Much Ado About Nothing?

Yoga pants have once again made the news. And this time it wasn't Lululemon or Chip Wilson causing people to get up in arms.

The author defended the letter to the editor stating that it was "a joke" after over a hundred protesters showed up outside his door and he received death threats. Yeah, that's no joke. And this is nothing new.  

Yoga pants wearing people are not the first nor will they be the last to be criticized for their style of dress.  Clothing has always been political regardless of the clothing item. History can provide us with many examples, some ending in violence. As the author pointed out mini-skirts also cause quite a stir as well as protests. European countries tried to ban mini-skirts from being worn in public when they appeared in the mid-1960s even though short skirts were not historically new. 

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What the author failed to realize is that telling anyone what to wear (or not to wear) isn't a joke, it is politically and culturally charged. It is like telling someone to lose some weight, dye their hair, or fill in the blank with some other judgement. To most people it is insulting and can be perceived as devaluing a person's worth. Most people would react with "it's none of your business," reply or worse as the author found out. 

The yoga pants trend will eventually fade and pass from the public sphere and in it's place will come another item of clothing that will ruffle someone's feathers. The more things change, the more it stays the same.  

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If you ask me, I think it is much ado about nothing, fashion trends come and pass. Where are the protests and letters to the editors over the impact on fast-fashion on our environment and the uproar over poor quality man-made fabrics? Hmmm, now there is something to protest over. 

Happy Sewing!