THE TANK TOP EVERY GIRL SHOULD HAVE

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You walk into the gym and get hit by the smell of sweat, protein shakes, and progress. Guys are going hard and perfecting their deadlifts in the weight room. You see the occasional sprinkle of girls with their hair tied back tightly sporting a dark top and matching bottom so as not to draw too much attention to themselves. Yes, I said girls in the weight room.

While it is becoming increasingly common for girls to workout at the gym just as much as guys do, there is still a societal stigma that girls can either be buff or fragile. Sometimes when asked to picture a very fit girl who works out regularly at the gym, people can’t help but imagine a tall, 5’10’’ girl with bulky biceps, quads, and calves. Many people are actually surprised to see  obviously smaller girls try their hands at lifting weights. When I told one of my guy friends a while ago that I was joining a fitness class focused on toning and sculpting the body he replied with “what, are you trying to look like those super big, sweaty, buff girls?” 

There’s obviously nothing wrong with girls who look like that yet I’m always being warned that if I continue working out I will bulk up - a warning that I still do not heed. 

I’ve pretty much never heard these girls being described as the type to dress up, wear makeup, and throw on heels. It’s as though it’s expected that if you aren’t one of these girls then the alternative is a girly-girl with half a pound of makeup on her face wearing super cute and flirty dresses to class every other day. Let me just say that there are many girls out there who like to look pretty and can throw a knock-out of a punch when needed! 

I am that girl who works out at the gym with full face makeup on. What can I say - I love a good workout and I love my mascara! This brings me to the gorgeous tank top you see pictured above. “Muscles and Mascara” - two seemingly contradicting words - so why are they printed together on the same piece of clothing? 

When I first laid eyes on this gorgeous piece of work of a shirt I mentally applauded its message - simple, sassy, and so true. Why can’t I have the workout ethic of a dude and the beauty skills of a true guru? Why can’t you have the workout ethic of a dude and the beauty skills of a true guru? The answer is simple. 

“For me, ‘muscles and mascara’ means that I can lift weights and I can look pretty as hell - just like a badass,” says sophomore Wendy Zhao as she states her reaction to the message. And that’s exactly how girls who come in contact with this shirt should feel. They should get that surge of confidence and pride knowing that they embody something that is both strong and beautiful - the perfect middle ground. Wearing this tank top should make girls and women feel like superheroes - an army of Wonder Women who are impervious to the shade thrown by stereotypes and, justly so, bask in their own beauty. 

This empowering piece of clothing should be a reminder to society that girls can get toned and still enjoy enhancing their beauty - it doesn’t have to be one or the other! This adorable alliterative mash-up challenges the stereotypical fragile nature of girls who are one with their makeup bags.