I'm posting now to talk about clothing. Yes, clothing. On Question Time (which I've just sat and watched) there was a debate concerning the dress MP Tracy Brabin wore in parliament. A little off the shoulder number. Literally. A fashion choice that has drew some criticism. With the accusation being that it's not quite suitable for the situation.
(Britain: we've left the EU now, we'll wear
what we want)
Personally I think it's fine. I really believe people should just wear whatever they feel comfortable in. However, the debate has tended to be a gendered one. The argument going that a man wouldn't get judged in that way. Which led me to tweet whilst watching. Stating that men have it worse.
Generally women can wear whatever they want at work (within reason). Whereas men always have to wear the same thing. A suit, shirt and tie. Going for interviews or out to other big occasions women have a fair deal of wardrobe freedom, but for men there is literally just the one option. To be fair women tend to be more objectified sexually than men. So there are arguments on both sides. Still though, when it comes to the constraints of clothing choice men are much more hemmed in (ahem) than women in my opinion.
Just look at the criticism Dominic Cummings has received for his rather informal dress sense. Or the stick Jeremy Corbyn received for simply not wearing a tie.
Of course, in truth we're all massive hypocrites, and when it comes down to it people tend to just criticise the dress sense of people they disagree with politically. It's often just a convenient stick to beat someone with. We're all guilty to some degree, so it can be hard to separate out our own biases and give a genuinely fair appraisal.
I think I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder too as I just don't look that great in suits. They just never seem to look right on me. Yet, I've been forced to dress that way at various points in my life. With no doubt more to come.
I remember at school hating the uniform precisely for this reason. My legs are disproportionately too long for my body, so the fact that we had to have our shirts "tucked in" at all times particularly irked me. I just looked clownish. I remember other kids sometimes asking me "why do you have your trousers that high??" 😄 and having to reply with annoyance "that's just how my legs are!". I had a kind of Simon Cowell type thing going on. Thank God before he had become famous. As soon as the school bell went I immediately untucked the shirt. It was always the first thing I did.
Obviously having long legs and looking a bit lanky isn't the worst problem in the world to have, but still. It would have been nice if I could've just wore what I wanted to wear - or at least been allowed to un-tuck the shirt and look a bit scruffy (or cooler as I saw it).
Personally I now long for the day when people can just turn up to parliament in jeans and a t-shirt. In fact, I must admit seeing Dominic Cummings walk into No. 10 dressed like he's in a grunge band does feel quite revolutionary to me. It actually gives me hope. I think if I'd have seen that at the age of 16 I'd have felt quite inspired. Likewise with his job advertisement asking for weirdos and original thinkers. I'd have probably stuck at my A-Levels in Physics, Chemistry and Maths and not dropped out to become a (failed) musician, then in turn an equally failed blogger :)
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