Reminder That Emma Watson Can Dress However She Wants

Emma Watson posed for a spread in Vanity Fair and further proved that no matter what women do they will be criticized.

Beauty and the Beast and Harry Potter star and activist Emma Watson is an outspoken feminist, celebrity, and woman which means that she’s also the target of criticism for basically every move she makes. And a recent photo of her in the March issue of Vanity Fair is more just more proof.

In one photo, Watson is pretty much topless, but with a strategically-placed piece of fabric that some people call a “stole”. This photo drew accusations against Watson, who has previously criticized the over-sexualization of women, of being a hypocrite.

One of the loudest critics was journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, who took to Twitter to complain about the mixed-messages she believed Emma was sending by taking the photos.

See the ridiculous tweet here:

Of course, the implication of the tweet is that you can’t be taken seriously or be a feminist if you also show skin or look “sexy”. Which obviously is a ridiculous claim. The point of feminism is that women have the choice to dress, act, and speak in any way they want–ideally, in a society that is not misogynistic but hey, can’t win them all!

Feminism is about equality. If a man poses topless in a magazine, he isn’t taken any less seriously. But if a woman chooses to show skin or take “risqué” photos, she’s somehow seen as a “slut” or “bimbo”. Double-standards (and attacks like this tweet honestly) are part of the problem. Women can be smart and sexy. They can dream of not be sexualized by men while also portraying their sexuality how they want. THIS IS THE DREAM. And clearly, we’re not there yet. Which is why we need celebrities like Emma to be outspoken about their pursuit of women’s rights and equality.

Related Story: Beauty and the Beast’s Romance, as Explained by Emma Watson

Hopefully, this serves as a reminder that women can choose to dress however they want without considering how a man (or another woman) will perceive them. Dear Emma, LYLAS and #neverchange.