By Samantha Brennan, Professor and Dean, College of Arts
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.
I'm writing this at my office computer wearing leggings and a short skirt. I wear the leggings because I ride my bike to work and they keep my legs warm. I add the skirt when I get to the office because most here would consider leggings alone inappropriate work attire for a middle-aged academic administrator.
After this week, it's clear that some people don't think they are appropriate attire for students on campus either. Maryann White, a mother of four sons, made news with her plea in a letter to the University of Notre Dame school paper that female students should stop wearing leggings and choose clothing that's less form fitting. She worried her sons are being distracted and thinking disrespectful thoughts. She asked girls and women to make it easier for her sons by wearing jeans instead of leggings.
In response to White's letter, social media feeds quickly filled with photos of women and men at Notre Dame (and around the world) wearing leggings, #leggingsdayND. Even The New York Times chimed in with Vanessa Friedman's piece "It's Possible Leggings Are the Future. Deal With It."
One subject that gets everyone talking during my women's studies feminism and fashion seminars is dress codes: school dress codes, summer camp dress codes and dress codes at the gym. My students say it's hard to keep track. Does this place allow sleeveless tops? Can you show any midriff? Are there rules against yoga pants here?
Why all the fuss about what women wear? Women's bodies and the clothes we wear are a battleground around the world. Some situations have rules that require religious body coverings and other places forbid those same coverings.
