Stereotypes and Miniskirts

Goths wear all black and are unapproachable. Nerds wear thick glasses and high wasted pants and are only focused on their studies. Jocks wear varsity jackets and have no intelligence. Preps wear Polos and they are very proper and refined. Cheerleaders wear skimpy outfits and they are always the center of attention. These are stereotypes; Molds that society has created that help group people under different categorizations. Rather than allowing their own identity to shine through, people allow others to associate them with different social groups. This means that standards are set for them and expectations are put into place. Once molded into one social class, it is hard to be associated with another. Of Skirts and Discrimination is a blog post about a woman who goes to work at the Filipino Association each day dressed in pants and suits. She enjoys staying comfortable and practical but one day decided to deviate from her usual attire and wear a mini-skirt to work. On that day, feeling confident and fresh, this woman gave a presentation to a group of her peers at the office. Usually she is respected for her intelligence and her ideas, but on that day, a man whom she had never met sat in on the presentation. She noted, “This person, at that moment, saw us wearing skirts and immediately commented:“Hindi kayo dapat nagsusuot ng ganyan.” (You shouldn’t wear that kind of dress here.)” (xiaui). On that day, she wasn’t taken seriously and was disrespected by this man of authority. He couldn’t respect her for he ideas and her opinions all because of her choice of clothing. The man acted very childish and impolite throughout the duration of the meeting. She came to the conclusion that “Men rule almost all the public sphere, even if our president is a woman. Women are expected to shut up when the men are speaking, even if the men talk rubbish most of the time” (xiaui). She discusses the fact that men will always be more respected than women and that men are less respectful towards women than they are towards men. Frustrated, the author declares, “And don’t underestimate me just because I wear a skirt. If I do not have the capacity for anything productive, then maybe I shouldn’t be here, or I shouldn’t have graduated from the premier university in my country” (xiaui). Of Skirts and Discrimination discusses the lack of respect that women receive due to their styles and dress. The author of this blog raises a very good point: Women get less respect than men because of how they dress and the way they present themselves.

“I went there in a mini skirt. Society’s stereotyping says that a woman wearing mini skirts, or anything with less cloth, lacks logical and leadership capacity. He labeled me as someone incapable of handling organization matters just because I wore a mini skirt” stated the woman (xiaui). The author of the blog discusses the discrimination she felt when she wore her mini skirt compared to the respect she felt when she wore her more professional attire. I think that as a whole, women are stereotyped based upon what they wear and the way they carry themselves. Although most people would say that we live in a world where brains are put before beauty, in actuality people put beauty before brains. The first thing that you notice when meeting is the way they look. Do they have clear skin? Does their hair look clean, or is it greasy and a mess? Is their clothing bright and fresh, or worn out and distressed? These are some of the thoughts that go through people’s minds when first meeting someone. Once those impressions are in someone’s head, it is hard to change them. Because women have their own personal style, they become grouped based upon the message their clothing conveys. Girls who wear less clothing are called “sluts” and are rarely taken seriously. Girls who wear turtlenecks and high wasted pants are reserved. These are examples of the negative attention that clothing brings upon its wearer. Women, especially, have the tools and resources to change up their wardrobe and create their own personal style more so than men. It’s easier to discriminate against women because there are more styles to associate negative stereotypes with. Just because it is easier, doesn’t make it right. The author, who went to a prestigious university, brings up the point that women will always be second to men. Even though we all have equal rights, there are still those men out there who refuse to accept the fact that women and men are all equal. It is those men who create the negative stereotypes that are associated with women due to their choices of clothing and their appearance. It is important to understand that even though women are discriminated against because of their clothing, their opinion and values should be what matters, rather than the length of their skirt of the cut of their shirt.

Clothing should be a reflection of your style, but it shouldn’t be the factor upon which we evaluate people. The moral of this story is don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s always easy to make first impressions last, but its more important to look towards someone’s intelligence and personality rather than the way they present themselves. We all have our own opinion of what is beautiful. That is the exact reason why it is important not to judge someone based upon his or her clothing. What you’re wearing might not appeal to someone else even though it appeals to you. It’s important to be confident in your appearance and back that up with your intelligence and ideas. Don’t let negative stereotypes define you. Break the mold from the negative stereotypes that your clothing might convey and make people question why they would ever stereotype you in the first place. As Coco Chanel once said, “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” Be spontaneous, be innovative, be thoughtful and be wise. When your personality shines through, it will be easy to be judged for your mind rather than your appearance.

Works cited:

Xiaui. "Of Skirts and Discrimination." Weblog post. Dusty Typewriter. 11 Feb. 2009. 12 Feb. 2009 < http://xiaui.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/of-skirts-and-discrimination/ >.