Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Day I Went Pantless

{by Caitlin Muir}

 You read that right, pantless.

Not Lady Gaga pantless, where you go out in public wearing nothing but some cute underwear and a bedazzled t-shirt. Pantless as in wearing those cute black leggings as pants.

I’m not a sweatpant girl. I’ve never gotten into the fad of velour running suits. But leggings and a tunic top are my go-to pieces. There’s something about the feel of soft leggings on my skin that makes me feel good.

But the question remained – was it modest?

My parents said no, my roommate was slightly amused, and I wasn’t sure.

So in the name of science, I went pantless for a day. Instead of wearing a long tunic top, I paired it with a top that hit halfway down my bum. 

I’m not going to lie, I was a little uncomfortable.

I was even more uncomfortable when a man started following me around at the store. When I went to another rack to look at clothes, he followed to the next rack behind me where he could get a clear view of my rear.

So not cool.

I thought about turning around and yelling at him for staring. But instead, I walked away. After all, I could hardly blame him for being a man and reacting how any hot blooded male would.

I can’t show off my female body and then get mad when male biology kicks in. And I had to ask myself the question – would I have been more comfortable with the attention had he been younger and far more attractive?

Men are attracted to the physical. Just like females are attracted to the emotional. That’s just how we’re wired.

I do believe that modesty is more about your heart than your hemlines. I’ve seen women covered head to toe in fabric and act more provocatively than women hanging out on the beach in their swimsuits.

So I don’t think that I’m being legalistic, judgmental, or out of line to say that you should keep your bum covered.

There’s nothing classy about seeing someone’s rear.  Really.

How you dress influences the people you attract. During my pantless day, I was treated far differently than I am any other day of the week. I was oogled. I was followed by creepy men. I was ignored by salespeople. I got funny looks from little kids. I was embarrassed and kept tugging on my shirt to make it a little bit longer.

People don’t treat you with respect when you look like you forgot to get dressed.

Leggings are leggings. Not pants. When you are at home, wear them however you want. But when you’re out in public, realize that people will judge your character by the way you present yourself.

If I don’t want to be treated like a sex object, I don’t want to give men the idea that my body is for oogling.

There are plenty of classy ways to wear leggings. Try out some of these combos and let me know what you think.

·      Leggings + Long Oxford Shirt + Big, Messy Hair (Writing at home)
·      Leggings + Tanktop + Long Duster + Belt (Running Errands)
·      Leggings +Tunic Top + Knee High Boots (Date night!)
·      Leggings + Sweater-Dress  (Church, School, anywhere)
·      Colored Leggings + Summer Dress + Cardigan + Flats + Scarve (So very BoHo. Parties!)
·      Leggings + Tailored Shorts + White Shirt (Add Oxford shoes and thick black glasses and you’ve transformed into a very stylish hipster)

Also, here’s a little tip. Leggings with high heels show off your legs like no ones business. It also makes it look far less classy. Try pairing them with flat boots if you are wearing them with a shorter top.

What’s your favorite leggings combo? 


(image credit: creative commons)

9 comments:

  1. What an intersting post and a great expereince to share. Often we forget that our actions (and inactions) have repercussions and impact all sorts of other people.

    You were very brave to try it I would never have done that. And it sounds like you came to the right conclusions to me....

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    1. Actions DO have consequences. That's something the fashion magazines don't tell you!

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  2. How is it in the name of science to do something that both you and your parents thought was questionable? It may have been only an experiment but for a whole day you were a stumbling block to your christian brothers. On behalf of my brothers in Christ, please! Don't try any more experiments! You are only hurting yourself and them!

    ~Lynn

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    1. I hear what you are saying, Lynn and I have to say I don't think I would have tried this myself. With that said though, I think you need to be careful stating her experiment "only hurt". I know for me and my friends it can be tempting to want to try styles (like leggings for pants for instance) which the culture tells us are "okay" so I'm grateful to Caitlin for sharing her experiment with us and what she learned...mainly that it *isnt* really okay and that it has a very real impact on the people around you and how you are treated. I think that in that way, her experience is helpful! ANyway, just my two cents ;) I'd be interested to hear what you think, Caitlin?

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    2. Hey ladies!

      Lynn - I wasn't sure what I thought when I first started the "experiment." I didn't try it out when I was at my parent's home out of respect for them. I'm an older 20-something who lives a few thousand miles away from them.

      There are some things that are culturally modest and I try to keep that in mind. I live in a culture where leggings ARE acceptable as pants. I wanted to try it out for a day and see how I felt. I was only out in public for a few hours. Most of my day was spent lounging at my friend's house. By the time my experiment was over, I knew my answer. I don't mind wearing leggings as pants around the house but when boys come over - tunics or jeans are going to be added. :)

      I really appreciate your concern, Lynn. It's important to share your thoughts with others.

      Caro - Thanks for your input. I definitely learned that you don't command respect (or help anyone out) when you go pantless. I'm glad you can learn from my experiment. When in doubt, keep it covered! :)

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    3. Experiments are IMPORTANT, because that is how we LEARN. If we all took your admonition seriously and ceased to experiment - then babies would never learn to walk.

      Remember, everyone, some experiments end in success and others-not so much. The key is to learn something each time, try not to make the same mistakes again and to grwo from the experience. While I agree that it is improtant to consider the advice of your parents and elders, remember that they are merely human and often wrong, too. So, consider carefully, experiment in non-lethal areas, learn quickly and be sure to laugh a lot (especially at yourself!).

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    4. I, for one, hear Lynn's concern. It's not really optional that we honor/obey our parents: God commands it! And it is important that we are radically different in the way we treat our parents so that we can be a testimony to the world.

      That said, a couple factors in this case should be considered before you have any right to judge the author of this article so strongly, Lynn. 1) She is an older 20 something who is no longer under her parents direct authority. She is not a 13 year old writing this. That makes a difference. 2) As far as we know, her parents never said "do not try this experiment." They said that they did not think it was modest, ie they had already formed their opinion. Now Caitlin needed to form her own. In the end, she arrived at the same conclusion as her parents, which is awesome, but its important to formulate beliefs/standards for your own self.

      Any thoughts Lynn? Do you agree?

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  3. I found your legging experiment ingenious. It is true, though, that men will gawk no matter what you are wearing. But girls can help out by trying NOT to wear such silly clothes. I saw on the news once that a man was a the Del Mar racetrack taking pictures up women's dressed behind their back, but when he tried it on a 14 year old girl, she caught him, proceeded to beat him up and steal the camera, but unfortunately he got away. Still, go her!
    Personally, I dislike leggings, but that's just me ;)

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  4. That hot blooded thing is BS! The guy should respect you as a person no matter how you dress. I'm as hot blooded as any guy. And I may think you are looking ever so beautiful in just leggings, but that's no excuse for disrespecting a person's space.

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