It is a misconception to attribute either sexual assault or sexual harassment to what a person wears. “But why would you wear that if you didn’t want to get attention” is a popular response. When I hear this, I hear that women shouldn’t wear outfits that make them feel good, pretty, or comfortable because it may attract attention–attention that is harmful or threatening. This leads me to believe that if we are to follow this logic, then we should constantly frame our entire world and actions to what another person may or may not do.
This is faulty logic, as it is nearly impossible or detrimental to our mental health to be constantly changing our course of action because of the bad behavior of someone else.
Ultimately, people choose how they react to situations. If there is a diehard inclination inside of you to sexually harass or comment on what women wear, there is something else at stake.
And that something else, my friends, is entitlement.
Entitlement in a nutshell is when you feel like you deserve to act/behave a certain way. In this case, people feel entitled to comment or harass women for how revealing their clothes may be. It is entitlement because it is automatically assumes those outfits are worn for others attention, and that makes disrespectful comments or gestures “O.K.”
The point is, sexual harassment or demeaning comments are never acceptable.
If you truly find yourself struggling in the midst of revealing clothing, there is a lack of control and common decency. If you just need to make it known that someone is looking beautiful that day, tell them they are beautiful, eye-catching; don’t say “hey baby!” or “nice ass!”
At the end of the day, you are entitled to wear whatever makes you feel empowered, sexy, or comfortable.