Marching down the Strand in my Knickers - The London Slut Walk 2011

It was a fantastic feeling to march down the Strand and into Trafalgar Square with my knickers on proud display during the London Slutwalk 2011.  The day itself, Saturday 11th June 2011, turned out to be a hot, sunny London summer day so was perfect weather to take your clothes off.
I shouted slogans, bonded with all types of activists, had a tear in my eye at the impassioned speakers and got thoroughly fired up at the all the crap society throws at us for being a girl (or gay/transgender/sex worker/rape victim - the list was long and the cause was loud).  I've spoken about the message behind the march in an earlier post, and I'll do so again, but for now I'll just comment on the day itself.
There were lot's of snap-happy photographers, and I must admit I had a fair few taken of me ( I had a fabulous outfit darlings).  However, as this blog is anonymous I'm afraid I can't show you a picture of me at the march, so instead here are a few snaps of my favourite London Slutwalkers;

These are old-school activists keeping it simple so that the strong message stands out.

 

 This Geisha uses her outfit to say her message for her - is this how we have to dress and act to not get raped or judged nowadays?

 The dominatrix in full length black latex must have been boiling in the sun, so along comes a nice blonde in pigtails to give her an icecream....

My favourite pair of the march.  Their inflatable cocks said "NO MEANS NO", note the shiny policeman's badge on their uniforms as a reference to the Canadian policeman's attitude which started the Slutwalk movement, and they were a really nice pair of guys from NYC to boot.  I had lots of fun camping around with them for a while before they left to go to Covent Garden to buy Baby Gaga breastmilk icecream.  As you do.....

I'm hoping the London Slutwalk is an annual thing - oh, and to top it off, the Naked Bike Ride went past us - TWICE!!!!

London Slut Walk - Stand up & be a slut

So I'm a stripper from London, and proud of it - but will I join those who say they are proud to be a slut in London?
The London Slut Walk is to be held on the 4th June 2011 by the way, if you feel like ambling along in fishnets under a subversively named banner through the streets of central London.  It sounds like it could be quite fun really - getting all dressed up in your finest sluttiest togs, a sun-filled day out with a gaggle of girls - but it has a deeper political meaning.
For those who are unsure, the Slut Walk is part of a broader worldwide movement which was sparked by a Toronto policeman lecturing about the dangers surrounding rape.  I'm sure that the poor guy had a lot more to say to keep those college girls safe, but he'll only ever be remembered for one little aside, a mere throwaway comment; "women should avoid dressing like sluts".
Well, they should avoid dressing like sluts to avoid getting raped - thats what he said, basically, and boy is the poor ol' PC plod in a lot of hot water for saying it.

My last post or so discussed - or flaunted in a particularly boastful, look-at-me slutty manner - about the POWER that lay behind the standout slut outfit, and how something similar should be in every stripper's arsenal.
And then I noticed the comments in the media - 'slut' was being reclaimed for common parlance, like 'queer' was for gays (when will happy people reclaim the word 'gay', huh?- only joking)
What really tickled me at first was that so many wanted to be able to wear slutty clothes without the fear of getting raped.  Surely a slutty outfit is there to excite and arouse sexual desire in others - a corset and thong are not worn for their comfort or practicality.  You can't nip down to the shop in a pair of 6" perspex stiletto's, your money rolled up in a lacy garter across your thigh.  A latex jumpsuit was not invented because you can easily dance in it - or take a piss in a cramped cubicle.  Surely you wanted sexual attention - surely you are asking for it when you are dressed like a slut?
No.  No for two reasons - the first and most obvious is that no woman wants to be raped with impunity by randoms against her will.
But also no because, my view of a slutty outfit and what they do is completely and utterly subjective.  For christ's sake - I'm a stripper, looking like a slut is part of my job.
But if you are not a stripper, and still want to wear heels and fake tan and push-up bras and short skirts and pout provocatively in your £20 designer lipgloss - well why not?  You are a woman looking beautiful and enjoying herself.  A bit of attention might be nice, sure - but sexual assault?  Come on.  That would totally spoil a night out.

I think I've just talked myself into strolling through London on the 4th of June - but I'll leave my standout slut outfit at home and instead walk to reclaim sexy outfit wearing for sluts and non-sluts at the London Slut Walk.

The Standout Slut Outfit

Why look like a slut when you're a dancer? Well, the major problem for a girl trying to attract a guy when standing in a room full of beautiful women is that she is standing in a room full of beautiful women.  Like a peacock with it’s brilliant plumed tail, strippers must find ways to stand out. For times of emergency, break the glass – and pull on your STANDOUT SLUT OUTFIT!!!

A standout slut outfit needs to be composed of two main elements;

It must make a girl stand out from the others

It must scream slutty

The standout slut outfit works a charm if used properly.  You have to be feeling fairly confident and good about yourself or else it can backfire and you will be back to square one in hustling terms. (You don't want to look like a slut if you are feeling crappy - it will screw with your mojo and you will go home feeling cheap and deflated.) It should be used like a little black dress (LBD) – they are both easy choices, with little thought/effort or forward preparation required.  You literally pull it on, and voila! You are ready to go hustle.

For an outfit to stand out, you have to think bright.  A stripper will never be a standout slut if she wears a black lingerie set – that’s the LBD category, and half the girls in the club will be wearing their LBD failsafe on any given night.

White, flouros and glittery numbers work well here.

Lace and fishnet details are great, and helps show a lot of skin.

 An ideal standout slut outfit would be an all white lingerie twopiece with stockings set off against a dirty caramel tan and plenty of bling jewellery

 Or a racy red number covered in Swarvoski crystals, with shiny slick patent shoes or boots, and set off with a feather boa – just totally outrageously slutty, like a street hooker.  

But you have to not only channel the standout slut in your outfit, you have to channel the right kind of attitude to go with it.  Less abused and battered victim, more a ball-breaking, go-getting slut who is reclaiming the word slut and would march at the front of a Toronto Slut Walk.