How Do You Define Female Friendships?

Photographed by June Hucko

Modeled by Dasia Harrison, Emma Pearl, Sophia Carlota

Written by Esme Carty

Female friendship. Girlhood. How do you describe something so magical? There may be chemistry involved, but there is nothing scientific about the laughs you share with your girls, the cries you have everywhere from each other’s bedroom to the coffee shop you visit every birthday. I knew I wanted to write about this topic, but found myself stumped every time I sat at the keyboard, why? I have friends that I owe so much to, that I would trust with my life, and yet I’m stumped. Maybe because it can’t be explained. I can’t tell someone about the importance of female friendships if they can’t feel the feelings involved. I suppose, instead, I’ll share the memories that, in the moment, lifted my heart and tell myself, everything will be okay.

Sitting at the coffee shop we visit during life’s biggest moments and cry about everything and smile about nothing. You telling me you were moving, and through tears me encouraging you to do it because it might feel like the worst for a moment, but it’ll be the best for a lot longer.

All of us crammed in the car looking for a parking spot at the crowded Malibu beach and just as we found one to turn into, someone went to snag it. All five of us screaming NOOOOOOO at the top of our lungs, somehow the sound cutting through our windows and theirs. The couple in the other car looking at us with defeat as they reverse out and let us take what was rightfully ours.

The clock striking midnight as we sit on your bedroom floor, with tear stained cheeks reassuring each other and hearing out the emotions we all are going through.

Laughing so hard that we can only feel the muscles in our stomach, trying to keep control of our giggles. Physically we are in our 20s trying to keep our composure at work, mentally we are 11 again being told by the teacher to keep it together or we’ll be sat across the room from each other.

Watching the same movie every weekend one summer because each time we talked all the way through. 

Singing karaoke so loud we could be heard from all the way across the courtyard of our apartment building at the time, I hope the other tenants liked Harry Styles.