Femme

Femme

(noun / adjective)

It often refers to an outward gender expression based on culturally understood femininity, though it can be so much more including an identity term. Variations include “hard femme” which refers to an expression that is feminine in an edgy or hard-rock way, and “high femme” which refers to an expression that is an aspect of femininity, usually the aesthetic aspects, taken to an extreme. The history of femme goes back into the early 1900s queer community, though it’s most directly linked with the lesbian community.

e.g. Rachel occasionally has high femme days, wearing a full face of makeup and large elaborate dresses.

Further reading to gain expanded context:

What We Mean When We Say “Femme”: A Roundtable | Autostraddle

On Being Femme and Non-Binary | Archer Magazine

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