Fall Editorial Board 2016
The Huffington Post recently published, and then deleted, a column by University of Alabama graduate Rebecca Walden titled “Women of the SEC: Cover it up!”
In the column, Walden wrote of her shock and outrage at some of the outfits worn by female students at the Alabama vs. USC game in Arlington, Texas.
“That lucky shaker tucked into the back of your on trend boot? The team logo you’re sporting on your cheek? The Greek letters sticker on your shirt declaring the sorority to which you belong and your loyalty to your team? All rendered classless by those ill-covered curves you’ve made sure are on full display,” Walden wrote.
It would be nice to think Walden is alone in this mindset — that there aren’t really other people whose lives have been negatively affected by “ill-covered curves.”
It would be nice, but not realistic. It might seem silly to get so worked up about a rant centered around visible bra straps and stilettos, but Walden’s column is indicative of a larger problem.
We live in a world where women are blamed for their own rapes because of what they were or were not wearing and where the legality of the burkini, a full-body swimsuit, is an actual debate.
Her argument not only assumes women dress to please men — “I wanted to tell you that if you’re doing this for a boy, he’s not the one for you. I wished you understood that a trend can be interpreted as fun and flirty without being tasteless” — but that they dress to please anybody but themselves.
Women should be able to wear what they want without fear of disrupting someone’s game day experience.
So, if you ever find yourself at a football game worried about an 18-year-old’s hemline, “do us all a solid” and watch the next game on TV.
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