TotalFratMove.com , a blog about college life, recently posted an article titled, “Why Girls Should Stop Wearing High-Waisted Shorts.”
The article was posted on my newsfeed by many female friends, all of whom shared it because they were shocked by how demeaning it was to women, some simply angry because of the insensitive nature of the author’s complaints, especially when the high-waisted shorts trend is so popular.
It was written by whom I assume to be a college-aged fraternity guy, given the blog title. It is aimed at young women, which although ?disturbing, is not my issue.
The writer gives a few reasons why women “need” to stop wearing high-waisted shorts. He claims that “Only supermodels look good in them” and that they make girls’ butts “disappear.”
Side note: I was also unaware that high-waisted shorts look bad on any woman. With the seemingly hundreds of options available, women of every shape, size, height and width have been able to pull off the look. If you doubt me, just look around campus.
But the writer also tells us he believes that only supermodels are able to pull this trend off because only they have the correct ?butt-hip-breast ratio.
Barring a discussion about what the “correct” proportions are for anybody, the real problem here is that he is comparing all women to a tiny population of impossibly well-proportioned women.
The writer’s central complaint is that it makes butts “disappear.”
He tells us that “These might be hip right now, but they aren’t doing your ?natural blessings any favors.”
Women do not always want to dress to flaunt our “natural blessings.” We dress to make ourselves feel ?confident.
The idea of healthy body image has been beaten nearly to death, it seems.
Yet the message he is sending is that women need to try to live up to an unrealistic standard in order to wear what they want.
He destroys healthy body image in a 600-word article, when it takes so many girls and women years to build it up.
Not only does he believe they need to live up to an unrealistic standard, but to do it simply to please the male gaze.
I’m sorry, I was unaware that women were supposed to dress in a way that was only meant to please the male gaze.
You don’t have to hate high-waisted shorts to see why his view is demeaning to women.
Sometimes we like showing our legs off instead of our butt.
Not all women strive to draw a misogynistic eye to their buttocks.
Women should not be told to avoid wearing a fashion piece simply because it doesn’t cut it as “sexy” to the opposite sex.
So, ladies, keep wearing your shorts. And anyone who has a complaint, just shut up.
eshrack@indiana.edu
