
• beauty standards of older lesbians and how their views on the qualities of potential partners and on their own partners change as they age
the beauty standards of lesbian and bisexual women of color
• pressures on lesbians to be thin and how this affects their feelings about their bodies and themselves
feminism and its potential role in protecting women from eating disorders and negative body imagePersonal, intelligent, and informative, Lesbians, Levis, and Lipstick gives you insight into the meanings of lesbian beauty. Emphasizing strength, confidence, and self-acceptance as attractive qualities, this uplifting book will help you realize your own beauty and give you a new freedom to experiment with fresh expressions of it.