Fashion or Distraction?

By Amanda Cohen on November 17, 2015

Some people find pleasure in running, others find pleasure in traveling, and some find pleasure in fashion.

However, our population prevents people from seeking these simple pleasures because of their judgmental attitudes. Fashion tends to be an easy target because people often consider clothing as strictly materialistic and/or a distraction to “real-world” issues.

I am tired of not only fashion being the punch line of many jokes, but also especially of people telling young women what they should and should not be wearing. If fashion is such a horrifyingly trivial concept in life, then why do schools, news stations, and random bystanders think that it’s appropriate to judge what I choose to wear?

Let’s start with one of the most controversial articles of clothing in existence: yoga pants. As a runner, yoga pants are one of my favorite clothing items to run in; the various styles, patterns, and lengths occupy at least two-thirds of my closet.

As a student, yoga pants are my favorite pants to wear to class; they’re comfortable, versatile, and fashionable. Now, the lovely men on Fox News have the audacity to tell me and all other women that yoga pants should stay in the gym because they are too revealing and are a distraction to others. Teachers all around the country ban yoga pants because apparently they are not actual pants and are also a distraction to our male peers.

Now, my question is why are my yoga pants, which cover the entire surface area of my legs, more of a distraction to my classmates than the loud gum chewers sitting on either side of me? Also, why is America letting three males decide what is and what isn’t appropriate for women to wear? Men can wear their jeans hanging so low that their boxers are visible, but my yoga pants are a distraction? Right … that makes so much sense!

Crop tops are finally back in style and thank goodness they are because I am a huge fan of the high-rise skirt and crop top combination. After a long week of exams, I decide to go out with my friends at night, so I put on my leather skirt and black crop top.

When my friends and I receive unwanted attention from some boys, we get accused of teasing them because our outfits were asking for it. After two midterms, two papers, and a load of busy work, all we wanted to do was follow the “look good, feel good” mentality, so we pulled out all of the stops.

Yet, once again we get punished for seeking the simple pleasure of strutting our trendiness because society says that we are dressing inappropriately.

Photo via. http://top10for.com

Now, what do all of these supposed fashion “no-no’s” have in common? The idea that women only dress a certain way to attract attention from others or to make a “statement.” Even if someone wears a certain dress because she is excited to go on a date, why do people think that it is okay to judge?

Also, why should we have to decide our outfits based on what makes you comfortable? If I’m wearing the clothes, shouldn’t I be the one who’s comfortable? Clothing is so much more than a material item to some people. For me, wearing my favorite pair of yoga pants to the gym makes me want to run faster. Also, I wear the same pair of joggers to every single one of my exams … is it a superstition thing? Maybe, but that’s my business, not yours.

Why do yoga pants and crop tops have to be considered a distraction? In high school, my sister wore a very fashionable pair of studded high-rise jean shorts and she was forced to go home and change because “they could be used as a weapon.”

Are you kidding me? I keep hearing stories about schools making young girls go home and change just because their calves were showing and it honestly disgusts me. I wouldn’t be as upset if schools enforced the same rule for boys, but that isn’t the case. Boys walk around with low-hanging jeans and muscle t-shirts that show off the sides of their torsos, but girls can’t wear tank tops because it distracts their male peers …

So, basically the moral of the story consists of a few parts. Number one, Fox News please never tell me whether or not I have a good enough body to wear yoga pants because I frankly don’t care. Two, if you think that someone’s outfit isn’t appropriate to wear to school, fine say something, but don’t justify it by saying that she is a distraction to her fellow classmates.

Finally, ladies, wear your yoga pants and crop tops with pride, and if someone says that you are asking for attention use your awesome high heels and “accidentally” step on their toes ;) .

Photo via. https://c2.staticflickr.com

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