The concept of hiding women's bodies is nothing new in our society, but the the reasoning why is something that never stops to infuriate me, which is that women should dress in a certain way as to not tempt males who apparently have no control of their actions. This is an idea that is enforced in the workplace, schools, and other areas of our day to day lives. Overall, I will agree that certain attire may not be appropriate in certain situations, for example I wouldn’t choose to wear a crop top at a funeral. Still, why should one feel that they have to succumb to a dress code to avoid being subjected to filthy stares and sexual harassment? The policing of women's bodies needs to come to end, and for a start we need to address the fact that style shaming is wrong.

If the way that women are viewed in society depends on what they choose to wear, then this furthers my thoughts that societal views are totally fucked up. Women should be able to choose what they put onto their bodies and feel comfortable with wearing without being ridiculed or harassed. Dress codes have been strictly enforced in high schools for a very long time. In my high school, girls were not allowed to wear dresses, skirts, or shorts that were deemed inappropriate by the school board. They enforced what was coined as the “fingertip test”, which a teacher would call you out in the middle of class and have you preform. In front of the student body you would be made a spectacle of, having to stand up and put your hands at your sides. If the hem of your garment was above the point on your leg where your middle finger tip reached, you would be sent to the office as a form of punishment. Of course there were restrictions on the boys as well, if they showed up to class with a baseball cap on they were asked to remove it and put it under their desk until the bell rang. It was very apparent that the school dress code was mainly aimed towards the girls, with the reasoning that these clothing would be distracting to the opposite gender. Instead of punishing the girls for wearing something that is comfortable to them, we should teach boys not to sexualize girls bodies. In an article entitled Stop Policing Women’s Bodies from the Huffington post, the author writes, “The idea that women are the protectors of ‘virtue’ and ‘chastity’ is the basis of the rape culture. If a girl is sexually assaulted, we ask why she was at a party, walking home from class unescorted or wearing that dress.” Just because a woman may be showing off her knees or wearing a backless dress doesn’t mean that she is willing prey to be harassed or assaulted. Huffington Post Article

By enforcing these laws the schools are siding with the oppressors instead of looking at the bigger problem. Women should feel comfortable with what they choose to wear, instead of feeling unsafe in certain situations, but sadly that doesn’t seem like an option. I’ll admit, there have been a lot of times when I’m walking home alone and think about how strangers are viewing me. This is a reflection of my knowledge of the male gaze and it makes me hella uncomfortable, even scared. Not only do women have to face this fear of being attacked, but they are also judged on their fashionable style. Phrases like “she’s too big for that outfit,” or “that doesn’t fit her right,” or “she should show off her figure,” are all a part of this concept of body policing as well. So we can't win, either we’re too sexy, not sexy enough, or “asking for it”. Why?

The media plays a role in this way of thinking indefinitely. It is displayed time and time again in advertisements, television shows, magazines, and more about what women are expected to look like. If we don’t fall into those categories we can be deemed unprofessional or shamed. Demetria Obilor, an anchor with ABC affiliate WFAA was quoted in an article saying, ““For so long, women have been marginalized and prescribed a narrow-minded concept of beauty. We have to shatter all of that and unite to shape a better, more tolerant world for the future … We need to embrace every body type, every color, every hairstyle … at the root of it, we are all human and no one should ever be discriminated against based solely on the way that they look.” This is an inspiration to me, and many others. To be comfortable with one's own body is hard enough on its own, but having society reflect on it as well and deem you unfit is another issue entirely and it is extremely unfair. Put and end to body policing