Tights as pants?

Natalie, over at Definatalie recently posted about the “Tights are Not Pants” issue. She brought up some very interesting thoughts for me.

For those who haven’t heard or seen this phenomenon it’s exactly what it says on the label: Tights? Are not Pants. I’m talking tights, with the gusset, with the underwear showing, being worn as pants. Sometimes people equate leggings with tights as well, but leggings are generally made of thicker material.

While I’m not sure I agree completely with her stance (and, I know this is coming from my own issues), I can see where she’s coming from and the deeper issue of the whole debate.

Often, the arguments made against wearing tights as pants come in the form of:

– It’s sloppy!
– It’s indecent!
– I can see your BITS!
– I can see your cellulite!
– I can see your underwear!
– I can see your body!

Notice how pretty much all of those deal with the body? A woman’s body?

Sloppy? To who?

What’s indecent? A woman’s body?

Oh my! I have anatomical parts. Oh my, I have cellulite. Oh my, I’m wearing underwear. Oh my, I have a body. Now I must immediately cover it up.

I’ll admit, I think it takes a great deal of body confidence to do this. It’s not something I would ever do myself. I’m not comfortable with it, on myself or on other and I’m challenging myself as to why this is. Am I uncomfortable with a body being on display? Am I uncomfortable with body parts? Am I judging the ‘appropriateness’, and if so, who I am to judge this anyway?

I know people aren’t going to agree with her stance on it (and some people have become needlessly vehement about it), but I say, it has made me think.

It has made me think about judgement, something I brought up a couple of weeks ago. We all judge. I do it all the time. It’s human nature to judge. I can be an extremely judgemental person. I know this.

Here’s what else I know. I know I’m trying to curb being so judgemental. I know being judgemental reflects on me, and I know when I make a nasty comment about what another person is wearing, it’s coming from a place of judgement and my own insecurity. I want to reflect on why I’ve made a comment, if I’ve made a comment. I’m going to do my absolute best to try and curb my comments. It isn’t healthy, for my self-esteem or for my mental well-being.