For this article,“Nike shorts and t-shirts” actually refers to any kind of comfortable women’s apparel.
Over the summer, so many exciting and new things happened in my life. I interned at an urban garden and started working at an amazing restaurant, learning new techniques and honing my cooking skills. My restaurant job is, um, interesting, because, until recently, I have been the only female working in the kitchen.
Side note: I absolutely love my job; everyone helps me out and, for work, it can be fun.
On most days I stay out of daily conversation and the guys keep the inappropriate commentary to a minimum when I am around, because they think I have “innocent ears” or something like that. But one conversation has been sticking out in my mind for a while, and that is “girls just not trying like they used to.” Sigh. The guys were talking about how females don’t wear clothing that is appealing to them nowadays. They asked me my thoughts, and I basically said when I am studying and doing daily tasks I would rather be comfortable. I don’t have time to worry about my looks.
The complaints sparked my thoughts even further though. Coming from a girl who doesn’t actually own a pair of Nike shorts and who is obessed with Victoria’s Secret, I thought about all the girls who do dress comfy every day. Yes, Nike shorts are annoyingly trendy, but I get it. Who wants to look cute everyday just to work up a sweat walking around campus and to study? And apparently guys are hating on us for that when they wear the same thing.
So obviously women are held to a higher standard than men when it comes to appearance; however, Nike shorts and t-shirts are attempting to change that. I know it sounds crazy, but think of it as some kind of metaphorical snapshot of 2014. Nike shorts and t-shirts are plain and simple, just like men’s clothing, as equally attractive and as equally baggy. When girls wear this attire it is considered sloppy, and when guys wear the exact thing it’s considered casual and practical. It’s one hundred degrees outside, so who wants to wear their expensive pretty clothes, anyways?
Let’s first do a comparison between two popular magazines: Cosmopolitan and GQ.
Both people are wearing a blazer; however, J-Lo’s is cut off showing her breasts, while Joseph’s is covering his entire upper body. J-Lo is trying to look sexy, wearing tight clothing, and Joseph is trying to look sexy by looking comfortable. I’m not saying the particular outfit he is wearing is super comfortable or casual, but definitely more so than J-Lo’s (ironically, most men’s magazines have women on the front cover anyways.)
Why does it matter? Just read the headlines surrounding J-lo’s sexy body. The big headlines are about men’s desires, and on on the cover of GQ, it’s all about men’s desires. Will all the real women please stand up? According to society, women are made to take care of men. And taking care of your man can be the most rewarding thing ever; however, why are we expected to look sexy for a man and take care of a man’s desires before our own? It’s a pre-concieved notion that a woman should want to do that before she ever even gets to make a choice.
So, Nike shorts and t-shirts should be the new standard for women because:
Nike shorts and t-shirts consider comfort to be a high priority while sexy gets put on the back burner. I used to give girls tips on how to show off their curves. But then I realized why does that even matter? Does that define beauty? Men have never had to worry about actually trying to look good for women, because their clothes are not made to look good for women. They are made for going and doing, not to be uncomfortable but super “sexy” like a lace thong. Have you ever seen a store called John’s Secret? Didn’t think so.
Nike shorts and t-shirts are a sign that it’s not all about you, guys. Women don’t have to worry about impressing the male population anymore. There are about three thousand things that are more important to us than our physical beauty. We are exploring, becoming doctors and lawyers, and attempting to change the world. When we want to look sexy, it’s for ourselves not necessarily for you. If you happen to like it, great, but your opinion is actually insignificant. #sorrynotsorry
Nike shorts and t-shirts encourage society to look past just a gender. I would like to see a male in Auburn, Alabama wearing tight pants to show off his junk. My friends told me if that happened they would actually be disgusted, and that’s kind of the point I am trying to make. Why is it unacceptable for men to show off their bodies but women are expected to show off theirs? That’s what I would call sexism. If you want to show off all of your womanliness, you go for it! But whether or not you choose to do so should have no effect on how you are perceived as a woman or person. Refering to today’s standards, the author of this article says ‘The idea that femininity is a disposable commodity couldn’t be clearer.’ When they replaced the woman’s body parts with a man’s the entire add just seems ridiculous.
Is it ridiculous that women are expected to wear something more than Nike shorts and t-shirts?
What did you think of this article? Far-fetched or do you agree? Let us know by leaving a comment below!