Positive Mind-Set + Positive Feminism = Moxie Chic

At Moxie Chic, we are all about positivity -- in how we perceive girls and women, how girls and women should perceive themselves and how we view feminism. We believe that MOXIE and POSITIVE FEMINISM look good on every girl and woman. And here’s why:

On Female Positive Growth Mindset:

I want all girls and women to accomplish the extraordinary -- and I think the first step is believing in oneself. Everyone knows the story of the Little Engine That Could; he ultimately climbed up the hill because he told himself he could and at some point, he started believing in himself and accomplished the task. The hope is that each of us internalizes the notion that “WE CAN DO IT!” (yup, just like Rosie the Riveter says), but unfortunately, this message gets lost for many as we move forward on our  journey through life. 

Countless messages undermining girls and women float in the universe, and are often incredibly subtle and easy to miss, but make no mistake, they get internalized and impact how we think, feel and behave. For example, the teacher who pays more attention to boys than girls in math class sends a signal to everyone in the class, and, girls who are just as capable in math than the boys often perform worse than them simply because greater attention is given to the boys. Studies involving this very example have shown that implicit bias causes girls to suffer on the confidence scale, especially as compared to their male counterparts; it influences self-perception and ultimate performance -- in math class and in life. A more recent study goes even further, showing 90% of the global population -- including men and women -- are explicitly biased against women.

This phenomenon -- where beliefs lead to behavior, that in turn causes those beliefs to come true -- is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, believing in an outcome leads one to act in a way that causes that very outcome; high expectations lead to better performance -- and vice versa. This is why Moxie Chic believes that all girls need a growth mind-set -- they must overcome whatever societal signals are undermining them, believe in themselves and achieve whatever they set their minds to. Someone with a growth mind-set overcomes failure by looking at it as an opportunity to learn and grow -- and sees others’ successes as inspiration; ultimately, one with this healthy mind-set see  themselves as capable and worthy -- and that makes all the difference -- they are the Little Engine that Could and so they do.

My hope is that adopting the word “moxie” -- and using it instead of the many negative terms often used to describe strong, bold women -- will help -- over time -- overcome at least some of the existing female-focused biases existing in society and create a positive female image and self-fulfilling prophecy for each of us, and therefore, a stronger unified front for all of girls/women. 

On Positive Feminism:

I believe you don’t need to alienate the boys to want, fight for and achieve gender equality. Feminism doesn’t have to be a zero sum game, pitting girls and women against the “patriarchy.” While “The Future Is Female” sounds terrific and is certainly uplifting for girls, it puts down the guys. . .Do we have to do that to achieve female success and gender equality?

Feminism infused with positivity could go a long way towards galvanizing feminists (and their male allies), inspiring and achieving constructive change for girls and women and making all the difference in women’s fight for that equality. In other words, balancing the scale of justice could be well served by balancing the scale of feminist messaging. 

The vision:

• Young feminists speaking proudly in feminist terms with powerful voices (that are not X rated or self-defeating). The hope is that with a positive outlook they will grow up maintaining positive associations with feminism and holding tight to the belief in female empowerment. 

• Girls and women harnessing positive energy for constructive, positive actions that will better women’s positions in this world, rather than have successes derailed or thwarted by negativity.  (For example, the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU, established by RBG in 1972 would be a great place to consider applying that energy!) 

• Feminist moms feeling empowered to lift up their daughters, without offending the loving and supportive boys and men in their lives. 

• Men embracing the movement and advocating for women’s rights, rather than feeling marginalized and on the defensive. 

• Boys starting at the earliest ages to see and believe in the beauty of strong, confident girls and women, rather than being distracted, offended or hurt themselves by the ugliness of hatred and anger.

We see a world of opportunity in being positive. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a tremendous source of inspiration (and after all, she knows a thing or two about fighting for equal rights, as she dismantled unfair gender biases in our legal system — one case at a time — to create a more just and equitable society for all): 

• “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” 

• “Don't be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy and waste time."  

We women have a lot of work to do, and we can’t afford to squander limited energy.

With positivity, women can forge ahead, focusing on making a difference with meaningful actions; women and men can celebrate women’s achievements and amplify female voices so everyone -- kids included -- can hear and feel, respect and embrace girl power. Our kids can grow into healthy, balanced, respectful, responsible, caring and productive citizens. Today’s little girls will grow up internalizing that they can accomplish the extraordinary and grow up to be strong women who indeed accomplish the extraordinary. Today’s little boys will grow up to be strong and respectful men who appreciate and celebrate -- rather than feel pitted against -- strong women. A positive and optimistic feminism seems like a powerful formula to advance and secure women’s rights, as well as peace and harmony, for our, and more importantly, our children’s future.

“The Future Is Female” has nice alliteration -- but “Balancing the Scale” (in the spirit of RBG) is a slogan my daughters AND my sons can rally behind.

Bolt of Positive Energy:

Our MOXIE BOLT symbolizes the spirit and ethos of the company because it is strong, energizing, energized and bright -- precisely what we want all girls and women to feel and more importantly, think, about themselves.  The road to equality is not a short or straight path -- and we all come to gender issues and feminist thought with different experiences and perspectives. We believe that positivity could serve our goals and mission as women feminists well to accomplish the extraordinary both as individuals and on our collective journey to equality.  .  .