For centuries women have had to conform, bow down and abide to whatever ludicrous rules of the highly patriarchal society were imposed on them. Decades went by, protests were held, time went by before “society” loosened up and accepted females voting, running for offices and wearing pants. One would think that after so many trials and tribulations women today could finally wear shorts and step out of their houses without worrying about their status as ladies being jeopardized. Well one would be wrong.
I recently came across an article, a rather interesting one I must admit, which advised UM females to cover up a bit more if they wanted true respect from their peers. This certainly blows to galactic proportions the simple question ” To wear a mini or not to wear a mini”. Picture it: you are walking towards the UC when you suddenly stop dead in your tracks, remembering that you are wearing the hot Brazilian pants you got at the mall for your birthday. Oh dear! Does this mean that you woke up this morning and left your self-respect in your closet along with all your conservative blouses? Will your guy friends see you and assumed that you’ve mutated into a first class raging trick who lacks taste and thus doesn’t deserve to be treated with respect? Oh and don’t forget that to complement the pants you also wore a tank top which reveals the abs you’ve been slaving on for months to get tight; double trouble, now not only have you no ‘class’ left, you are also a disgrace, a pale and faded representation of what a woman should be. You might as well find the nearest cave and hide in there until night falls. Now is that how things are supposed to be? Does wearing tights shirts and having skirts more than 2 inches above the knee suggest a lack of self-respect from your part? I think not! The 17th century is long gone!
Wanting to look decent and attractive is not a flaw. If the tight tank top is what best compliments one’s chest then where’s the harm in wearing it? The fact that a girl wears skintight jeans doesn’t mean that she delegates more importance to her looks than to her books. After all she is in college isn’t she? That’s proof enough of her commitment to her education. So she chooses to wear spandex to class; the sight she offers might not be all around pleasing to some but the fact is she goes to class. The length of her skirt shouldn’t measure the level of respect she ought to expect from her peers. If a guy indulges for too long in staring down a girl’s blouse it just reflects how far his thought process goes. If the mere sight of breasts hypnotizes him to the point where his brain shuts down thus putting to a halt his ability to register the words coming out of her mouth than really the opinion of such a guy doesn’t hold that much weight. If the belly shirt is what makes a girl feel comfortable then by all means she should wear it. Life is short; it’s impossible to please everyone, no matter how long your skirt is somebody somewhere will find it inappropriate so how about you start by pleasing yourself. Those who matter respect you already.
Neli Lalanne is a senior majoring in marketing.