FILIPINO women used to dress themselves in long-sleeves, known as baro and skirts that reach the feet which are known as saya. Dresses that covered the whole body of a woman. Due to this, women in the present were being questioned by the way they dress themselves because of how distinct it was from the past.
Women dress themselves today in a more expressive way. In this generation, clothing is used as a self-expression. They tend to explore different pairs of clothes based on their own style. Famous styles include casual, classy, coquette, feminine, goth, and many more. Compared to the past, women show much of their skin.
Things that women consider with their OOTDs
Shaina Sapungan
Shaina Sapungan, 22, said that her clothes depend on the weather and her destination. “If mainit, then I will wear a not-too thick fabric and fabric na hindi sweaty suotin like sleeveless. If malamig, opposite lang but since hindi naman ako malamigin, I don’t usually bring jackets more like cardigans or blazer lang. Kapag crowded area naman, any comfy clothes like pants and shirt.”
Kristine Zyrel Rey
Kristine Zyrel Rey, 24, also said that her clothes depend on the event or place that she will attend. She specifically considered the person she hangs out with. “If I am with my boyfriend and we decide to go on a date, I would usually wear a dress, arm warmers, black loafer, leg warmers and a fitted top. I will style my hair in a cute way with matching ribbons. If I go out with my friends, my outfit will be much simpler looking. When I am with my family, I tend not to overdress so as to not gain too much attention.”
Rezyn Puyong
For 22-year old Rezyn Puyong, her style depends on her comfortability and her mood. “Minsan sexy, minsan cute, minsan boyish. Pero more on sexy clothes talaga ako kasi komportable ako sa ganon.”
Mai, 23, said that the things that she considers are all the three things combined mentioned by the other three. “There are a lot of things I always consider every time I’m deciding what to wear, such as the weather, the place I’m going to, the event, and also my mood.”
Fashion as Self-Expression
Fashion is a form of self-expression. It is not just the way we dress ourselves, it can also show who we are. Wearing something that looks good on us and outfits where we are confident makes us feel good throughout the day.
Kristine said that she is happy and confident when she styles herself the way she wants to. “My style is not conventional and may appear unusual to most people. Fashion is an expression, as they say. I usually portray my mood through my outfit. I love listening to various music genres so I have a couple of inspirations. I carefully put together fashion pieces for the day and I am happy when I finally wear what I envision.“
Likewise, Mai dresses herself to express herself, her style, and personality. “I dress so I can look in the mirror and see how good I look. Other girls would always compliment my fit and how they look good on me. In terms of men, they sometimes throw glances at me, and some would say, “Wow, ganda ah” or “Sexy natin ah,” which I find uncomfortable.”
Rezyn, on the other hand, received criticism from other people, “Sabi nila it’s too revealing daw. Nakikita raw yung ano ko. Minsan kasi ay naka see-through ako. Tumatawa na lang ako. Kunware concern [sila sa akin] pero hindi naman. Nagsusuot lang ako kasi I feel pretty and confident. Kase kung ‘di ko suot gusto ko, nakakatamad nang lumabas.”
Women expressing themselves through clothes sometimes wear something that shows too much skin which was misunderstood by other people, especially men.These revealing clothes are said to bring sexual urges in some men. They think that these kinds of clothes are an invitation for sexual advances.
Kristine is one of the victims of this case. “At one instance, I stopped wearing skirts because I usually experience men harassing me on public transportation, especially buses. I accept that my style would garner attention but unwanted sexual attention is not what I desire.”
Shaina pointed out that women don’t dress to impress men or for men’s gaze. “We don’t do that for male validation. We wear revealing clothes to boost our self confidence and to embrace our flaws or imperfections because it takes a lot of courage and confidence to dress that way.”
Kristine believes that men who say that are insecure. “Why bother pursuing a person who wears revealing clothing if they were not comfortable with it in the first place?,” she asked.
For Mai, men are just blinded by the idea that girls dress to impress them. “In reality, it’s not like that. May choice ang mga babae sa kung ano man ang gusto nilang suotin. Ito ay hindi para ipakita o para mapansin ng mga lalaki kundi para iexpress yung sarili nila. Women want to look good, and it makes them happy, that’s it.”
What would women wear if there are no men to the place where they would go?
Both Shaina and Kristine said that there is a big difference with the way they will dress themselves if there will be no men in an event or place that they would go.
“If I knew there would be no men where I was going, I’d wear whatever made me feel unapologetically myself- free from the pressure of how I might be perceived. I’d embrace bold colors, daring cuts, and anything that makes me feel powerful and confident. Without the weight of expectation, I’d dress for me, not for anyone else’s gaze. It would be a reminder that my worth isn’t tied to approval, and I deserve to own my space with pride. In the end, I’d wear what makes me feel unstoppable, knowing that the only opinion that matters is my own” Shaina said.
“It would be much more different if there were no men around. I will wear clothings which is slightly revealing but still comfortable,” Kristine stated.
Without the man’s gaze, women feel safe wearing daring clothes that would make them feel even more confident. With or without men, women will dress in a way that they would be able to express themselves. Women dress to express, not to impress.
Should Men Have A Say on Women’s Clothes?
This has been a hot topic on social media up until this day especially for couples in a relationship. Girlfriends wear clothes that they feel comfortable and feel confident in. While, boyfriends think that it is showing too much skin.
Mai argued that the boyfriend should not have a say on their girlfriend’s outfit. “I don’t think it is necessary na makikialam siya sa way ng pananamit ko, but I get it that he only cares for me. But kagaya nga ng sinabi ko, I dress to express myself e. Yung style at pananamit ko kasi, ako yun e, reflection yun ng kung ano ako. Through styling myself kase, dun ako nagiging masaya at bonus pa yung compliments galing sa mga kapwa ko babae.”
On the contrary, Michael(22) said a man should have a say on their girl’s outfit. This is because men are concerned with their girlfriends being a subject of another man’s eye. ”If the outfit is revealing, kahit naaayon sa pupuntahan or kahit sabihing freedom or fashion ng babae yung ganon, tama naman walang mali sa ganon. Pero ang mali nga ay pag iisip ng ibang lalaki. Hindi mo naman sila pwedeng sabihan na iayos ang pag iisip nila. Uncontrollable factor yun. Ang macocontrol mo lang is yung damit pero kahit sobrang ayos na ng damit, may mga ganon talaga. Wala nang magagawa sa taong ganon mag isip.
For 22-year old Matthew, it is okay for women to wear the clothes they want to wear. “Nasanay din kasi ako na puro babae mga kasama ko. Gano’n lagi sila pumorma kaso yun lang nga ‘di maiiwasan na may mga gano’n talaga na lalaki.”
Both Michael and Matthew have different responses but go down with the same conclusion that the problem is the way other guys think. They, themselves being a man, know how other guys would react to a woman wearing revealing clothes suggesting that it is an uncontrollable thing.
For Shaina, she also believed that men should not have a say on the way they dress like Mai. “He can share his thoughts on my outfit or care about my safety, but that doesn’t give him the authority to dictate how I should dress myself. My choices are mine alone because I do believe a true man doesn’t control your choices, but he’ll fight to ensure you’re treated with the respect you deserve.”
Michael said that it is already given that a man can fight for his partner. But women should also help in a way that she can.
While it is true that changing clothes is a controllable action, it should not make a man think that fantasizing a woman with the way they dress is completely normal just because it is uncontrollable.
This is not about whether a man could fight for their girl as well. Women don’t need man’s approval nor protection when they wear such clothes. Like men, women should wear clothes that they like without thinking that they could be a subject of someone’s fantasy.
Women should not feel scared just because they are wearing the clothes they like. Instead, some men should change the way they think and react when they see a woman wearing provocative clothes. In the first place, it is not for them to fantasize nor think that it is an invitation for sexual advances.
