Is it misogynistic to tell women to dress conservatively?

Question

I don't mean clothing where they reveal their entire butts (leaving them uncovered) or where you can literally see what type of underwear they're wearing (unless they're at a nude beach). By conservative I mean people who are against women wearing crop tops, mini dresses, mini skirts, ripped jeans, short shorts/high waisted shorts, or even showing a little bit of cleavage. Those are the examples I think of.

Is it misogynistic to tell women to dress conservatively?

RolandCuthbert · Accepted Answer

I don't think in terms of conservatively or liberally.

Everyone has to dress "appropriately" in work environments. But what you do on your own or in your personal life should be up to you. And anyone trying to pressure you into showing less or more skin, is simply trying to control you.

OlderThanILook · Accepted Answer

Not misogynistic because those people have an issue with men's clothing, too. I would bet money that those same people dont want to see a guy in a sleveless muscle shirt and short shorts. I get told not to wear joggers all the time by old people too. I think they just care too much.

MzAsh · Answer

It’s uptight. Not necessarily misogynistic.

MementoMori_ · Answer

These questions only come up because there is an obsession in modern culture to make believe we have evolved beyond animal nature. But we have not. It's laughable to be so presumptuous to believe we have.

No feature of living organisms from viruses to humans is more important than reproduction. And human beings are not somehow magically exempt from the same kind of features that promote reproduction as fish, or birds or lizards.

Female human bodies are designed to attract male humans to promote reproduction. It is a natural instinct and desire for women to want to expose their bodies because that's how reproduction is instigated. Just like some species of male birds have ornamental features to attract female birds for reproduction, in humans it is reversed and women have the ornamental features that are attractive to men from revealing clothing to flashy jewelry, to swollen breasts and curvy hips calling attention to their childbearing prowess it is no coincidence that women are desirous of these things.

So now that we have established the basis for females' desire to display their bodies, is it misogynistic for men to ask them to display less of it?

I don't know if misogynistic is the right word because that connotes an intentional attempt to demean and I don't think that is a good description of this behavior. Maybe it is a lack of recognition or understanding of a females natural instinct to want and need to put her body on display.

BlueScorpio · Answer

I don't think so? Dressing conservatively doesn't mean you have to walk around in a burka or dress like a nun as some women think when they hear this. It just means to dress in a way that isn't always overly provocative or showing to much. I think it's very possible to dress sexy/cute/elegant without showing so much skin.

Vanidal · Answer

It's not misogynistic. It's a matter of comfort, to me.
I can respect a woman dresses as she pleased.
I respect how she wants her comfort.
But would my comfort be minded?
What if I'm uncomfortable at work because of your dressing? Would my concern be respected?
If I told you, expressing my concern, "Hey, can you dress a bit more covered? I can't focus while your body is tempting to see. It's beautiful. Maybe you can open it later when our works done?" Would you be understanding or be offended?
It's about negotiation of comforts, I guess.

RangerBlue22 · Answer

Personally I find that women who dress moderately conservatively are the most attractive. Like how they would dress on a family outdoor picnic. Light makeup but not too much. An appropriately lengthened dress. You can still see their curves and legs but isn’t over the top. That’s the most attractive

What I can’t stand is when women intentionally dress provocatively then complain about sexual harassment. That is when the wrong guy approaches them and gives them an extended glance. Many women think that is “sexual harassment” and yet they invited that kind of attention. And I am not talking about cat calling or worse. That’s a different story

Personally it’s a turn off to me when women literally wear lingerie in public. They are usually hypocritically on higher guard about men approaching them. I see it as insecurity of wanting more attention (only) vs. wanting guys to connect with them.

Anonymous · Answer

The only time I've ever told another woman to dress more conservatively is my uncles new girlfriend who decided to show up at my grandmothers funeral in a dress cut down to her navel. My grandmother attended a super conservative church, and most of the mourners coming were the same, so I was like, time and place, you need to put on a jacket or change your outfit. Would the world have fallen apart if she had worn what she originally wore, no, but the focus on the day should and was on my grandmother, not a bunch of old conservative church goers talking about this girl who frankly didn't have much of a clue about respecting the occasion.

Jay3344 · Answer

I don’t think so, it’s more an adherence to stricter social norms of dress rather than a hatred of women. It might even be a disagreement regarding more comfortable or revealing modern fashion. I get that a little, like I don’t like when men or women wear pajamas in the airport or at the grocery store. I don’t really like the yoga pants with wedgies, like it just doesn’t make me feel like the person wants respect for their appearance. But to be honest, in most countries people have the freedom to choose the style of clothes they want to wear and I don’t really fault choices, just I don’t always appreciate them.

ShadezMcgee · Answer

There is a difference between telling and suggesting. We already know people going to do what they are going to do regardless of how others feel.

Telling would be a father telling his daughter to cover and dress accordingly if she is about to head out the door to school because he wants to protect her and to have her potentially give the wrong message. "You aren't going out like that! Put on some goddamn pants! I don't wanna hear it, march upstairs and change now!"

Suggesting would be similar, although it will be phrased from their personal feelings. It would sound similar to, "I don't like it when you wear those things." They are just telling how they feel, not what they should do.

Completely different ways of how it is conveyed.

msmissydc · Answer

Let me decide what I wear! I do think I have the ability to dress according to the occasion. I wear things like crop tops skirts, etc. And no one should be able to forbid me from doing so. BUT I also think that every person should also be able to not dress completly unfitting for specific occassions.

letuswaltzforthedead · Answer

Not necessarily, I think its important for women to protect herself because you know the real jerks will start criticizing if anything happens to a woman while she was wearing something like that. Plus, just the amount of unwanted attention she could potentially attract, especially in a more conservative area.

Pinay_ako · Answer

Well depends on where it is. If you’re going to tell a woman to cover up when she has a bikini on at church, then no. But if you tell her to cover up at the beach and stop taking pictures of herself, then yes… First of all, it’s not our job to tell other women to cover themselves up. It’s their bodies, their business.

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

Not the way i’m imagining it in my mind. Misogyny is an expression of disrespect, disdain or even hate for women. Telling someone to dress conservatively might actually reflect a certain degree of respect, appreciation or concern, but not hate or disdain. Telling a woman she CAN’T dress a certain way or MUST dress a certain way because she’s a woman probably conveys a different message.

RiseofArtemis · Answer

No its not even close to being misogynistic. Turn it around and have men wear that same stuff. Tight tank tops that have cut outs to just above their waistline. Short shorts that literally show the begin of your butt cheeks. shirts that go down where their cleavage is visible to where the nipples start. Look at tank tops muscle guys wear which is what Im getting at. Noel Dyzel would be one to look at.

If anything, revealing clothes on women look ridiculous just like they would look as stupid on men.

hahahmm · Answer

Feminists believe that dressing like a whore is "empowerment". Conservatives/traditionalists do not believe this. It's a difference of opinion. Except one opinion has existed for thousands of years and is part of a group of traditional beliefs that built civilizations. And the other idea was just invented in the last 50 or so and hasn't built anything.

Moose304 · Answer

I think something needs to be understood when this subject is discussed. A person be they male or female has the right to feel comfortable when out with their partner. If this means they have to make some adjustments to their wardrobe then so be it. I don't feel comfortable being with a lady wearing clothes so tight her boobs are about to pop out. I recently watched a man leave a party because his wife came to a party wearing one of those dresses with a split all the way up to her ass. I heard he later filed for divorce. YES, you have the absolute right to wear whatever the hell you want to wear. Just understand your partner also has the right to feel comfortable and has the right to remove themselves from your life. You might now like it, but it is how it is.

Anonymous · Answer

Why would that be considered misogynistic? Usually it’s women who hate on other women as far as what they wear. As men, most of us don’t give a phuk what women wear. The less the better I think. But you’ll get your old ass Karen’s complaining about it cause she doesn’t get the attention from men like a hotter, younger girl does.

pepper1993 · Answer

I used to get in trouble almost every day in middle school/high school for dress code violations and while i hated it at the time now i completely understand it. same goes for employee dress codes. there's a time and place for short shorts and low cut tops. now if you mean like should women dress conservatively to go to the mall or something because your 13 year old son is oggling some woman's booyas, then yes i think that's crossing a line.

AviatorTom · Answer

No one can "tell" a woman how to dress. It's perfectly okay to make a "request" about how she dresses though. That's not misogynistic, it's just a request to conform with the requester's standards of dress. The woman can, and usually does, wear whatever she wants.

Lliam · Answer

It's not misogyny. Misogyny a is dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.
Guys who tell women to dress conservatively may like and respect women. What they are is patriarchal for thinking they can tell women what to do. They have Puritanical or otherwise religious values. They are prudish but probably not misogynistic.

LazerBean · Answer

Not necessarily. And there are some situations in which crop tops / booty short type stuff is just really inappropriate, and some people don't have good enough judgment or upbringing to know when those times are and have to be told.

Is it misogynistic to tell women to dress conservatively?

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