I gotta agree with this...I really struggled to find any characters of mine who fit the description, because I simply don't think that way about constructing characters anymore. Like, sure, I have plenty of girls who wear masculine (?) clothing, but the way they think about dressing themselves and the way their gender and personalities feed into that (if they're at all connected) can't simply be boiled down to something like 'tomboy'.
For instance, I have Jackie (left), who dresses kinda masculine, I guess? And her stoic attitude and role as a post-apocalyptic community leader fit well into the 'tomboy' stereotype. But I don't really see her as 'boyish' for having those traits (and I don't think she would either). I mean, I drew her as a short cute girl for a reason...that's how I see her, as just a passionate, dedicated young lady who protects her people.
Conversely, I have Weaver (right), who is much more overtly masculine in appearance, and I designed her that way on purpose. But I didn't think of her as a tomboy; I thought of her more as a butch lesbian specifically...and then gave her a peppy, bubbly personality to immediately subvert that archetype. ^^ I think anyone who got the opportunity to see her physical affection and sweetness in-story might also hesitate to call her a 'tomboy'...despite her appearance, she acts way too girly, displaying behaviors that aren't generally acceptable for boys even today.
On that note: because of the continually evolving schema of what's considered 'masculine' behavior for a female-gendered person, the word 'tomboy' is slowly but very obviously losing any real meaning. ^^; Case in point, the OP-- most people in 2024 would just call that a 'girlboss'. Not some kind of 'combination tomboy'; just a straight-up girlboss.
Tbh, the fact that the character in question wears overtly female-gendered clothing makes the 'tomboy' label questionable even by more antiquated standards, but I think it's important to note that being 'assertive' and 'commanding' is no longer considered at odds with femininity, at least not in the West. There are still gendered standards for how those traits should be displayed (and accepted...), but the traits themselves aren't exclusively masculine anymore.
All that is to say, if you want to make the claim that a character with long hair, lipstick, a skirt and ruffled blouse is a tomboy, you need more than just "she's NOT demure and obedient!" The goalposts have moved since 1965...
I’d say Mev is a tomboy- especially because this set in an era where women wear long skirts and dresses. GIRL WEARING PANTS???? SCANDALOUS!!! you try traipsing around in the woods in gown and you’ll see why pants are the better option. She’s mostly just tomboyish in the perspective of “ye olden days.” She does whatever she wants, lives by herself, evades property taxes, steals chickens… Stuff women generally wouldn’t do.
Yeah exactly.
At some level it feels that the modern use of the word "tomboy" is pretty much just a style of fashion haha.
Of your characters, I would probably call Jackie a tomboy (if I had to use the label, which I honestly kinda don't) purely on an aesthetic level.
And I am with you, I too wouldn't call the character OP posted a tomboy either. She looks more like a uppity librarian or a strict teacher to me haha.
Not to start an argument, just to express an opinion, since what is considered 'mannish' still depends on a number of factors and perspectives.
I consider there to be a wide range of what's considered a tomboy, and what could be considered mannish largely depends on the angle a person is coming from. In modern main stream american culture, many traits that used to be considered tomboyish are not considered that anymore, but they are in my culture, and many of the characters in the story Judith (from the op) is from are conservative and/or immortal, growing up in eras with a sharp stigma for what was acceptable for women.
I consider myself a combination of tomboy and girly girl, like Judith, which is why I like to represent different ocs as different kinds tomboys as well. I think women can have a combination of traditionally masculine and feminine traits while their attitudes sometimes lean in one direction or another, hence, Judith leaning toward tomboy despite her traditionally feminine way of dressing.
Many parts of Judith's personality lean toward what is considered traditionally masculine, even beyond what was mentioned in the op (because I don't want to promote the cliche that all men are aggressive, but it's generally not considered feminine either, and she is very aggressive.)
In the culture I grew up in (and I am only 19) my personality is still considered anti-feminine for desiring independence, valuing my strength, etc. It all depends on the angle you come from, and you really can't limit the word to one perspective of how the world has changed or developed. Honey, in a ton of ways and places, it really hasn't.
So we may not be in the 1965s anymore, but you might be surprised at the way some people still view a woman's role and many of the characters in the OPs story are of this mindset.
I'd also like to represent a wide range of what could be considered a tomboy beyond the cliche. The fashion is great, but there's more to being a tomboy than clothing too, in my arrogant opinion as a woman who still considers herself a tomboy.
So, hey, it may be a fairly outdated term, but it's still used and can be applicable even for a girl who dresses in a traditionally feminine way for a number of reasons. (And actually, some people do consider girl bosses masculine, hence, tomboyish)
So yes, she may have long hair, lipstick, a ruffled blouse, etc, or look like a librarian. But that's still limiting the idea of a tomboy to an aesthetic, and there's more to a person's personality than fashion alone.
There are any number of ways a woman can break from the mold/standard of what society expects them to be, and that is how I personally define a tomboy. A woman breaking away from the traditional gender standard (or even a portion of the standard) imposed on them. A picture doesn't give anyone a chance to get to experience her personality either.
Just my perspective on the topic. Honestly, so many portions/groups/cultures of the world are still operating on the "outdated" standard. And there is for sure more that makes Judith a "tomboy" (in air quotes) than what was mentioned in the OP. I admit, I didn't describe her very well, which may be the cause for confusion. But I don't want to turn it into an essay either lol
I agree with @DokiDokiTsuna
Tomboy is usually for girls (children) and young women who dress or act like a boy.
It's not really a term I associate with older women. I think terms like butch or masc is more often used. But your character doesn't really look like a tomboy or a butch woman.
@NickRowler yeah, that's how I often see the word used as well. Tho she is actually a young woman at age 26, despite the gray in her hair (which is younger still, contextually, since she's immortal) and she's been that way since the MC first met her at age 18.
While masculine may be more often used I don't think a tomboy is just defined by the way they dress, but also by their personalities. It's an and/or situation. Tho I do admit, my perspective on what people consider traditionally masculine is however, influenced by the culture in which I grew up, where many of my own habits/traits are considered mannish.
The reason why I like the character Judith so much is because her visuals stray so far from what most people would consider a tomboy, but it's hard to judge a person off the superficial. It contrasts her from the female lead and her best friend, who would both probably be considered closer to tomboys in appearance, but aren't personality-wise.
In general, I don't think that term is worth using at all, so I only use it for characters (and myself, who I consider a tomboy girly girl combo) because it's rooted in cliches, and real people are too complex to be categorized that way, imao. However, since characters CAN be categorized, I think it's interesting to see how visuals can contrast personalities and coordinate complexities in a character's design. I categorize my female leads as tomboy vs. girly girl vs. fairly neutral by what direction their attitudes lean in, and I think fashion is only one portion of the attitude in the overall ranking
The definition of a tomboy according to merriam-webster is this:
a girl who behaves in a manner usually considered boyish
this does not describe fashion at all. it describes behavior, in which respect, Judith could be considered a tomboy and is by the people in her world. The fashion is not the only standard by which you can judge whether a girl is a tomboy. However, what is considered "boyish" varies from person to person, culture to culture and group to group
I mean...choosing to dress yourself in a specific way is still a behavior. ^^; And considering how closely clothing is tied to gender expression (and has been for centuries), I feel like separating the two is kinda splitting hairs...?
But that's more of a nitpick; I think this is the real crux of the issue:
I understand that choice for a definition. But as other people have stated, most people don't share it, so its usefulness is clearly limited. :T And secondly...I think a lot of people, when thinking of a woman breaking free from the gendered expectations placed on them by society*, would rather not immediately place their behavior under another gendered label.
I believe this is the reason why 'tomboy' is becoming outdated-- it comes from an era where there were only two options; girl or boy. So a girl who does not act like a typical girl must instead be labeled some form of boy...rather than just a different kind of girl, or god forbid, just a human being who isn't necessarily expressing their gender through every action they take.
Like, we're at a point where the idea that all humans should be allowed to experience toughness and softness, to be assertive or cooperative, to be loud or quiet...is slowly becoming socially acceptable, at long last. So a word that calls a girl with a certain personality type a "___boy" is slowly becoming unnecessary.
And when I say slowly, I do mean slowly. Of course it's not like that everywhere, or for everyone...I grew up using 'tomboy' too, and uselessly trying to figure out whether or not it applied to me (#nonbinary). But I...don't see a need for it anymore. And I'm not surprised that other people feel the same, in a forum full of writers and artists. ^^; I.E. people who tend to think a little more deeply about social norms and the way words shape our thoughts.
*You mentioned a lot about how this 'tomboy' is technically immortal, and so her behavior can be considered particularly masculine relative to the time period she actually came from. And although I think that's valid, I feel like there could be a better way to express that through her design.
I know your emphasis is on her personality (word choice and mannerisms too, I hope) but...frankly, the idea that an immortal woman who clearly has a unique relationship with gender just looks like a 'librarian' (like, a design that could read as 'ordinary woman' across 300 years of fashion, if not more) is really disappointing, ngl.
Why not have her wear antiquated mens' fashion that reads as more feminine today, displaying her supernatural age AND her 'tomboyish' personality simultaneously? Or go the artsy route and design something original that reflects her attitude; lots of big showy clothing with striking colors to communicate her dominant attitude.
Even just changing the pose in that artwork could help: why is she just calmly waving? If she has such a blatantly 'mannish' personality, show it-- cross her arms, let her stand with her legs apart, have her look directly at the viewer instead of vaguely off to the side.
Like, sometimes when people don't understand what you're doing with a character, it's because you're not giving them information that actually conveys it. And I feel like that's the case here...I don't think it would be impossible to have that character read as a 'tomboy'. But I don't really see anything that would convince me to read her that way.
Hey, I getcha, and I do think the term tomboy is pretty outdated in any use outside of characters, so here's a bit of explanation on Judith and why she doesn't read as "tomboy" the way folks usually see them.
It's a matter of pov, in this story anyway.
She lives in a very secluded/Isolated place that hasn't updated with modern society and because it's mostly run by sexist guys (and she is the only woman in her role where she works) they continue to perpetuate a standard of how a woman should behave that they expect her to fit. Judith intentionally defies this through her behavior in interactions with her boss in order to defy his belief of how she should behave (she hates him, he's condescending and in love with her etc.)
She would wear more traditionally masculine clothes to achieve this end as well, except, that she's learned that the children she works with and the foster families are less afraid of her if she appears more traditionally feminine. She wants the kids to feel safe and the parents not to feel threatened so she can analyze them (she's a spy/psychologist.)
Her lipstick is also part of a color code that her company uses, incorporating colors that mean specific things into each agent's clothing as a visual cue to government etc. Rather than making her whole outfit obviously purple she chose to use lipstick so it would be less ostentatious (in her opinion.) And thus suspicious. That shade of purple authorizes her to kill kidnappers/child poachers on sight.
As for her posture, that was just cuz I'm bland with poses lol. I could have done better. Either way, I think a representation is probably different by culture, story and situation. This interpretation of a tomboy won't suit everyone, and maybe I'm using it wrong. Honestly, very few of my characters, if any, can fit directly into most categories, so I'm not above admitting I could be mistaken. Especially because as a poet, i know i love dichotomies and slant definitions/uses of words.
If you don't think she's a tomboy, maybe she isn't and I'm misusing the word/idea, who knows. She's considered a tomboy by the people she works with, so I'm basing it on the standards of the people she interacts with in HER world, rather than the modern up-to-date western world.
Believe me, growing up in a household that promoted speakers saying that a woman's role is to obey her father until she gets married and obeys her husband, no matter how they treat you, traditional gender roles are something I think a lot about, and I'm NOT saying I agree with them. I've been in conflict with how I'm expected to behave for quite a long time. But in the end, Judith's coworkers and superior's view of her, and even how she represents, is inspired by my own personal experience. She won't be a character for everyone, but she has a personal connection to me.