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Asamisilkglove

Time to throw the silk gloves away and unveil the steel fist, eh?

According to fiction, some Tomboys will have girlier sides that are either an embarrassment or a soft spot for them. Or put them together: it began as an embarrassment but became a soft spot. Can the Inverted Trope happen, or more exactly: can Girly Girls have hidden or explicit tomboy sides?

Of course they can.

This girl is feminine to the hilt, looks dainty and maybe a bit frail, but will surprise her peers via showing a more tomboyish disposition from time to time. Whether it's a distaste for pink, a willingness to get down and dirty (sports or otherwise), or a knack for troublesome power tools, she can be a Lady of War or a Girly Bruiser (among other things). She may be a grown-up tomboy who didn't throw away this side after her Girliness Upgrade (or if she did, she decided to re-embrace it). She may be a girly girl Raised by Dudes who picked up some quirks from the guys around her. She may have a more tomboyish friend (maybe a Tomboy with a Girly Streak) and picked up cues from her. She may, well, simply be a feminine girl who likes more boyish stuff. There are as many reasons as girls and women are in the world, after all.

Sister Trope to Real Men Wear Pink. Logically, Truth in Television and just as likely to be a foil for the Tomboy with a Girly Streak.

Examples of Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak include:


Anime[]

Comic Books[]

Fan Fiction[]

Film: Animation[]

  • Beauty and the Beast: In the original film, Belle doesn't fully fit any girly nor tomboyish archetypes, but she has a graceful and feminine demeanor, and she loves romantic fairy tales. She is also a Spirited Young Lady who reads a lot of books and makes attempts to get herself out of scrapes and has her own destiny as being something more than settling down and being a housewife. This makes her stand out among the villagers, especially given the traditional role of women during that time.
  • Giselle from Enchanted is very feminine and cute, but she does end up sending a troll flying early on. And she ends up saving her love interest...twice. (Though ironically enough, she saves Robert the first time from Edward, who she was originally planning to marry before realizing that she and Robert were a better matchup) She is adorably naive though.
  • Shanti from The Jungle Book (Disney film), the sweet Village Fille Fatale and Girly Girl, becomes this in the sequel when she gets feisty, punches Baloo's nose, bangs on some gongs and starts loving the jungle more along with Mowgli.
  • Princess Jasmine from Aladdin (Disney film); she has a very feminine side and isn't afraid to use her feminine wiles to help Aladdin and is always wearing fine jewels and clothes. In the TV series, she gushes over fashion. She is also strong-willed, a tough fighter, and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.
  • Peter Pan (Disney film): Tinker Bell has a cute, dainty, and delicate appearance, wears a minidress and elegant puffball shoes, likes to admire herself in a mirror, and gets jealous when other girls talk to Peter. However, she's also adventurous, hangs out with guys, and likes fixing things.
  • Shrek: Princess Fiona was born as a princess, and she acts like a Proper Lady, has a sweet personality, wears dresses, and likes fairy tale romances. She also is a rough eater and a loud burper (louder than Shrek), and she is an expert at martial arts.
  • The Swan Princess: Princess Odette was a Tomboy Princess as a little girl and fought with a sword, but she becomes more feminine as she grows up. That being said, she still does know how to fight and defend herself and others.
  • Super Mario Bros. (film): Princess Peach has a more tough and goal-oriented attitude than the games generally present her, but her sparkly pink regalia and castle are lifted straight from them all the same.
    • The Peach from the 2023 animated movie is this as well, being a Badass Adorable Princess who actually teaches Mario to fight and personally leads her Kingdom's armies while wearing a pink dress. Heck, she spends a good part of the movie in pretty dresses (including a wedding gown) but also puts on a Sensual Spandex-like outfit when it's time to ride a motorcicle.
  • Tangled: Rapunzel has a bubbly and sweet personality, normally wears feminine dresses, and has hobbies of cooking and sewing. But she also doesn't mind getting rough when in a fight and has an unwavering love for adventure.

Film: Live-Action[]

  • The Parent Trap: In the 1998 version, Annie James is the more girly twin. She is prim and proper, wears flouncy clothing, and was raised by her mother. However, she also loves sports as much as Hallie Parker (the more tomboyish twin) does, such as fencing and swimming, and she doesn't mind hiking in the woods.

Literature[]

  • American Girls Collection: Samantha Parkington wears flouncy dresses and hair bows, and she cherishes dolls and teddy bears. However, she also enjoys climbing trees, riding her bike, and riding in motor cars. She is very outspoken, and doesn't exactly behave like a Proper Lady like her grandmother expects her to be. She even believes that women have the right to be president.
    • Samantha's adopted sister, Nellie O'Malley, also cherishes dolls and wears dresses and bows, along with wearing a lovely silver cross necklace, but she also enjoys learning practical things such as troubleshooting car problems and fixing clocks.
    • Isabel Hoffman, the more girly twin in comparison to her more tomboyish twin sister Nicki, because she is more into fashion, anything pink, pop music, sparkly things, and bright colors, but she also has a sporty side for tennis when she plays with her new friend Olivia.
    • Rebecca Rubin is very dreamy and dramatic, always wants to look her best, cherishes her Jewish traditions, enjoys dressing up, playing with dolls, and performing, and has the dream of being an actress when she grows up. Although, she surprisingly has the urge to climb up a ferris wheel to save her cousin, Ana.
    • Ivy Ling is very fashionable and girly compared to her basketball-loving athletic best friend Julie Albright, and she loves baking and making bracelets, but she also participates in gymnastics, and she sometimes plays basketball with Julie, even though Julie is more skilled at basketball than she is.
    • Courtney Moore is into fashion, dolls, and stuffed animals, loves bright and vibrant colors, always dances to music, always wants to look her best for pictures, collects items from Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, and cherishes her Molly McIntire doll she receives as a Christmas gift. Although, she is also a gamer girl who enjoys playing arcade games (with her favorite being Pac-Man).
  • The Baby Sitters Club: Stacey McGill is the most feminine of the club members. She is very fashionable, boy-crazy, romantic, trendy, and glamorous, and has a strong hobby for shopping, babysitting, reading celebrity magazines, and living a typical New York life. On the other hand, her favorite color is navy blue, and she doesn't have any fear when watching horror movies.
    • Mary Anne Spier is a very shy, sensitive, and romantic girl who cries easily, adores kittens, and has hobbies of sewing and knitting, but she dislikes the color pink and dislikes her childish "little girl" bedroom until she finally stands up to her father and changes the style of her bedroom.
    • Claudia Kishi loves fashion (much like Stacey), art, and boys, but she is also a slightly chaotic Big Eater who enjoys mystery books, and is also mentioned to being a great skier.
    • Jessi Ramsey enjoys dancing, art, and fashion trends, and she participates in ballet, but she also participates in swimming.
    • Mallory Pike is an insecure Naive Everygirl who hates sports, wants to be prettier, and is a motherly figure to her siblings, but horses are her favorite animal, and she enjoys horseback riding.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer: In Return to Chaos, Amanda Singer is a gossipy fashionista who Cordelia calls the "least sinister" person she knows, but she also plays lacrosse.
  • The Chronicles of Narnia: While Susan is the girly girl among the Pevensies, her interests, both as a Narnian monarch and an English schoolgirl, including archery and swimming, and she is said to be quite good at both.
  • Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell has a feminine and dainty appearance and wears a mini dress and elegant puffball shoes, but she also fixes and repairs things and has a talent for it.
    • Queen Clarion may be an elegant royalty to Pixie Hollow, and she knows how to ride a butterfly, she is active whenever she needs to be, and she truly dislikes wearing shoes.
  • Magic Attic Club: Heather Hardin gushes over fashion and the color pink, wears several fanciful outfits, and enjoys dress up, ballet, romance, and talking about celebrities, and she has the dream of being either a fashion designer or a professional ballet dancer when she grows up. However, she also joins the basketball team at school (even though she isn't very skilled at it), and she also enjoys horseback riding.
    • Megan Ryder enjoys dressing up, wearing fanciful outfits, and reading fairy tale stories, and she avoids getting dirty or sweaty at all costs and is the least sporty and athletic out of her friends. Although, she does have a little sporty side for skiing and tennis, she joins the basketball team, she dislikes the colors pink and purple (which are usually considered more feminine colors), and she even develops interest in her day-camp Father-Daughter Field Day event.
    • Keisha Vance wears several fancy outfits, likes the color purple (which can be considered a feminine color), and enjoys singing, dancing, and music, but she can also be as athletic as Alison McCan, and she participates in gymnastics and cheerleading.
    • Rose Hopkins enjoys dressing up in the attic, wears feminine outfits, brushes her hair when she is anxious, and is very supportive of her Cheyenne heritage, but she is also known as a "computer whiz," and she enjoys playing soccer and is more skilled at it than Alison McCan. In fact, she even wants to be a soccer player at the Olympics someday.
    • In the 2003 reboot, there's Chloe, who doesn't show up in the actual book series, but the doll of her wears a girly and pink outfit, and she is stated to loving dress up, poetry, singing, and dancing, and being responsible for volunteering at a clothing store and hopes to own one of her own someday. She is also stated as being as daring and athletic as Alison McCan, and also enjoying skateboarding, swimming, and surfing with her brother.
  • Stardust Classics: Laurel the Woodfairy wears feminine and frilly dresses, has long and curly hair, enjoys playing the flute, enjoys everything about being a fairy, and is a motherly figure to her animal friends. But she also has an adventurous and active side of her, and she is able to ride a log boat across a river.

Live-Action TV[]

  • Leverage: Sophie the Grifter is normally associated with conning people, usually with Honey Traps, or being Pretty in Mink on the con. As the series progressed, she became an increasingly competent physical combatant (especially against the hired gun in "The Reunion Job").
  • The Teletubbies: Laa-Laa (the yellow Teletubby) is motherly, gentle, sweet, and bubbly, and she enjoys wearing skirts, singing, and dancing, and adores the rabbits in Teletubbyand (and also the Tiddlytubbies in the reboot). She also doesn't mind jumping in puddles at times, plays with a big orange ball, and occasionally has fun getting muddy.

Video Games[]

  • In the Fire Emblem Gaiden remake, the Pegasus Knight Clair is rewritten as one. She has the looks, the speech patterns and the attitude of a Proper Lady, but is a natural at fighting (much to the surprise of her older brother's rather old fashioned friend) and is completely unafraid of speaking her mind.
  • Yukiko Amagi from Persona 4. She's a traditionally feminine and well-mannered Yamato Nadeshiko, but is also a Nightmare Fetishist and Lethal Chef.
  • Emilie "Lili" de Rochefort is a very dainty, proper-looking, rather spoiled teenage girl with long blond hair, but she loves fighting (in a very feminine way) and is not afraid to say what's in her mind.
    • Her alternate in the sixth game was supposed to be a more tomboyish contrast to her usual dress, but it in itself is quite feminine in a different way.
  • Ibuki from the Street Fighter franchise is one of the most girliest girls in the series, but when she is in full ninja mode her fightstyle is actually a rather unisex style fitting for smaller combatants, and is shown to be quite capable with tools and weapons while in tasks.
  • Kokoro from Dead or Alive was raised to be a polite lady and is currently a maiko. Despite having her heritage and paternal family lines hidden to her by her mother Kokoro, she developed a desire for combat and even self taught herself baji quan.
    • Her older half sister Helena even felt Kokoro's more assertive wrath in the fifth game, when Kokoro found out about her paternal family relations via a third party. Nothing has been shown with her mother, however.
  • Cindy Lennox from Resident Evil Outbreak is the girly girl of the series and she wears more form fitting clothes than the other two girls (though one of them is her work clothes she was wearing while the outbreak started). She has the same core abilities to tackle everyone else could and could use the same weapons everyone else including the tomboy Alyssa could (though her stats using them are among the worst of the cast).
  • Miss Spencer from Rumble Roses has wrestling experience that rivals that of Noble Rose (the oldest daughter of the legendary Kamikaze Rose who is said to be leagues above the current roses available to play in the game) and has a nice blend of both technical skill and raw strength but she is shown to be quite motherly towards Candy Cane and also feels her age is getting in the way of her romance options.
    • As a contrast to Dixie, who is literally the other end of this trope, Aisha wanted to be prom queen badly in high school and generally felt outclassed in a feminine way by Dixie. Aisha became a famous dancer but still feels outclassed by Dixie even during the time of the Rumble Roses tournament but despite this Aisha wears actual pants (even if they don't cover what is behind them well) and she tends to do the most damage per hit in terms of strikes than any of the other Roses with her lethal move for her superstar variant being the strongest of the game, stronger than any Lady-X. Her fightstyle is even more akin to actual street fighting than wrestling.
    • Candy Cane wears a punk skirt and keeps a heart shaped pendant but she also has a street style, though not as refined as Aisha's. She also cheats by clobbering her opponents with a guitar, but her own ability to take damage is rather pitiful. Becky, Candy's face version is a lesser example. She took up a cheerleading role and uses a high flying style but her shared actions such as climbing to the top rope and exciting the ring are actually among the most practical and non-feminine ways the cast do it. Some like Miss Spencer for example take their dainty time to do these actions.
  • Momiji from Ninja Gaiden is a shrine maiden and also enjoys knitting alongside reading. She is also is gentle and soft spoken leading her to be looked at as a motherly/older sister figure to the children of the village. She isn't afraid to kill people who wronged her and has a drive to improve as a ninja that rivals her male master, this alongside still doing her shrine maiden duties. Though she hasn't exactly lived up to her stated drive in actual duty...
    • DOA amps up the "tomboy" side just a tad, she is the hardest hitting but slowest moving female ninja (though it is worth noting she is still very fast moving, and she still pales in comparison in the strike comparison to others such as Rachel and Bass), and she only goes to Zack's Island when she was lied to that her master Hayabusa ordered her to rather than for pleasure like the other girls.
  • Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros. has been portrayed as one in more recent years, especially in the 2023 movie and in Super Smash Bros.
    • Toadette has a pink-coded appearance, has a giggly and bubbly personality, and is shown to be sweet and sensitive. But she joins in the same sports and kart races her friends participate in, and she enjoys exploring in Captain Toad and is one of the constructors in building Princess Peach's castle in Super Mario Maker 2.
    • Rosalina is in between Peach and Daisy, but she has a feminine appearance with her blue dress, silver crown, and light pinkish lips, and she has a calm and feminine demeanor, but she also joins Peach and Daisy along with the rest of the gang for sports and go-karting, and she's also been joining into Mario parties ever since the Wii U era.
    • Pauline has many fashionable and elegant outfits, wears makeup (including her purple eye shadow, black mascara, and red lipstick), and is shown having hobbies of singing, dancing, and performing in Odyssey, but ever since the beginning of the Switch era, she has been shown having a more energetic and sporty side and getting involved in more spin-offs than in the past, such as Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Kart Tour, Mario Strikers: Battle League, and Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Visual Novels[]

Western Animation[]

  • Adventure Time: Princess Bubblegum is a Proper Lady who presents herself as a Princess Classic and always wears pink, but she is also a gifted Emperor Scientist and a ruling princess who can be quite ruthless and calculating in the interests of her realm.
  • Alvin and The Chipmunks: Eleanor Miller wears an adorable school-like uniform and is as fashionable as Brittany and Jeanette, but she also has a sporty side for soccer.
  • The Backyardigans: Tasha is the most feminine of the cast, but she is willing to get dirty if the role she plays during an adventure requires it.
  • Pictured above: The Legend of Korra has Korra's best friend and eventual girlfriend, Asami Sato. She is an absolutely gorgeous Proper Lady with a Girly Bruiser side (and whose favorite weapon is an electric gauntlet), a Biker Babe one (which left Mako quite starstruck) and a knack for mechanics.
  • The Voltron: Legendary Defender incarnation of Princess Allura looks like a very feminine Princess Classic and does have very girly traits like her long hair and her love of animals, jewelry and sparkly stuff. But she also has Super Strength, is an accomplished fighter can show a Hot-Blooded side when angry. Her introduction leaves it pretty clear: at one moment she near passes out in Lance's arms, the other has her pining him to the floor as she mistakes him for an invader.
  • Little Einsteins: June has a feminine appearance and has a strong hobby and skill for ballet dancing, but she's also considered athletic and has short hair.
    • Annie has a cutesy dress (that is blue in the first season but pink in the second season) and bows in her pigtails, and she has a hobby for singing. But she also doesn't mind dressing as a cowgirl or being a farmer in certain episodes.
  • The Loud House: Lola Loud is the most feminine of her sisters. She loves the color pink, obsesses over princesses (not to mention she even dress like one as her default look), throws tea parties, competes in beauty pageants, plays with dolls, collects stuffed animals, and doesn't like getting dirty. However, she also adores Lincoln's pet tarantula, has lack of interest in the Princess Pony series on TV, can be rough when playing around with Lana, her more tomboyish twin.
    • Leni Loud is an aspiring fashion designer who regularly makes her own clothing, wears dresses most of the time, and clothes, makeup, and nail polish are her very favorite things ever, but she also enjoys playing video games with Lincoln and Clyde.
    • Lori Loud is a Valley Girl who enjoys fashion, chatting on her phone, makeup, and painting her nails, but she also farts when nobody else is around, is as skilled at video games as Lincoln, is a skilled golfer to the point where she receives a golf scholarship for college, and acts dominant and assertive on a frequent basis.
    • Lucy Loud enjoys romance, often wears a dress, writes poetry, and enjoys Princess Pony comic books, but she also dislikes the color pink, is very stoic and snarky, and has strong interests in anything with the horror genre.
    • Rita Loud wears a salmon pink outfit, enjoys pedicures, shopping, and writing, but she also has an aggressive side, is a craftsman and a dental assistant all at once, and has the abilities to fly a plane.
    • Carlota Casagrande is very into fashion and makeup, but is also skilled at basketball.
    • Sid's little sister Adelaide loves unicorns and princesses as much as karate and frogs.
    • Jordan enjoys fashion and makeup, but is also skilled at dodgeball.
  • The Magic School Bus: Phoebe Terese has a kind and gentle nature, adores animals, and is a big old softie. She also the striker to her school's football team, and she participates in after-school karate.
    • Keesha Franklin wears a purple outfit and is a ballet dancer, but she also has the defense role in her school's football team.
  • My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has Rarity, an extremely dainty Fashionista who is also pretty aggressive when it's time to fight.
    • Fluttershy is kind, sweet, motherly, and adores animals and cute things, but is skilled at Buckball.
    • Pinkie Pie loves singing, cooking, and baking and has a bubbly nature, but she is also loud and boisterous at times and is a big eater.
    • Sweetie Belle is very fashionable and as elegant as her sister, Rarity, but she is also not the greatest chef, and she doesn't mind getting dirty at times.
    • Princess Celestia is a graceful princess, but she is also a big eater and a thrill seeker to those who pull pranks or mess with her.
  • Olivia (animation): Olivia herself loves princesses and playing dress up, but she also very sporty when she needs to be, and she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty at times.
  • The Powerpuff Girls: Bubbles has the most girly personality of her sisters, due to always wanting to look cute and beautiful, often playing with stuffed animals, keeps her hair as Girlish Pigtails, and has a bubbly, cutesy, Genki Girl personality, but she is also a loud screamer and a tough fighter as much as her sisters and is pretty much a Girly Bruiser.
    • Blossom has the most feminine appearance out of her sisters (pink dress, red bow, and long hair), is into fashion, and tends to be vain, but she is also a Girly Bruiser.
  • Star Butterfly from Star vs. the Forces of Evil is an Action Girl who brutally fights monsters. But she loves anything cute, is very girly-looking, wears a plethora of different dresses, and tends to blast very cutesy (but dangerous) rays from her wand.
  • Bloom from Winx Club has a feminine appearance with long hair and a blue feminine default outfit, wears many skirts and dresses, and enjoys reading, baking, watching romantic comedies, and spending time with friends. But she also participates in certain sports, has a hot-headed temper, isn't afraid to get her hands dirty at times, and has a adventurous spirit in her.
  • Wonder Pets: Ming-Ming is more girly compared to Linny, because she wears more skirts and dresses when she's not wearing her cape. but she can be just as active and adventurous as the other Wonder Pets, and she mostly wears a pilot's cap.
  • The Zelda from The Legend of Zelda cartoon is shown to abide by princess duties and is fond of the color pink and even sometimes seeks romance and multiple time has jumped onto Link's arms but she also yearns for adventure being much more athletic and less dependent on magic than her game versions. This Zelda even fought off a monster from Ganon himself for an extended amount of time with minimal effort.