Dresses, dresses, and more dresses
Over spring break, I spent a good seven hours shopping for a prom dress. My friends and I piled into my car and headed to the Oaks – then the Outlets, then Main Street in Ventura, and finally back to the Oaks. Meanwhile, one of my friend’s dates spent five minutes and rented a tux over a phone call.
Tuxes are eternally classy. They come in mostly one form, one-type-fits-all. They are great for any formal occasion, and can last a lifetime. Dresses, however, are fickle friends. When shopping, my friends and I had to find dresses that didn’t scream “slut” and yet weren’t embarrassingly prudish. My friend spent close to a hundred dollars on a dress that will probably be worn once, then retired. And that was one of the cheaper dresses (the cheapest, of course, being eliminated from her choices immediately for being too short or not formal enough for prom).
Women are constantly searching for the “perfect” dress, trying to please others while keeping true to their fashion sense (as long as that fashion sense won’t be too “out there”). Women are judged harshly for their fashion choices, and sometimes only for their clothes. Women in politics, actresses, and other celebrities will often be asked about their dress choice before being questioned about their political platform, or thoughts on their latest performance. Guys will show up in a tux to an event and in general, and are not questioned (unless, of course, it is Barack Obama’s tan suit).
Why is there a double standard here? Why can’t women dress and feel as confident in their formalwear choice without fear of retribution, intense stares, and judgment for a unique cut or plunging neckline?
Everyone is entitled to their own fashion sense and to the right to express themselves without being judged, It’s not a crime to wear an avant-garde dress, but it is to label a person because of that dress. We might think of judging as a scathing article in some tabloid magazine, but it extends beyond that to gossip, name-calling, or anything else that perpetuates an atmosphere where someone can’t feel comfortable in their clothing choice. We value freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of religion in this country – why can’t we value freedom of dress choice?
