Farah Isahack | Contributor
Featured image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Shorts, sundresses and sandals cover the racks of retail stores while the summer sun shines. As the temperature rises, the influence of the heat is perhaps most clearly illustrated in women’s fashion. Whether that be a casual dress or a fun beach outfit, summertime sunshine will guarantee a lot more skin and a lot less layers.
Summer styles allow for more freedom and less conservatism in both prints and colours. Aztec, African and Native American prints and clothing style inspire much of the clothing worn in this season.
Perhaps this is most clearly illustrated through the clothing worn at the Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival, hosted in Indio, California. Fashion is as big of a part of the festival as the music, with retailers such as Forever 21 and H&M introducing lines inspired by the festival.
With the temperature increasing, we can finally shed the layers, don the flowery print and embrace the assortment of shorts, dresses and sandals the warm weather brings. But with the rise of femininity, expression and exposure in summer clothing, out come the critics.
In name of propriety, individuals have criticized celebrities and public figures solely on the basis of the amount of fabric they have on. These figures include but are not limited to Kim Kardashian, Amber Rose and Blac Chyna.
The issue, reprimanded by those who believe summer fashion is too suggestive and exposed, push an agenda of slut shaming. This agenda is not new – society has long held the viewpoint of women either wearing too much or too little as problematic, putting women in a difficult box to navigate. Women play a difficult balancing act, maneuvering between “prudeness” and “sluttiness” as constructive guidelines that society has set for what is appropriate.
To imply that a woman’s T-shirt dress or exposed legs, is incentive enough to imply the want of sexual advances is ridiculous on the bases of consent. Further, there is a prevalent idea that the exposure of a woman’s body cannot be based off of convenience or conscious choice, but rather the intent to seek and gain attention.
Fashion is the freedom and flexibility to express identity and creativity. Remember consent and etiquette this summer, not only when choosing what to wear but also when you are critiquing what others are wearing. If you cannot understand why the young lady in the mall is wearing a crop top and short shorts, it is none of your business. Don’t worry about her choices.
