Monday, February 6, 2012

Slutty or Sloppy?

Nothing makes me want to slap someone in the face more than when I hear a gaggle of gals ridicule another woman for dressing too “slutty”, especially when their wardrobe is sloppy, disheveled, and unprofessional. When did it become okay to openly mock women who may dress a little too provocative for the office—or at the very least—look more fashionable than the rest, but wrong to turn the mirror on the ridiculers who dress in ill-fitted khakis, sloppy sweaters, and flip flops?

Granted, some women I have worked with struggled to understand the concept of a bra or covering up their [breast & butt] cleavage. However, I have yet to hear a woman being called out for looking sloppy, at least where I have worked. The women I see every day in my current job wear pants that drag behind them, have blouses that are more trash bag than shirt, and deem crocs acceptable footwear. And, one of them is an Area Coordinator! What their wardrobe says to me is that they've given up.

Since no one has given me a better explanation, I am going with jealousy. It seems the likely reason for why women, who can barely dress themselves in the morning, find it necessary to mock women who have some fashion sense. This does not mean I agree with belly shirts or pants that expose a hot pink thong—even I have standards. My fight is against society’s coddling of people who are too lazy, depressed, or clueless to make an effort. You do not have to look like a beauty queen, but using a hair brush in the morning will not kill you.

Women have enough problems with society trying to bring them down. There is no cause for the Bitter Betty’s out there to add to the mocking and scorn that some women experience based on how they look. If you are bitching about another woman, do this: stop, look in the mirror, and ask yourself who are really mad at?

7 comments:

  1. Cool story, bro.

    When did it become okay for you to police women's bodies and how they choose to dress? Business casual is infinitely easier to navigate for men than it is for women-- all you have to do is buy dress pants (sized according to your waist and inseam, not arbitrary numbers) and button downs (again, sized to fit the breadth of your shoulders and the length of your arms instead of just numbers).

    You have a point in that women should stop attacking each other in the workplace (and in general), but is it productive for you to come and attack them right back?

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  2. I agree with you, BHD. A pencil skirt isn't for every body, but that doesn't mean one can't at least look polished. Have your pants hemmed, brush your hair. I know an Area Coordinator who let's this gnarly stubble grow out. That combined with his wrinkled polo shirt makes him look no better than the undergrads who come in for student conduct meetings.

    I think Residence Life staff at my institution think they can get away with lazy dressing because their office isn't located in the same building as most of the other administrative offices on campus.

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  3. I haven't noticed it so much with the RDs and such at my school, but the way some of the general student body on my campus dresses just makes me want to scream.

    PJ pants in public? Thinking that leggings constitute pants? I could go on... It just makes me want to scream!

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  4. I'm anon #3 (at 8:27 PM) and I just realized how bad my English was for putting the same phrase twice. *facepalm*

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  5. "too lazy or depressed?"
    I agree with Anon #1 here--not only are you rejecting traditional body policing in favor of another kind of appearance-based ridicule, you also managed to invalidate the daily struggle of people with genuine mood disorders. Some people with depression go long periods of time where they can hardly pull themselves out of bed to attend classes. Maybe cut them some slack and give them credit for managing to function instead of criticizing their shoes.

    I get that the people who work in the halls should probably have a standard for dress while performing their duties, but don't act like you can pass judgment on any girl--or student, for that matter--who passes by in a "sloppy" getup as though that makes them less deserving of understanding or attention than a put-together girl in a low-cut top.

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  6. To the person above: Are you serious? Crocks=Mood Disorders? I think you completely missed the point here. It's about professionalism. Low-cut tops are no more inappropriate than wrinkled shirts and flip flops.

    If someone is depressed to the point that they can "hardly pull themselves together" then maybe they should be seeking help for that. Take a leave of absence if you can't function enough to dress yourself appropriately for work. It's still not an excuse to be unprofessional.

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