Yoga pants alone are not decent? The Female Body Battleground: From the Leggings Controversy on Body Autonomy

A casual blazer with a simple white T, a leggings (Leggings) and stockings sneakers on the lower body, and the popular Leggings of European and American actresses, what do you think?

In 2017, a United Airlines ticket inspector refused to allow two women wearing Legges to board the plane on the grounds of "improper dress", sparking a public discussion about the dress code of major airlines and whether it was appropriate for Legges to "wear outside".

Yoga pants, leggings (Leggings), whatever you call them, why have this highly encompassing and comfortable clothing item become controversial?

From leggings that protect men's legs, to the American campus Leggings controversy

The Leggings controversy has lasted for nearly a decade, and according to a 2014 report in the United States, the reason why campuses across the United States restrict students from wearing Leggings to school is because they believe that Leggings, a tight clothing that shows off the curves of the body, will distract male students and affect learning.

The report also consolidated the main discussions of the implementation of the Leggings ban in various schools, whether it was worried about affecting the learning effectiveness of male students, and some American high schools pointed out that Leggings dressing was not a problem until some students began to wear it alone, and called on parents to "cover your child's butt", emphasizing that if you match skirts and pants, enough to cover your butt and thighs, you will not violate the dress code.

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However, if we delve into the origins of Leggings, we can go back to centuries. Leggings was originally invented to protect the legs of horseback riders, at that time, Leggings were mainly worn by men, until the beginning of the 20th century, more and more women tried pants, Leggings gradually became a casual fashion for women.

In the 80s, actress Jen. Jane Fonda led the women's sports trend, and Leggings became the standard for women's fitness. In the 1940s, women not only wore Leggings in and out of sports venues, but also matched Chinese clothes, different clothing accessories, Leggings is no longer just sportswear, but mainstream women's fashion.

Sports brands also see business opportunities and begin to develop sportswear using thick fabrics such as high elastic fibers and lycra for different sports properties, and lululemon launched the first yoga pants in 1998, using lycra and nylon fabrics, and from the beginning was designed to be worn alone.

How does Taiwanese society view Legges fashion?

Not only in the United States, but also in Taiwan, where the social atmosphere is relatively conservative, more and more women have begun to follow the trend of Leggings, and different Legges outfits can be seen on the streets of major business districts, which will inevitably cause a lot of positive and negative discussions.

Observing the discussion of Legges outfit on Taiwanese social networks, 3 main arguments can be summarized:

First, the curves are unsightly, and the outfit should be adapted to local conditions

When it comes to whether Legges is suitable for solo wear, most opponents care about the exposed shape of women, which is often called camel hooves by netizens.

They believe that even if there are more and more sufficiently supportive Legges on the market, the clinging feature will still make women's curves appear in front of everyone as if they are not worn, if it is worn in sports occasions, it is not a big deal, but walking on the street or wearing it as a fashion accessory is not very suitable, and it will also affect the perception of passers-by.

Leggings are the privilege of a perfect body

Some people also believe that the design of Leggings can only be controlled by people with perfect figures, and if you do not have a firm hip and slim body, Leggings will not be something you can easily try.

There are also reports abroad that some plump women are bullied because they wear tight pants. It can be seen that there are still many "body prejudices" and "appearance prejudices" in today's society, and even basic daily wear choices cannot be diversified.

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3. Respect personal dressing style

The above two statements are critics of Legges' clothing from the perspective of critics, but do not take into account the autonomy of the wearer, but use their own value aesthetics to arbitrarily guide the choices of others.

Fortunately, amid the many voices of opposition, there are still many rational voices.

Some netizens said that although they could not experience the beauty of Leggings' fashion, they also respected everyone's clothing choices. Many female netizens also admitted that they would feel shy and uncomfortable if they wanted to wear Legges alone on the street, but they could also see the confidence of showing their bodies generously from women wearing Leggings.

Your vision cannot limit my choice

Looking at the controversy at home and abroad, we have to go back to how we decide what we wear – how we become the masters of our bodies.

The controversy of society over clothing and clothing is not only Leggings, but also the advent of women's pants and mini skirts, which has also triggered different degrees of resistance, when society cannot return the main control to the individual subject, trying to use the social framework and mainstream values to regulate body autonomy, the same disputes will only continue to be staged.

Looking back at the historical transformation of Leggings, from completely utilitarian-oriented men's trousers to women's casual fashion, and is the best example of the loosening of the social framework of women's bodily autonomy, only that it has encountered the challenge of another framework in modern times.

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However, the disputes over women's clothing in the past are full of contradictions in the social framework on the norms of women's bodies - you must ensure that you have a perfect body shape to be "qualified" to expose your skin and show your curves, but when your clothes are more close and highlight your body curves, it may induce others to have lust, which needs to be covered. However, whether the purpose of wearing clothes is to show sexiness, or simply for comfort and function, it is up to oneself to define it.

No one should use their own subjective aesthetics to restrict the freedom of others to dress.

It is expected that the society can become more diverse, so that people of all gender identities and all physical appearances can generously embrace their bodies, choose the most confident and comfortable clothing, and do not care about the eyes of others.