I will not apologize for wearing a spaghetti strap tank top. I will not apologize for wearing a black skirt that fits to the curvature of my body. I am not sorry that what I choose to wear is a distraction to you. You possess the ability to think about something else besides negative connotations of my body.
Women are taught from an early age to cover up to ensure modesty and safety. Dressing to allow only those individuals in which a person chooses to see their body is a beautiful concept. Dressing in order to neglect perpetrators is not. It is sadly a strategy women undertake everyday.
Dress codes are designed by institutions and companies. They explain for men and women what is and is not appropriate to wear. Dress codes usually intend to look uniform and professional. Dress codes are great for ensuring equality and unity, but in any setting their is room for judgement.
Dress codes are designed for women to refrain from receiving the wrong attention and refrain from distracting the boys. How does this method work? Do women's shoulders tell people to cat call, comment on our bodies, and act upon what they see instead of what they hear? Does covering up change those comments and actions? I don't believe so.
If time is spent directing girls to carefully select their clothing, then time should be spent lecturing boys to respect the human body and not to assume that the way a person dresses is an open invitation. There should be education and awareness for boys to understand why the guidelines for girls are excessivly long and descriptive. Say, 21-pages long.
Fashion allows people to outwardly show what sets them apart from the rest. The freedom of dress belongs to each individual. But the decisions of many schools and institutions limit options and makes choosing a style that suites each person a difficult task.
A woman wearing baggy sweat pants and a t-shirt has the same body parts as a woman wearing a tank top and a skirt. The human anatomy is the same in different clothing but are viewed differently. A woman showing more skin is someone asking for sexual attention. This stigma couldn't be more incorrect and doesn't apply to men. A man wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt has the same body parts as a man wearing a suite and tie. Nothing has changed. Now, he is a well dressed man. It is for this reason that dress codes addressed to both males and females are not equal.
Sadly, the reason for excessive dress code rules is not originating from one source. The idea of women's bodies being sexualized comes from all media platforms. Media crepes into the lives of society and causes thoughts and actions to become a social norm. The way a person dresses is not the cause of objectification and sexual acts. Tank tops and skirts are not asking for sexual attention. They are simply just clothing items.
A person who has inappropriate thoughts towards women think that way before a woman walks into the room. They think and choose to act upon those thoughts because they choose to do so.
Women, don't doubt your character because of what you are wearing. And don't apologize for distracting others. You are much more than what you wear.
