Teacher Criticized For Outfit She Wore On The First Day Of School — ‘Bring Back Real Professional Attire’
Did she receive criticism because of the outfit itself, or because of her shape?
Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock Most, if not all, schools have dress codes for students as well as their teachers in order to keep a professional atmosphere for everyone. Typically, the attire for teachers is business casual, but one teacher who felt like she met this standard was recently called out online for an outfit others deemed unprofessional.
The teacher posted the outfit she wore on the first day of school on TikTok, and many people criticized the look. It’s opened up a larger discussion about how body type relates to professionalism.
Some said a teacher should have been dress-coded for the outfit she wore on the first day of school.
A teacher named Ms. Williams, who goes by the username @thatgirl__peachy on TikTok, caused quite a stir when she shared the outfit she wore on the first day of school. Someone who appeared to be another teacher filmed her while she stood in the hallway outside of her classroom.
“Look at my baddie,” she said. “Teacher bae.”
She zoomed in on Williams, who was admittedly completely covered. She wore a white button-down top with a cream-colored pencil skirt and black heels. People took issue with the skirt, which was extremely form-fitting, and the strappy heels, which looked a bit out of place in a classroom setting.
“It’s just the shoes, outfit gives professional and protection!” one person commented. “Shoes give date night or club though, some classier heels would have been acceptable for this outfit as an educator at work.”
Others thought the problems with the outfit extended far beyond the shoes. “Being covered isn’t the same thing as being professional,” one person said. “Like, who are we trying to impress with the skin-tight clothes?” A different commenter argued, “Everybody [needs] a dress code at this point.”
On the other hand, some people felt Williams was being unfairly targeted because of her shape. With over 44,000 likes, one of the most popular comments on the video asked an important question: “What [do] y’all want her to do? Leave her body at home?” Another person stated, “The shoes maybe, but be honest, a [white] teacher with no shape [wears] this and it’s no problem.”
Still, others argued that Williams’ body was irrelevant, and the criticism was misplaced. “A body that God gave you would never be unprofessional,” someone said. “Teach boys discipline, self-control and respect for women.” Many similar comments said that people needed to stop “sexualizing” everything.
People questioned if the teacher's outfit would have been such a big deal if she had a different body type.
Bridgette Raes, a personal stylist, workplace image expert, and former fashion designer, wrote about the topic of “body shape discrimination” on her blog. It’s discrimination that she’s been subject to herself, as she was once asked to put on a scarf at a speaking engagement because her perfectly professional dress apparently showed too much cleavage.
“Should it be appropriate if a woman is following proper guidelines for dress, to be called out or made to feel their bodies are too revealing, if it is just naturally how they are built?” Raes asked. “Should someone who is curvy be forced to ‘cover up’ or left to feel like something is wrong with them because their body doesn’t comply with being a more naturally conservative body shape? Should a woman be forced to wear less body-conforming things which will only look too big, shapeless, and ill-fitting?”
While everyone will have different personal opinions on Williams’ outfit, it is interesting to consider Raes’ questions. Should someone who is curvier like Williams be forced to cover up more simply for that reason? Someone with a slimmer figure could wear the same outfit with no problem, so why is it an issue for her?
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
