Women’s fashion: Why what women wear IS an issue

Women’s fashion. One of the things I most love about this blog, and my writing in many ways, is how I don’t fear or attempt to dodge topics of conversation that might be on the controversial side.

Claireysweetie.com enables more in depth discussion about things personal to me, such as my struggles with (social) anxiety, but also on things like why I hate girl squads and other such things that come into the media and popular culture.

I like creating conversation, I like sharing my opinion. So today I have an opinion on something that is either going to have a lot of you explode at me in disagreement, or actually, you’ll agree with me and I of course hope it’s the latter.

Why what women wear is an issue 

First of all to clarify for the record: A woman can wear anything she likes. What someone wears does not define them and when I say (or suggest, or reference) ‘unwanted attention’ or, ‘the wrong kind of attention’ I am 100% absolutely categorically not talking about rape.

I am talking about being in a bar or a club, or maybe even walking down the street, and a young woman is getting pestered, or wolf whistled by a couple of blokes because quite possibly (but not definitely), what she is wearing is getting them all in a fluster.

For the most part this unwanted behaviour can be harmless and a sharp “fuck off” usually does the trick, but sometimes it doesn’t but that’s a man’s issue, not the woman’s. Okay?

However my argument here and the underlying truth is that (young) women still need to be careful or at least mindful, with their appearance in public, particularly when out on the town. I think designers behind women’s fashion need to look at the items they are creating, and the looks they are encouraging.

Remember this is the opinion of an almost thirty year-old.

When I was a Teenager

Hey, we have all gone out in outfits that might give our Father’s sleepless nights worrying about us, because trying to leave the house in something slightly too revealing to be stopped at the door by a parent and told to cover up, was all part of being a teenager.

As a teen, you are watching your body change from that of a girl to a woman, and around the same time, your mind seemingly overnight starts translating every normal word into something sex related (door knobs anyone?).

Teens want to explore what it means to be sexual and sexy by the opposite sex and to each other.

When out on the town, men and women dress to impress, regardless if they are married, in a relationship etc. because it’s human nature to want to be considered attractive and receive the odd compliment or two from both your friends and strangers.

However, there is a difference between looking sexy, and suggesting sex. You get me, right?

Kendall Jenner -What women wear

Kendall Jenner

It is the picture of Kendall Jenner on the left (above) that sparked this whole debate about the appropriateness of some women’s fashion. Kendall does look amazingly hot, but there is not a lot covering her body.

Kendall has body guards to ensure she’s protected but what about someone who didn’t have someone ready to throw a punch at unwanted attention? That’s what’s worrying.

I have been watching young women’s fashion for a while now, seeing the necklines on dresses and tops plunge lower, and lower; hem lines get shorter; and heels getting higher. Maybe if I was still in my clubbing days, I might feel differently but a lot of me just feels uncomfortable looking at it all to be honest.

I also have to mention that it makes me a little bit uneasy when I see some bloggers I admire, snapping slightly revealing shots of themselves promoting a certain outfit for a brand on Instagram. These young women look fantastic, I only but wish I had the same confidence to wear those same clothes, but you can’t control who is looking at that picture.

I feel the exact same way about the amount of people sharing photos of their children online, it makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Different dress codes for different environments and cultures

Men and women alike judge each other for what the other one wears and different environments, cultures and scenarios demand certain dress codes.

For example, it is not advised for individuals to rock up to work in their weekend clothes (unless it is casual Friday), and not expect to be sent home. You would not turn up to an interview in anything other than something smart because first impressions are everything, or walk around in shorts and a tank top (or less) because it’s hot in the Middle East –Western society might allow it but Eastern society certainly don’t and laws need to be respected.

However you view this is totally your right as it is my right to have an opinion. If you disagree with me then that is totally okay, but I still think if you really looked at the underlying message here, you would agree there is a point that some women’s fashion creates unfavourable attention.

On my approach to turning 30 years old and being hopefully not too far away from having children of my own, I am looking at things from a new, older perspective.

Thoughts?

Until next time x

2 Comments

  1. Mal @intothecity.me 23rd January 2017 / 6:37 pm

    That’s a mature view on the subject! I definitely agree with most of the things you’re saying. I have cousins being in their teens, blindly idolising some celebrities and following their every single step, and when I see their instagram feed with heavy makeup and their necklines down their belly bottoms it makes me sick. They don’t look 15, they look at least 10 years older and this is where the issue begins. I wish someone told those girls that their value as persons doesn’t increase with every square inch of flesh. And like you say, Kendal and Kylie have the whole team of people looking after them, average teenagers don’t. Then again should we blame celebrities for sending ‘the wrong message’? Or parents for not spending time with their kids when they were younger? Or school not reacting when something worrying happens? Or maybe our own vanity? That’s an interesting subject you brought on!

    Mal x
    http://www.intothecity.me

    • Claire
      Author
      23rd January 2017 / 8:48 pm

      Thanks for this! It’s a difficult subject and it was a challenge to write it without offending anyone, but also saying/acknowledging that it’s okay to have fun with fashion, and absolutely wear what you like… but just be cautious. It is difficult because when I was a teen I wanted to be in revealing clothing, and I was hugely influenced by the likes of Lindsay Lohan when I was establishing my personal style… but now older, I can see the issues with dressing in certain ways. But equally, when I was a teenager I didn’t have to deal with social media like the kids of today do and all the many issues that brings such as vanity as you mentioned; I don’t remember being as aware of myself visually like we are today. We could go on couldn’t we?! Thank you again for you comment 🙂

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