Sadly, women today are still shamed for their clothing choices and made to feel that they are responsible for how men react to what they’re wearing. The latest trend under attack? Leggings.
According to one mom, she believes that leggings are inappropriate and too form-fitting for young women to wear around men.
Her thoughts were shared in a recent letter to students at The University of Notre Dame, and led to an immense backlash from the student community.
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In March 2019, a mother identified as Maryann White wrote a letter to “The Observor”, The University of Notre Dame’s student newspaper.
In that letter, she condemned fashion’s comfiest pants, leggings. Yes, really.
“I’m just a Catholic mother of four sons with a problem that only girls can solve: leggings,” she wrote.
White went on to explain that , “Leggings are so naked, so form fitting, so exposing.”
White also recounted an incident where a group of women wore leggings to a religious mass.
“I was ashamed for the young women at Mass. I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn’t help but see their behinds,” she wrote .
While ultimately, White concluded her letter by saying that women have the right to wear leggings, she urged students at Notre Dame to opt for jeans instead.
Students immediately responded to the letter with criticism.
Many believed that the letter enforced the idea that women are responsible for men’s actions because of how they dress.
The letter also led to a protest known as Leggings Pride Day on campus, that encouraged all students to wear their leggings.
Students started sharing their photos on social media with the hashtag #LeggingsDayND.
Some students even chose to forgo the leggings altogether and embraced their bare legs on Twitter.
What about pairing leggings with a crop top?! Gasp!
White also commented on crop tops in her letter, so some students wore an entire ensemble of fashion no-nos outlined by her in the letter.
Students and faculty of all genders were encouraged to participate in the protest.
Anyone can wear leggings! And why wouldn’t anyone want to wear leggings? They are super comfy.
The protest is a reminder that women are allowed to wear what they want without feeling like a target.
“I am a Notre Dame alumna, an individual with agency, who is lovable, capable, unstoppable, original, worthy, complete, whole, and I wear what I damn well please,” wrote Megan Toal, a former Notre Dame student, on Facebook.
