Controversy in the UK over the viral slogan to wear loose-fitting clothing to avoid harassment on the Underground

It was in the middle of May when he was a British influencer Sophie Milner Bring up the topic on Tik Tok. In one of his videos, Milner appears with an extension Short white dress And immediately after that, with A.J long coat Covers it up to the heels. On another occasion, she appeared in a strapless tight black dress, and immediately after that, she appeared with a dress Wide white shirt that covers the upper body. And at the top of the screen, this text: “My clothes vs. the clothes I wear on the subway Not to be harassed And strangers do not notice it.

Use baggy clothes To cover the body in excursions in Public transport It is revealed as a choice between women Avoid embarrassing situations In cities like London. On TikTok alone, the hashtag #subwayshirt has garnered over 10 million views.

@employee Will this New York trend carry over to the UK this summer? The women shared their “Subway Shirt” outfits on social media and taught others its purpose. #retweet #retweet #nyc # london ♬ Winter/Cold/R&B_No517 – table_1

@employee I didn’t realize anyone else did this either – it’s a big deal in London. There are a lot of clothes I’ve never worn, or had to change so often, just because I knew people would make me uncomfortable wearing them — whether it was by staring or staring. # chat #retweet #retweet # subwayout # I grow # foot Artwork by s_johnson_voiceovers – Stefan Johnson

“I didn’t know so many people did that too, It’s a big problem.explains Milner in the video description. “I have a lot of clothes that I’ve never worn before or that I’ve had to change just because I knew some people would It will make me uncomfortable With whistles or looks,” she adds. And in the comments, many women agree with her, though others suspect they must be the ones covering up, when a root The problem is in men that annoy them

open controversy

“I understand and support any woman who wants to do these things, but who also avoids the bottom line, which is They are not to blamebut men who have these unpleasant situations, ”explains to EL PERIÓDICO John Hayward Krebsboss Watch livea organization that fights against bullying and hate crime in the UK since 1982. Krebs argues that women’s clothing is not a determining factor in the increase in harassment in public, but They advocate such measures to be taken If they think more calm women who do.

cases Harassment on public transport in London Still worrying. between January and October 2022 recorded a total 1,527 complaintsAnd According to data from London Transport. Figures similar to those of previous years before the pandemic (2020 cases in 2018 and 1825 in 2019), which confirm that The trend has not subsided Despite the efforts of the authorities, who launched a new campaign at the beginning of the year to try to avoid these situations. The goal is urges people To detect cases of bullying to interveneAs long as they feel safe to do so.

Citizen participation

Krebs admits that many people are still reluctant to take action on this issue Fear of possible retaliation But he insists that this is one of the indispensable ways to Bullying prevention In places like the subway. “If someone notices that a man is looking at a woman in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable, they can try to get in the way Cut off eye contact. “You don’t need to say anything,” explains the activist.

However, third parties are involved Especially hard on the subwayBecause attackers take advantage of crowds to go unnoticed. Metro gives Greater anonymity It allows the pursuers to escape easily. In other public places it will be more noticeable and there will be a greater risk of being stopped.” London Transport remembers this nearby 3,000 police officers And the Civil Protection is responsible for reinforcing security in public transport on a daily basis to try it Prevent such situations from occurring.

Many of the influencers who have highlighted this issue acknowledge that wearing loose-fitting clothing while traveling on public transport Not the final solutionbut point out that it helps Make the problem visible that women face on a daily basis. The job that Krebs understands and trusts will help Raising awareness in the community. “The movements of the last five years have helped women feel more supported and I think there have been some changes in the attitude of men.” Some changes are still far from the ultimate goal. “Which Doesn’t mean the problem has gone away, impossible. Misogyny and sexism are still very important.”