Wear What YOU Want

This advertisement, while looking harmless at first glance, would be considered a contravention by today’s standards. Not only are they advertising imported fabrics, but they are also using the “Male Gaze” as a way to encourage women to get these shorts to “have men stop and look at you.”

These Jantsen shorts are made with imported fabric, sold in only a few colors. While it sounds very high class and fancy, it is not that great in terms of sustainability. Imported fashion can greatly impact the environment, labor exploitation, and can also lead to overproduction and waste.

Thankfully, these days we see more and more people turning away from buying off the rack and turning to secondhand shops, not only to benefit our economy and environment but also to buy clothes that they can make their own, without having to worry about how expensive the item was in the first place.

I'm a major supporter of buying secondhand. While I still do buy a select few clothing items from “fast fashion” brands (i.e. I love my Aerie leggings and refuse to wear any other brand), being able to buy a jacket or shirt with so much character and make a few adjustments to said article of clothing without stressing about the wasted money is so much fun. It makes wearing clothes fun again.

In this second advertisement, while it might make you take a second glance, it is an advertisement by Gymshark for their workout shorts that are perfect for girls to do the “short hack” on. Which, if you don’t know, is when you buy longer shorts, like biker shorts, and then roll and scrunch them up (yes, like a wedgie) so they look nicer. The ad is acknowledging that this is something girls do in the gym to feel more confident about themselves, especially on leg day.

Unlike the first advertisement, this one is advertising for girls about girls and how we feel in the clothes we're wearing. While Gymshark might not be the best brand in sustainability terms, they are a great brand for making quality workout clothes for people who just want to feel good when they lift weights. I'm a major advocate of feeling good while you're working out. And yes, if you're wondering, I have done the shorts hack a few times in my life, and oh girl, it does wonders.

We've come a long way in society, going from worrying and stressing about how the other gender will perceive us, and trying to appeal to them in any way we can, to doing things because they make you feel good. Moral of the story: who cares if you got your top from Goodwill? It looks so good, and the way you styled it makes it look like a $50 piece from the mall. Scrunch up your gym shorts; you look great, and as long as you feel great about yourself, that is all that matters.