Apparently this is the only forum I have for talking about my piece. Wish I could post on the DS website but I'm not allowed. So anyway, I?m writing this because I'd like to defend my article a little bit.
First, the way people are approaching this is a little absurd. Really, is it absolutely necessary to message my Facebook account to tell me that I?m stupid and ugly? I?m really quite pleased and impressed that people have gotten so up in arms about this and think that these energies could be really revolutionary. It?s sad, however, that what everyone is so upset about is something as ridiculous and unimportant as sweatpants. Chris England and Clayton Kraby write excellent pieces on politics and no one really gives a hoot about what they have to say. And I?m sure there?s got to be someone out there who doesn?t agree, but I call sweatpants trashy and get ripped a new one on the DS website and have 5 letters sent to the office addressing my article? Come on, how shallow can you be?
The column I wrote was an opinion piece. It was my own personal opinion and it was in no way meant to be used as a guideline for your own life but perhaps a little reminder that you are indeed a beautiful young woman and you should act like it. If you disagree with me, that?s absolutely okay and dandy, and you wear those sweatpants for the rest of your lovely life, okay?
Second, so many people have taken what I wrote out of context. I am not saying that the women on this campus should be required to wake up every day and beautify themselves as if they were going to prom. My piece was about taking a little pride in your personal appearance. Honestly, why wouldn?t you want to look good? And looking good isn?t about attracting a boyfriend/girlfriend or impressing people, it?s about self-confidence and feeling good about yourself. I know that when I spend a little time in the morning to find something cute to wear I feel stellar for the rest of the day.
Also I wrote about how clothing is personal and how each person?s individual style can?t really be deciphered through UND sweatshirts. I want to see punk rock girls in stripes and bondage pants and preppy girls in khakis and cardigans and art majors in paint covered corduroys. I think personal style is so important and so interesting but it doesn?t shine through when it comes to gym clothes. You all look like lazy clones, how fun is that?
I agree that college is mainly about learning and education and expanding one?s horizons but many of those who disagree with me fail to see that college is also very much about networking and creating alliances. You wear your jamjams to class every day for a semester then come to that professor for a reference of some sort and he?s going to think twice. Maybe you did well in the class but you couldn?t even bother to dress like an adult for his class, what?s that going to say to him?
Third, I?ve noticed that there are no women on campus who agree with me and dozens of guys who do, which, I?ll admit, creeps me out a little. Maybe they have missed my point, so I will reiterate it now: My piece wasn?t about girls getting tarted it up to look good for you, it was about taking some pride in themselves and having enough self-respect to wake up and put on actual clothes.
And that?s not to say that a lot of fellows around campus aren?t guilty of the same thing. However, scan the campus and you might notice that the men tend to look a little better than the ladies. Maybe that?s because all a guy has to do is pull on jeans and a polo to look nice, but really, that?s all I?m asking from the girls. Jeans, a polo, sneakers and a pony tail and bam! You actually look like a functioning adult member of society, congratulations! No smoky eyes, no low rise jeans, no thong or lacey bra, no tight tube top, not even a skirt. Just regular, casual clothes that can be found in closets across campus.
Anyway, it seems that how guys dress is a whole ?nother animal and I didn?t want to piss off both sexes in one article. Kidding. But it didn?t seem necessary to include them into my piece as it was specifically targeting the gals on campus. Plus I can only write so much for one article. We?ll talk about the guys in another issue, okay? I really didn?t want to pit the sexes against each other for this one, I just wanted to motivate the girls to maybe give a shit every once in a while. Next time we?ll motivate some boys.
So there it is. I am officially done talking about it. That?s all I have to say and any comments or other opinions are more than welcome but I have a life to get back to and some Levi?s to wash so I really can?t keep responding politely to stupid messages on Facebook. To all who read, thanks a lot, I?m really flattered and I hope you?ll continue to read my articles and columns in the future.
Love always (yeah, that?s a little condescending?),
Rhiannon Conley