What is attractive?

I struggled against the values I was raised with (militant feminist), societal pressures (look attractive to men) and my love of fashion (an industry that thrives on insecurity) during my earlier years. I tested the waters, especially in university, of what feminine power was – what sex appeal could be and when I looked at how others treated me I wasn’t always happy with what I saw. I’m not just tits and ass, I never have been, yet these seem to be the most common descriptors of women today.

Sure I have body parts that I think look pretty damned good – but I am more than a low cut top or well fitted jeans. Isn’t attractiveness more about the confidence to swing your hips and pull your shoulders back when you walk down the street? Isn’t it attractive to have a mind of your own and a sense of adventure? I’d like to think attractiveness is more than long hair, a skinny body with big boobs - all placed in some ridiculous position and misted with water or oil for sheen.

Couldn’t I be; confident, fun, smart, spontaneous… descriptors that don’t focus on my physical attributes. Couldn’t I just be an attractive woman?