The Misconception of Dressing for Men.

One of the greatest delights of modern society is women’s fashion. As women, we are allowed to experiment with clothing and express our individuality through fashion. However, women’s clothing and what it means to men has been a hot topic for as long as the fashion industry has existed. There is a toxic culture at play in which women’s bodies and clothing choices are being policed by others. Snap judgements and prejudices about a woman’s character are formed based off of her outfit choices, typically objectifying and sexualizing her. Everyone is of course allowed an opinion, there is no argument there. However, it is time to make it clear that women do not dress for the male gaze— we dress for ourselves.

I should preface this conversation with the fact that in my life, I am shown support and respect of my clothing choices and I express myself in any way I see fit (not all men are evil). I do think there is an aspect of respect when it comes to this topic and like most things in life this is not a black and white situation. I think every relationship is different and as long as you are communicating your intentions and boundaries, it is nobody else’s business. That being said, I am not talking about controlling boyfriends here.

I am talking about a random stranger (man or woman) assuming that I am less intelligent than they are because I’m wearing a mini skirt or I like wearing the color pink. I am talking about a man thinking that a woman wants to be touched or talked to because she is wearing jeans that hug her hips. I am talking about the assumption that women get dressed thinking “I am going to put this dress on so that men will look at my body sexually”. This is the misconception that needs to be discussed.

Contrary to popular belief, women do not pick out their outfits with the intention of pleasing men, or anyone but themselves. When I pick out an outfit, the last thing I am thinking of is how a man will perceive me. I have truly never thought “Wow Chad is definitely going to flirt with me because I put on my favorite pair of jeans!”. Fashion is a way to express yourself without labels or boxes to put yourself into. If you want to wear a latex mini dress with six inch heels, awesome! If you want to wear a hoodie that goes down to your knees with sweatpants, incredible! Your personal style is truly nobody else’s business but your own and it is meant to make YOU feel your best.

There are always exceptions to the rule and I cannot speak for every person in the world. What I can confidently say is that women have overcome too much to be put down for wearing something that makes them feel powerful, comfortable, or confident. There is nothing wrong with tight clothing. There is nothing wrong with baggy clothing. There is nothing wrong with looking sexy. There is nothing wrong with looking either feminine or masculine. There is nothing wrong with expressing yourself in a way that makes you feel like the best version of you. Not everything in this world is done for a man— wear what you want hot girls.