When I imagine a girly, feminine woman the first thing that comes to mind is someone who is very kind, beautiful, happy, and always sociable and charming. I would never imagine a quiet, introverted woman.

I would describe myself as introverted. I need alone time and space to recharge after social events or even just when I've spent the whole day with my talkative husband. I really need at least a little time of peace and quiet daily in order for me to relax. If I don't get that alone time then my anxiety and stress just continues to build up until I eventually begin to unintentionally react on the people around me.

I always thought that this introverted part of me meant that I could never be as feminine as a bubbly extroverted woman. I also saw it as an unattractive trait to the opposite sex. I didn't want to feel drained and low energy in social situations, but it wasn't something I could change. The best I could do was just hide it and pretend to be an extrovert.

Recently I came across an article that addressed this topic and it turns out that even Audrey Hepburn, who has always been a huge role model for me, is also very introverted. Once she was quoted saying, “I have to be alone very often. I’d be perfectly happy if I spent Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.”

Reading this article made me feel so much better about being introverted and I no longer consider it a negative trait. I still believe that it is feminine to be social when necessary and to try not to be too reclusive, but it's comforting knowing that introverted women like Audrey Hepburn can still be the feminine ideal.

Here is the article if you'd like to read it yourself: https://introvertspring.com/why-introverted-women-are-less-accepted-than-introverted-men/