Sarah Connor, Trinity, Laura Croft, Buffy Summers – I have a thing for badass women who are unapologetic and lethal. It might be my Mars in Aries placement or watching Terminator 2 at an incredibly impressionable age, but I desperately wish I could snap my fingers and automatically be able to know how to take someone down in hand-to-hand combat and hit a target while somersaulting into my getaway vehicle. However, the truth of the matter is, I’m more Jessica Day than Jessica Jones. Despite thinking that my final form is that of a tortured female heroine with trust issues and the stamina to run for miles in chunky boots with a slight heel, the reality is those characters are a fantasy. And if my destiny was meant to be that of a true ass-kicker, I’d be writing case reports for the FBI instead of Facebook analytics. So the next best thing in embodying that boss energy is through my fashion choices. Leather pants have always been a part of my mental closet, yet I’ve never purchased any, and it’s an item I frequently window shop. The latest pair of leather pants I’ve set my heart on is from Anine Bing, which then lead to me perusing the rest of her site and finding more items that inform my heroine’s day to night transformation.

One day I’ll have leather pants. I have a signature leather jacket that needs an upgrade as it was purchased from Forever 21 over 15 years ago and is finally starting to show that it’s from Forever 21. But until I’m able to have the full leather pant and jacket combo, I’ll abandon my add-to carts until I can justify the extravagant purchase

Here are some recent add to carts (didn’t buy):

1. Tourmaline Double Crystal Ring (House of Harlow 1960) – $75.00
2. The Vanity Leather Crossbody Bag (Marc Jacobs) – $495.00
3. Rey Top (Anine Bing) – $399.00
4. Eleanor Trouser (Anine Bing) – $349.00
5. Jagger Pant (Anine Bing) – $899.00
6. Carla Pant (Anine Bing) – $249.00

*And just in case it needs to be stated, I think my country (America) desperately needs gun reform, and just because I would like to be able to shoot a gun and enjoy shoot’em up style games and movies does not mean that I support how people can easily access and modify weapons to be nearly automatic. I do think that shooting a gun at a target on a range can be enjoyable like archy or ax throwing, and by no means, unless zombies are attacking you, robots have become self-aware, or another truly life-threatening incident is occurring should a gun be pointed at another human being. Let’s be clear on that. 

**My collage of ass-kicking women has highlighted the whiteness of these characters/space and the desperate need for greater representation in this area of female action characters. Yes, I could have looked up WOC action heroines to add to my collage, but it would have been performative versus characters that I have genuinely seen or connected with over my lifetime. The truth is women of color are not cast and centered in stories about badass women taking charge and being unapologetic about their power nearly as much as they should. Michonne is the only character I can think of that isn’t white, who falls into this area of badassery. Let this be an example of why progress needs to be made in this space. #representationmatters