It is truly amazing how often what women wear or don’t wear becomes the subject of headlines. If Serena Williams wants to wear a catsuit, old men making rules have a problem with her choices. If the women's beach handball team wants a uniform that is less revealing they are penalised for it. And if a woman wears what she wants on a flight, that is a problem too – as we saw with this controversy relating to 2012 Miss Universe Olivia Culpo.
American Airlines felt that Culpo’s outfit of a bra top, cycling shorts and a long shrug was inappropriate. This was reported in an Instagram story by her sister who was travelling with her. Another woman wearing a similar outfit was deemed OK to travel, she also pointed out.
Some thought this was just ‘whining’ and decided to criticise the Culpo’s body of work. Others thought this was just a publicity stunt.
The airport is ‘not the place for fashion’ or ‘she should know better during a pandemic’… these were some of the issues raised by some of the more disapproving people.
It is difficult to imagine how an outfit that reveals the midriff and cleavage constitutes ‘exposed skin’ or how that will be a particular problem during the pandemic.
Good job airline, said a lot of people – apparently they don’t want to sit next to someone whose outfit they don’t like, so they thought this was OK for an airline to do.
Some brought up this old refrain – for some, it is a woman’s duty to cover up and be ‘modest’ so that unruly men and their unruly libidos are not triggered supposedly.
Some thought it was just silly – surely there isn't some formal dress code that the airlines expect travellers to abide by? Are there some rules or stated airline policy under which this woman and her clothing choices are being policed?
While the airline chose to police a woman's body and her choice to wear what she wanted, they seemed to have less interest in attending to a sexual harassment complaint.
This Twitter user seems to indicate that airline’s actions were a complete overreaction. Why is it any of their business to act as the fashion police?
A lot of people thought that an airline’s job is to transport people to their destination, not to tell people what to wear.
In the end, it is really all about policing women’s bodies and their choices. It is not clear what exact reason the airline gave for making Olivia Culpo change the way she was dressed. However, it still seems as though people are happy to be bandying around words like ‘modesty’ and ‘appropriateness’ and to apply their personal concepts of morality and suitability on to others --- especially if they are women.
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