Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.PCS 1/10/84; site hocsj.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!ariel!hou4b!hou5f!hou5e!hou5d!hogpc!pegasus!hocsj!ecl
From: ecl@hocsj.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Clothing as an Invitation
Message-ID: <234@hocsj.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Nov-84 12:55:06 EST
Article-I.D.: hocsj.234
Posted: Fri Nov  9 12:55:06 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 21:05:37 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 40


Reference: <1320@ihuxq.UUCP>

Chris Edmonds asks:
> Do women who come to work in a blue or white collar environment dressed
> in blue jeans and a sweater that look like they are glued on, know what
> their appearance does to the normal heterosexual male?

For that matter, do men who come to work in a blue or white collar environment
dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt that look like they are glued on, know what
their appearance does to the normal heterosexual female?

> What do they expect the response to be?  Do they mind being looked at
> as sex objects?  (I can't help it...that's how my body/mind responds...
> it's why homo sapiens isn't extinct.)

I hope not--that *is* the message they are projecting.

> Are they prepared to deal with an offensive response?

No.  Why should anyone have to deal with an offensive response unless they are
offensive first?

I'll undoubtedly get flamed for this, but I look at it this way--there is no
reason for people to walk around in potato sacks at work.  There is nothing
wrong with trying to look good (this applies to men *and* women).  It shouldn't
be carried to extremes--disco dresses on women and unbuttoned shirts and gold
chains on men (or vice versa) are not suitable for the work environment
(unless, of course, you work in a disco)--but arguing about how tight one's
pants should be is futile.  (Haven't you ever discovered that you've put on a
few pounds and the pants you want to wear are suddenly tighter than they used
to be?  And you're ten minutes late for work already and everything else is in
the laundry?)

Looking good should not be sufficient reason for having to field offensive
remarks.  If it is, we'll all work at looking ugly, and who wants that?

					Evelyn C. Leeper
					...ihnp4!hocsj!ecl