Colour-Scientist said:
I don't understand how you think it's a person's fault for getting pulled over for wearing a hood, a hat and listening to music. Surely the person at fault in that scenario is the person doing the stereotyping. Stereotypes like this exist, obviously, but why should someone change their personal taste to suit the prejudices of others?
Well that depends on how you define what a "lady" is. My definition is probably a world away from yours.
Also the "I'm all for freedom" seems a little laughable given the nature of the ideals you want to restore in society.
I agree, the stereotype shouldn't be always depicted that way, but unfortunately it is, I'm not saying the person dressing in a certain manner is to blame for the situation for being pulled over but one could 'expect' to be pulled over for that reason, as you would if you looked young and drove a merc or tried to buy alcohol, how is it that I simply chose not to dress that way and have never been stopped and searched or pulled over? That might just be luck or it might just be the fact that I don't appear intimidating to some people. Who knows what the reasoning for it is, obviously I'm just one example, so I don't account for the mass majority, but sometimes it's just an aura you give off.
Also, like I said above, while I personally 'prefer' the way people dressed (not including the oppression of women, just the outfits) I still believe that you can be very lady-like today. Its just that I don't see exposed thongs and girls puking on the sidewalk and exposing themselves after a drunken night as lady-like, I don't know what your interpretation of lady-like is, but to me, that isn't it, I don't like guys doing it either so its not as if I'm purely focused on females (despite how it may seem), there's nothing wrong with getting a bit tipsy and having a laugh and drunken fun, but if I can do that without exposing myself and behaving 'inappropriately', I'd like to think most people can. No one I know does that because I just find it disgusting.
maninahat said:
The way people dressed back in the day was often a direct consequence of the sexual repression of the time. Women wore long skirts because they were not permitted to wear trousers, and any implication that the women enjoyed casual sex had to be curtailed, hence skirts long enough to hide any sexual features (knees thighs etc.). For guys, felt suits and hats are largely impractical in a hot climate, so it is just as well that wearing suits all day everyday has fallen out of practise. The idea that a man is more than just his outfit is fairly key nowerdays, especially due to advanced telecommunication, meaning one can be a capable business leader without ever having to see their clients face to face.
So though I like those old suits as well, they represent a less developed, more repressive time of strict gender and social rules. Our current outfits are based on pragmatism, or on freedom of sexual politics. It is about time that clothes took a back seat to establishing the importance of a person.
I know that and I don't want laws enforced on anyone to dress in a certain mannerism, wear what you want, but that's just MY personal preference in terms of behaviour mostly and manners but also because I think the outfits look so smart and defined. Like I said, wearing shorts, frilly dresses etc to me isn't a sign of not being a lady to me, what I don't like is the overtly outrageous attire. Like I said, g-strings out, bras out, lack of manners (like pushing and spitting near people etc) that I'm not a fan of.
orangeban said:
No, sorry OP, but your wrong. People deserve to be respected in whatever they wear. Just because a woman happens to be wearing something skimpy, doesn't mean she doesn't respect herself, and not respecting people based on assumptions you make, is also wrong.
Oh, and you don't get to decide what everyone should wear based on what you happen to like.
No, I'm not wrong, because that would mean you are doing the same thing that you don't want me to do, imposing your opinion on me, I'm not right either, I knew people wouldn't agree with me when I started the topic, that's the whole point of a healthy discussion. I don't DECIDE what people wear, I don't even tell my GF what to wear, the only person I'll really have that kind of influence over to a small degree is my children.
I've made it pretty clear that it's MY "personal preference" in an ideal world and each and every one of us would like certain things to be better if we could shape the world ourselves, some would prefer if we were all punk rockers, some would prefer if we were all female, some would prefer if we were all peaceful and not warmongers and I would just prefer if some people had more manners and .....what's the word....class? I know I can't change the world, nor would I want to, it's just my pet peeve. I think I'm entitled to think what I want to think about people and the responses to this topic won't change that, but what will change in me is the respect I have for each of the people who stood up to me and put across a valid point to tackle my own, I like and appreciate that.
