A basic is described as the "typical" girl that thinks they are cool because they're artsy, can make a duck face, carry around coffee cups, and wear designer brands. You'll know a basic when you see one

Thanks, Urban Dictionary, for this completely inaccurate and irrelevant stereotype thrust upon women across the globe!

This idea--that liking or doing certain things makes you uninteresting--is something that is either embraced or denied, but hardly ever ignored completely. Why does it have to be a negative thing that I like the cold air, changing leaves and nostalgic holidays that accompany fall? Or that I can appreciate the genuine comfort of Ugg boots? Maybe I do the duck face so often because I think I look better that way. And honestly, pumpkin spice lattes are delicious. Really, you should try one.

I don’t know if it’s the Women Studies class I’m enrolled in or if I’m generally just bitter about women’s rights, but it infuriates me that men can spend thousands of dollars on a shoe collection they don’t even wear and get praised, but I’ll wear my Northface raincoat—on a rainy day—and feel self-conscious because of its reputation. And can we just talk about “white-girl wasted” for a second? Have you ever seen a frat boy at a party?

My point is: everyone is always encouraging us to be ourselves, but how can we do that when we are constantly reprimanded for it? Even more so by males who exhibit the same habits? In a society that is apparently trying to be more accepting, it feels like we’re doing the exact opposite. It has reached the point that women are actively trying to avoid the stereotype, but even that has turned “basic.” Honestly, I see more hipsters than I do girls in Ugg boots and yoga pants.

Perhaps the worst part about being labeled as basic is that we are always accused of trying to impress other people. I don’t wear makeup or curl my hair for boys, just like I don’t order a passion tea lemonade from Starbucks just to be seen holding it. I do these things for myself, and if that makes me basic, then fine. But to be negatively categorized for something I love, and for things that make me feel better about myself, goes against everything our generation has been trying to revert. We’ve made so much progress as a country in overlooking labels, especially regarding more important ones like sexulity and racism, so why are we allowing something so petty to take us another few steps back? Follow your own advice: just do you and don’t worry about someone else's lifestyle that doesn't affect your own.

So, ladies, on that note: pour yourself a glass of wine, cuddle up on the couch and let "The Notebook" make you forget about the boys that would call you basic for crying when Ryan Gosling tells Rachel McAdams he's also a bird.