She's Been Marked

Ok I'm just going to let whoever's reading this know: I'm not just saying what I'm about to describe solely because I'm a fellow female; this is the real world, not something I've made up.

First off, yes I agree: men can be marked just as women can. The thing that catches my attention, though, is how men don't receive the criticisms nearly as much as women do. 

For example-- the dress code. Many females are punished for simply showing their shoulders or wearing leggings. I mean come on..... LEGGINGS! I don't know what they expect from us... they're just pants! And our shoulders.... how are they any different from a guy's? We females are shamed for wearing outfits considered too tight or revealing; yet, I have never witnessed a single guy become disciplined for wearing saggy pants or muscle tanks, which by the way, also reveal their shoulders!

As one can tell, women are constantly being "marked" with the impression of trying to show off their body. Each of us are judged based on every small detail of how we look, being "marked" because of our own unique style that unfortunately, is regarded the wrong way simply because we are female.

"Tight sleeveless dress," "sexy jumpsuit," "baggy slacks," "stylish black t-shirts," "frosted blond," "dark lashes;" rather than noticing what a girl wears by solely her clothing, which is already bad enough, each item contains a detailed description of how others see her wearing that specific outfit (Tannen 552). It can never just be a dress or a shirt, but has to be accompanied by an adjective that marks them, forcing women to stand out from the rest of society, and not necessarily in a positive way.

Now, I'm not saying that I don't want women to be considered "marked," but I just wish that society would stop looking at a woman differently when she wears a business suit to a meeting just as a man, or when she shows her shoulders, or wears shorts.... we should be able to mark ourselves without judgement, and hopefully one day I can go to school with an off-the-shoulder shirt and not get dress coded for it.