By JAMILA RIZVI
Remember when the length of your skirt meant, well, nothing more than the length of your skirt?
Yeah. Neither do I.
In fact, I bet there were countless neanderthal women who sat anxiously in their caves, sewing together the skin of a slightly-smaller-than-average tiger and worrying that they’d get hit over the head with a club for showing some prehistoric knee.
Image created by Rosea Posey.
This image was created by high school student Rosea Posey, to illustrate the absurdity of so called ‘slut shaming’. In her fantastic art piece, she shows us how the world continues to judge women based on their appearance.
But personally? I found the image very confusing. And that is because I do not know, which one of these I am supposed to be. I am the owner of skirt or a dress that hits almost every one of those little marks.
Take a look:
'Cheeky'
Now, perhaps, I am simply a very, very, very, very good shopper.
Or, perhaps, the length of your skirt means nothing more than ‘this is what I felt like wearing today’ (and anyone who thinks that what a woman wears is an invitation to make a judgment about her personal life, is just a bit of a tosser).
Comments
55 Comments so far
hear, hear
furthermore, maybe ive been blessed with nice legs- why cant i have these on show- same as people with nice hair, eyes, hands, lips, nose etc
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I believe that much of the problems about ‘womens clothes’ or fashion choices of young women are actually because of rape culture, patriarchy and our misogynistic society which puts the onus on women to prevent rape, rather than men being expected not to rape or assault women.
Girls/women/men and everybody that doesn’t fit those narrow gender labels should be able to wear whatever they want no matter how short or long their hemlines are.
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I like almost all of the dresses in your pics. All look nice.
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Hmmm I find the whole “women should be able to wear what they like” argument really circular. I just don’t think it’s all that liberating to encourage young girls to go out in public showing their butt cheeks which is just for men (sorry here is an ageist comment) but mostly OLDER men to ogle at. Where is the liberation in that? Just cover up and realise it is not liberating to be ogled, perved at and possibly fantasised about later. Ew gross.
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What are we supposed to wear to the beach? any ideas? Or should we all just wear neck to knee apparel, just in case, you know, someone wants to have a look. BTW, most people who fantasize while doing you know what, don’t sit there thinking about someone they’ve seen on the street in a skirt.
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Isn’t it funny, we are constantly telling girls to be more confident; to be comfortable in their own skin; to embrace what they look like, but the minute a girl is confident enough to wear something short, we tell them to cover up and be ashamed. No wonder young women (actually all women) are so bloody confused.
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She forgot to put ‘feminist Internet meme’ which is just below her finger.
Plus, hosiery adds a whole other layer of complexity. For instance, black nylons make ‘cheeky’ turn into ‘flirty’ but fishnets work the other way. RED fishnets change things TWO levels so that ‘cheeky’ becomes ‘asking for it’.
Patterned stockings throw the hole system out of wack: all women look ‘proper’ in those – I add ‘properly flirtatious’ and ‘properly old fashioned’ to make the distinction. ‘Whore’ and ‘slut’ don’t exists when you have patterns on, they just become ‘VS campaign’ and ‘Vogue editorial’ respectively.
Judging women is an intricate art form, perhaps best left to full-time experts (aka men).
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I’m not sure the actual image is meant to be taken literally. When i first saw this image on tumblr I perceived it to be a statement artistic shot designed entirely to provoke dialogue on exactly this issue, and I think it’s successfully done that.
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More to the point, those reallllly short skirts just aren’t flattering on most people! Ditto with denim ‘hotpants’ that some women are wearing these days; call me old fashioned, but I don’t want to see your butt cheek!
As my mother used to say “a little bit of mystery is a good thing.”
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I was at the shops today and all of these young teenage girls were wearing shortie shorts that showed off more than they hid !
What’s more, they were aware of that fact !
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Whenever I see a female wearing a short, short skirt pulling at the hem…I can’t help but think that her effort is wasted. No amount of tugging is going to make it longer.
Am I right ? The shorter the skirt, the harder wearer tries to stop it riding up further.
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As a skirt wearer, I find that some skirts ride up regardless of their length. The Lycra/stretchy ones in particular. A lot of those will ride up. I have a knee length stretchy one that rides up whenever I walk, but I love the skirt. Same with the skirts whose waistbands have inconsiderately shrunk. It’s not just the length. I have seen people tugging at extremely short skirts however and feel like giving them dressing suggestions.
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I would like these as tights, I think they would be awesome
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Oooh great article, valid points! I hated wearing a skirt to high school I always felt so uncomfortable as though there was always someone judging the length of it (in reality I’m sure absolutely nobody paid any attention to the length of my skirt but teenage paranoia) and so I was constantly pulling it down or up to fit in with what I thought people of expected of me. Now I’m older and more mature I realise I am entitled to wear my skirt and really any of my clothes any way I like as long as I feel comfortable. And now if I feel like showing a bit of leg I do it with confidence (and style or so I hope…)
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I have to be honest Jamila the prudish and old fashioned ones make you look gorgeous.
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I think it’s about wearing something that fits you well regardless of what it is.
If you feel comfortable in it & have the confidence to go out and not be bothering with the outfit eg fixing it up, tucking things back in or constantly checking it then you definitely should wear what you want!
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Does anyone else find the “asking for it” length offensive?
Or am I the only one who immediately was disgusted and thought “no woman ever asks to be raped/abused/assaulted”?
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I think the point of it was to show that there are people out there – men and women – who do have that thought when seeing women in certain clothes.
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Yeah, I think that’s the point. The words or phrases on the leg represent the judgements other make about the wearer of the the skirt, depending on the leg. It’s a comment on a world that makes judgements regarding the sexual availability of women based on their appearance.
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The world judges EVERYBODY based on their appearance.
Please don’t pretend otherwise. I’d question the honesty of anyone who claims that they don’t look at complete strangers and imagine what their story might be based upon how that person presents in public.
PS…You just can’t beat a whorey matron ! Sweets for the sweet, I’d say.
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You just don’t get it do you Bradley? You just do not get it. When was the last time a guy was judged to be a “slut” because his pants were too tight or his top showed a bit too much chest. I’ll tell you when that was………never.
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What part of my comment didn’t you get ? I’ll say it again, everybody judges everyone that they encounter based upon their appearance. Be they male or female, we all judge. We judge strangers and most interestingly…we judge people that we know well based upon their appearance when they walk into the office, the house, the party, the concert….whatever, and whenever.
I’m so over this “slut-shaming” obsession. Just take a quick look outside. The first person that you see, based upon what they are wearing, you will imagine what their story is.
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I’m a little less judgemental than you, (maybe it’s because I’m a younger), and I just let people be themselves. I have also been homeless, so I know what it is like to have nothing, not shower and have clean clothes. I like to know someone before I pass judgement too. Maybe you could try the same and show just a little more compassion before you stick labels on people. Just an idea.
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But at least you admit that you are judgemental.
Is that an ageist remark that I see there ?
Yes.
I’d call that judgemental.
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How can it be an ageist remark when I know I’m younger than you. Maybe I should of said a whole lot less judgemental than you. In fact if you read the rest of my comment you would find I let people be themselves without judging at all. You just got stuck on the perceived ageist remark.
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I judge guys all the time on their appearance in the same way. When you’re out a club you can definitely tell the guys who are out after some sex, and a lot of it can be attributed to the way they dress. I’m not calling them ‘sluts’ though, I dont believe in what theat connotes. There’s nothing wrong with being a vibrant sexually involved person. There is nothing shameful in that.
But sorry, I do agree with Bradley, your appearance says a lot, and I’m not just talking about the whole “a girl in a short skirt is a slut” idea. If it wasn’t human nature that humans judge each other on their appearance, then the concept of dressing nice for a job interview wouldn’t exist. And who doesn’t make an effort to dress nice for a job interview? Or a date? No one. Because it’s basic human psychology for people to judge each other on their appearance, and it’s been happening ever since humans came into being. Whether it’s “right” or “wrong” to do so according to whatever your opinion is doesn’t matter, you can’t deny the fact that it happens.
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As an old “boiler” in the 70s we wore matching knickers because our skirts were so short. noone said we were sluts . I say if you’ve got nice legs and you’re relatively young go for it. No one wants to see me in public showing too much flesh these days !
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I think mega short skirts are suggestive, theyre just not practical :/
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What were the skirts suggesting, may I ask?
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That you want people to oogle your legs.
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My whore length, floaty, baby-doll beach dress was VERY practical in yesterdays weather. No “suggestiveness” intended. I’m glad we no longer have to swoon because we’re expected to dress “modestly” under layers of petticoats anymore!
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Shorts are 10000000000000000000000000000x more practical than skirts.
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The key is to look and feel comfortable. I’ve seen girls spend the whole night making sure their boobs don’t spill out of their dress or that their skirt is covering their ass- which ends up ruining their night and makes everyone around them feel awkward too.
If you are confident enough to wear a short skirt, I say go for it!!! Many of us simply aren’t confident enough to pull it off (and if you’re like me and utterly paranoid then you’ll spend the entire day pulling it down and holding it flat against the wind)- but that doesn’t make the rest of us prudes either.
In saying that- my experience with teenagers is that OFTEN (MASSIVE GENERALISATION) the ones comfortable enough to wear short skirts etc; are the more outgoing, confident and flirty types who tend to get a lot of attention from the boys- not just for their attire, but their personalities too. This is NOT a bad thing, I’m just talking about what I’ve witnessed at the school I work at.
I also know it makes male staff members extremely uncomfortable when walking up stairs and they often wait till all the girls are gone. At my school the mandatory skirt is bought past the knees and everyone shortens them to the knees or thighs. Maybe it’s hard for guys because they can easily be told they are ‘checking her out’ when in fact they aren’t. Maybe these judgements come from such guys who find it easier to typecast girls rather than accept that they themselves are uncomfortable being able to see so much skin?
Maybe that’s where all this stereotyping comes from? Doesn’t make it right, but I’m just trying to wonder why in the 21st century teenagers and adults can hold these views
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I have skirts that cover most of these lengths too. My biggest problem is that as a tallish woman, almost every dress or skirt I’ve found recently for work is bordering on inappropriately short for the office. I’m by no means a giant – I’m just under 5ft10, but it’s incredibly frustrating. An extra inch of fabric would be greatly appreciated so I can sit/stand/bend without worrying whether I’m flashing Jim from Accounts or tugging at my dress all day! In winter I can wear tights under them but on a day like today it’s just not an option.
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Oh I’m so with you on this one. I’m just over 5ft11 and have disproportionately long legs (which for anyone feeling jealous are a major pain, hard to get pants long enough, don’t fit in theatres, planes etc) so I really struggle with this. When I find skirts that are long enough for the office I often buy 2!
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as a fellow tall lady, I can totally relate. I don’t think I’ve been able to find any skirts/dresses recently that cover much more than my behind – not exactly work/life/wind-friendly!
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I am so with you all on this at a smidge of 6ft1″ there is always the check with whether my ass is being covered enough and whether I am wearing something that is not inappropriate;
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I don’t get why tall women often think other women are jealous of their long legs? I’m average height and have never had a desire to be tall or have very long legs?
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I have an arrangement with my very tall friend… I am very short, and when I cut off the cuffs of new trousers so they fit me, i always post them to her so she can sew them onto her new trousers so they fit her.
We have both found this hilarious for many years, although I don’t think she actually ever does sew them on.
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Its not the length of your skirt…its how you wear it
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It is only in the last couple of years that I have had the confidence to wear skirts that go much above the knee – thought my thighs were hideous. But coming into my mid-20s I have finally realised they are not that bad, which has been really liberating. Although I draw the line at looking like I just forgot my pants, I say wear a short skirt and screw anyone who has a problem with it!
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Ha, I totally read that last sentence the wrong way. But you know, screw any you want as well – that’s what the anti-slut-shaming movement is all about
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Me too Kat! A piece of advice on MM stuck with me: The right thing to wear is the thing that makes you feel fabulous.
And lol @Debbie!!
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I’m so with you Kat. It’s only this summer that I’ve started to wear shorter skirts and dresses, although I think the “confidence” to wear them is still a work-in-progress. But what I have realised is that we’re often more critical of ourselves than other people, particularly with body parts. And I’m sure you look good in your skirts-above-the-knee!
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Hot! I have many lengths! I have many moods hehe but none of them are “asking for it” unless my husband brings home chocolate .. Just kidding
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All I have to say is.. Jamila you are hot!!
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What Leah said. Also, your outfits are gorgeous, Jamila
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Oooh so relevant! I have a first date tonight with a new guy, my first date in 4 years in fact (i’m in the post-long-term relationship zone)….and I have a dress that looks great on me but is quite short. I want to wear it but I just can’t help feeling like I will be judged by him! My paranoia is telling me it’s just too short for a first date.
It’s such a disappointing feeling because I KNOW I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do… I don’t want him to get the wrong idea. I grew up in quite a conservative family and that stuff is hard to shake. Not only that, I feel like if I’m paranoid about it then I probably wont pull it off anyway… Grrr…
I suppose I feel like this “people SHOULDN’T judge, but many do. So am I OK with putting myself out there to be judged based on a premise I disagree with?”. I admire those that can so quickly say and emphatic “hell yeah” to that… but I find it quite hard! Which probably makes me part of the problem.
I really want to wear the dress though! I think I will.
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Wear it! You will feel good and honestly? If he judges you for it, he’s not worth your time. Hope the date is awesome xx
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I agree-on the proviso that you are comfortable in it, sitting and standing. If you are spending half the nigt tugging at it because you feel like it might be too short don’t wear it.
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Toobs, wear it!! As IF a guy is going to hate looking at a great pair of pins! If you’re worried about sending the wrong message then just wear a top that covers you up. Just wear whatever you feel confident and beautiful in – and good luck! x
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If you feel confident in it, you’ll look great, and therefore nothing else matters
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I agree with the other comments, if you are comfortable, then wear it. But if you are going to be pulling at it all night then don’t.
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Thanks all – you’ve helped give me the boost I needed! I am really comfortable in it, it’s a gorgeous floaty a-line type skirt and the top has plenty of coverage. The only issue is if it’s too windy, but we wont be outdoors I don’t think.
Definitely wearing it. Getting nervous now…!
Thanks again!
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Hope your date goes well, hon.
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