The rap squat was by far one of the most popular Instagram poses last year. After that, what’s the next big thing that’ll take over our feed? The answer: womanspreading.
Just like manspreading, this is the act of sitting, sometimes standing, with legs spread out and filling the empty space. According to Elle, the queen of this pose is Rihanna, who made it her signature for OOTDs and while performing.
But womanspreading is more than just a trendy pose, it’s also a symbol of empowerment. Body language expert Traci Brown tells Elle that it shows a woman who is competing in a man’s world. “She’s taking up more space by spreading herself out… She’s not going to let people push her around. She owns the place,” Traci says.
If you think about it, it’s somehow similar to how manspreading asserts masculinity and dominance onto others. The fact that women are doing it just shows that they’re not going to take sexist and misogynist BS from these men.
Traci also added that the pose can have physiological benefits as well. “She’s building up power in herself, lowering cortisol (the stress hormone) and building up testosterone (the confidence hormone).”
Aside from RiRi, several women also show off their womanspreading poses by hashtagging their photos and showing solidarity. We also spotted personalities who have done this in some posts.
Martine Cajucom
Kylie Jenner
Solenn Heussaff
Bella Hadid
Kaila Estrada
Lady Gaga
Bea Marin
Kelsey Merritt
Are you into womanspreading too and what it stands for? Feel free to tag us, @preenonline, in your posts!
Art by Lara Intong
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